January 19, 2025 • 18 mins
Trump 2.0 starts tomorrow. 2025 started 19 days ago.
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Project 2025: Briefing doc, FAQ, Study guide, Podcast | Turn the Lens podcast with Jeff Frick
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Project 2025 - 920 page pdf
https://static.heritage.org/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome back to the Deep Dive.
You know,
sometimes we find a sourceand it's not just informative.
It's like a a crystal ball,you know, into the future.
And I think today's source
‘Mandate for Leadership (00:11):
The Conservative Promise’ [Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation]
is a lot like that.
Yeah, it really lays outlike a roadmap
for conservatives,you know,
for the next presidential administration.
Yeah.
It's like a blueprint
for how they want to governstarting in 2025.
Exactly. And it gets really specific to I mean,
they dive deep into all kinds of things.
Oh yeah.
Like education,national defense.
(00:33):
Yeah.
And even like
how they'd actually, like reshape the government.
Yeah.
And what's really interesting is
this isn't just like a bulletpoint list or something.
It's like they're trying to present a whole vision for the country,
you know, based on conservative principles.
Okay.So let's get into it.
Yeah.
The document startsby talking about families
and how importantthey are to society.
hmm mmm
But they don't stop there.
(00:54):
They actually saythey want to use federal power
like tax policy.
Yeah.
To deal with whatthey're calling a family crisis.
Right.
And that's where things get interesting
because they suggest things like
getting rid of marriage penalties
in the tax codeand welfare programs.
Wow.
Basically using money
to encourage people toform certain types of families.
(01:14):
That's a, a bold approach, for sure.
Yeah.
It really makes you think about
how much the government should be involved in family life.
mm mm
I mean, that's a debatethat's been going on forever.
Yeah.
How effective canthe government really be
when it comes to strengthening families.
It's complicated.
And the answer probably dependson a lot of different things.
(01:35):
Right.
But this document clearly says
that the government canand should play a big part.
Okay, so moving on.
The document then goes afterthe federal bureaucracy
mm mm
saying it’s has gottentoo big, too powerful,
Right
and that it doesn't care aboutthe needs of everyday Americans.
And they have some pretty dramatic solutions.
They want to overhaulthe civil service,
and they even want to bring backIQ tests for federal hiring.
(01:58):
Wait, bring back IQ tests?
Yeah
But those were discontinuedlike decades ago because
people were worriedabout racial bias.
That's right.
And this is a good exampleof something
we see a lot in this document.
Okay.
They want to make governmentbetter and more accountable.
But they also have to thinkabout what that might mean
for things like diversity and equity in the civil service.
Okay.
(02:19):
Let's switch gearsto national defense.
Okay.
The document says that China
is the biggest priority for U.S. defense planning.
mmm mmm
And they're calling fora pretty aggressive approach.
I mean they want to modernize and expand the nuclear arsenal.
Yeah.
Make the defense industry strongerand spend more on the military.
They even want to prioritize American and allied manufacturing
(02:43):
when it comes to defense contracts.
Oh wow.
So they want to relyless on foreign suppliers,
especially from countrieslike China.
Okay, so they're thinking about morethan just military strength.
We're thinking about economiccompetition as strategy too.
Exactly.
Now things get really serious
when we get toHomeland Security.
They suggest some big changesto the Department of Homeland Security
They even hint at maybeshrinking it
(03:03):
or getting rid of itcompletely.
Yeah, and that goes back to their idea of streamlining the government.
Right.
And making it smaller.
They think that a more focused approach
to homeland security might actually be better.
Okay.
But they also wantsome specific policy changes.
Yeah
And those are sure to becontroversial.
Oh, definitely.
Like they want stricterimmigration enforcement.
They want to use all thedetention space available,
(03:26):
and they want to limit
the use of parole for peoplecrossing the border.
Wow.
They even say that the Secretary of Homeland Security
should be able to ignorecertain legal requirements
during a mass migration event.
Whoa. That's a pretty big idea.
It is.
I can see how that mightmake things easier in a crisis,
but it also makesyou worry about
due process and people's rights.
You're right.
(03:46):
And that's something thatcomes up a lot in this document.
Okay.
It's this tension between
wanting to be efficient and secure
and wanting to protect individual liberties and legal processes.
Okay, so we've talked about families,
the bureaucracy, defense and homeland security.
(04:06):
mm hmm
What about the economy?
What kind of vision dothey have for that?
Unsurprisinglythey want to go back
to classic conservativeeconomic ideas
Right
free trade, less regulationand responsible spending.
But there are some interesting things
that go beyond the usual talking points.
Like what?Give me the good stuff.
Well, they want to get ridof the Export-Import Bank,
(04:28):
Okay
which helps American businesses compete globally.
Oh
They say it's corporate welfare
and that it messes up the market.
Now, that's a proposal that willdefinitely get people talking.
Oh, yeah.
I bet the people who support the bank
would say that it's really important
for American jobsand businesses.
Yeah, especiallyin certain industries.
And that's what makesthis document so interesting.
It's not just repeatingthe same old things.
(04:49):
They're putting forwardsome specific and sometimes
surprising ideas that challengethe usual way of thinking.
Okay, so we've covered a lot already,
but we're just getting started.
Yep
Next, we'll look at their ideasfor education, social issues,
and how they see the role
of technology and innovationin the future of the country.
It's definitely a visionthat's going to get people
talking on all sides.
(05:09):
For sure.
So get ready.It's going to be interesting.
All right,buckle up everyone.
So picking up where we left off,
this documentreally gets into education.
Okay
They're big on school choice.
Yep
They think that federal educationfunding should follow the child,
not the school system.
So like letting parents choosethe best schools for their kids.
Exactly.
Even if it means going outsidethe public school system.
(05:31):
Right.
They even specificallytalk about
the D.C. OpportunitiesScholarship Program,
hmm hmm
which gives vouchersto low income families
so their kids can go to private schools.
Interesting.
Yeah,
I can see why people
who don't like the public schoolswould like that.
Yeah
But what about the publicschools themselves?
I mean, would this hurt them?
Right
And can these programs really make sure that
(05:52):
all kids have accessto good schools?
Those are definitely some of the big questions
about school choice.
Yeah.
And the document triesto address them.
Okay.
They say that competition would actually make
all schools better public and private.
Interesting.
Okay, so we've talked about education.
Let's move on to something thatalways gets people riled up.
Social issues.
(06:12):
All right.
How does this document handle those?
Well, they definitely don't hold back
when it comes to expressingconservative views.
So
They talk about
abortion, transgenderism andthe role of religion in society.
umm
They want to protectconscience rights,
promote traditional marriage,
and limit federal funding for abortion providers.
(06:33):
Sounds like they're reallygetting into the culture wars here.
Yeah, they're definitely sticking
to those traditionalconservative values.
Okay.
This part of the documentreally shows how important
those moral beliefs areto conservative thinking.
Right
It's all aboutthe sanctity of life,
the importance of the traditional family
and the role of faith.
Yeah, I can see
how this part of the documentwill get strong reactions.
(06:54):
These are some of the mostdivisive issues in America right now
Absolutely.
And the people who wrote this
know that they're notavoiding the debate.
mmm
They're running right into it.
Okay.
Let's change gears againand talk about technology.
Right.
This is something
that's always changing,and it affects everything
mm mm
from the economyto national security.
It does.
So how does this document dealwith technology and innovation?
(07:17):
Well they say thattechnological advancement
is important for both theeconomy and national security.
Okay.
They want more investmentin research and development.
mmm
They want to simplifyregulations on new technologies.
Right.
And they want to protectintellectual property.
So basicallythey want to make sure
America stays ahead of the game.
Right.
When it comes to things like
artificial intelligence,biotechnology and all that.
(07:38):
Exactly.
But they're also worriedabout American businesses
helping Chinadevelop its own AI.
Oh, wow.
They want a planto stop that from happening.
Interesting
They want to be more aggressive
about protecting American intellectual property
Oh
and making sure it doesn'tend up in the wrong hands.
That makes sense.
It's a tough balancethough, right?
(07:59):
Yeah.
You want to encourageinnovation,
hm mm
but you also have to think aboutnational security.
Exactly.
And this document suggests
that they're leaningmore towards security.
Okay.
So we talked about their visionfor families, the bureaucracy
national defensesocial issues and technology.
mmm mm
But this documentgoes even deeper than that.
(08:19):
It does.
It actually gets into specificdepartments and agencies.
Yeah.
Proposing reforms
and even suggestinggetting rid of some altogether.
Right.
And that's where thingsget really interesting.
mmm mm
It's one thing to talk about ideas
Right.
But it's another
to actually figure outhow to put them into practice.
And this document tries to do just that.
Okay. So let's dive in.
(08:40):
Where do they start?
One of their big targets
is the Departmentof Homeland Security.
Okay.
They think that it's too bigand bureaucratic
and that might be making it less effective.
They even suggest
breaking it up into smaller,more focused agencies.
Wow.
That would be a huge change.
It would.
And it really showshow much they want to
streamline the governmentand make it smaller.
(09:00):
Exactly.
And they have the same ideafor other agencies too.
Okay.
Like the civil servicethey want to make it easier
to hire, promoteand even fire people.
Mmm
They say that the current system
protects workerswho aren't doing a good job.
So they wantthe federal government
to be morelike a business.
Yeah.
With more focus on efficiencyand accountability.
(09:22):
That's a good wayto put it.
Okay.
And they're not afraidof controversial topics.
Like what?
Like they say that the Secretary of Homeland Security
should be able to waive certain legal requirements
during a mass migration event.
That sounds likeit could be abused.
Yeah.
I mean, who decideswhat a mass migration is?
Right
And how do we make sure thatthis power isn't used unfairly?
(09:44):
Those are good questions.
And the document admitsthat this idea
would have to be carefullythought out
oh
to make sure it doesn'tviolate people's rights.
mmm mm
But they say that you need some flexibility
to deal with a crisis.
Right.
It's that classic dilemma.
Yeah.
Security versus Liberty.
Exactly.
Okay, so they're ready to shake thingsup at Homeland Security.
(10:05):
What about other agencies?
Who else are they targeting?
Well, they go after some familiar ones,
like the EPA and the Department of Education,
but they also go after somethat you might not expect,
like the Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve?
What's wrong with the fed?
They say it has too much power.
Okay.
And that its policieshave caused inflation,
economic instability.
(10:26):
Wow
Well, they want to limitthe Fed's independence
and maybe even go backto some kind of gold standard.
Wow. Going back to the gold standard.
That's a pretty radical idea.
It is.
Nobody's talked about thatseriously in a long time.
Yeah.
Sounds think they really wantto change things up.
They do.
And it's not just about the economy.
They also want to change social programs
like welfare and food stamps.
(10:48):
mmm hmm
They think those programs are too generous
and discourage people from working.
They want to make it so you haveto work to get those benefits.
And they want to reduce
the number of peoplewho depend on them.
So basically, they wantto make the government
smaller in every way.
That's right.
That's a prettyambitious plan.
It is.
And I bet the people who benefitfrom the current system
won't be happy about it.
Oh, yeah, they'll definitely push back.
(11:09):
Right.
But that's what makesthis document so interesting.
mm mm
It's a bold vision for
how a conservative government would run things.
Yeah.
And it shows the fight
over ideas is far from over.
Okay.
So we're back and readyto wrap up our look at
‘Mandate for Leadership’[The Conservative Promise, Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation]
hm mm
We've gone over a lotyou know
from those big ideas about the role of government
(11:29):
yeah
to those really specific
policy proposals like for educationand national security.
Right.
And now we can really zoom inon how those conservative ideas
could actually affect
how the different departments and agencies work
on a day to day basis.
Exactly.
So let's startwith the Department of Energy.
Okay.
The document says
(11:49):
they want to changehow the department works.
hmm mm
Focusing more on energyindependence
and getting rid of what they see as
too many regulations.
They specifically say
they want to get rid of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Wow
They think it'smessing up the market
by choosing winners and losers.
So basically they want thegovernment to be less involved.
(12:12):
Right.
And let the market decide whathappens in the energy sector.
Exactly.
They think that businesses are better at
developing new energy technologies.
Okay.
And that the government
just gets in the wayand makes things more expensive.
Interesting.
I can see how people who
believe in free markets would like that.
Yeah.
What about climate changeand switching to cleaner energy?
(12:33):
Well, the document does say that
protecting the environment is important.
Okay.
But they think it should be done in a way
that doesn't hurt the economyor take away people's freedoms.
Right?
They want to make regulations simpler
and focus on solutionsthat work with the market.
Okay, so let's move on to another agencythat's always in the news.
The EPA
Right.
They want to make somebig changes there too.
(12:55):
Yeah, they think the EPA has becometoo bureaucratic and powerful.
They want to combineoffices, streamline processes,
and just make the agencysmaller overall.
Okay.
They also want to lookat the EPA's scientific research
and advisory committees.
mm
They think those groups havebeen influenced by politics.
So basicallythey want to make sure
(13:15):
the EPA's focused on scienceand the economy
and not on ideology.
Exactly.
They think the EPA has puttoo many burdens on businesses.
Okay.
And hurt economic growth
all in the name of protecting the environment.
hmm mm
They want to finda better balance.
Okay, now let's talk about an agencythat affects a lot of people every day.
Okay.
The Department of Housingand Urban Development or HUD.
(13:36):
Yeah.
What do they wantto do with HUD?
They want to make some major changes there too.
They want to restructure the department
combine programs,
make it smaller,
and focus on providingaffordable housing
to people who really need it.
So they're basically tryingto make HUD more efficient.
That's part of it.
Okay.
But they also want to make surethat HUD's policies
match up with their conservative beliefs.
(13:59):
Interesting.like what?
Well, for example,
they want to get rid of the Biden administration's
PAVE policies,[Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE)]
Okay
Which were about making property appraisals more fair.
mm mm
They think those policies actually undermine
how appraisals are done.
So it's not just aboutefficiency
Right
They also want to make sure that
HUD's policiesreflect their ideology.
(14:19):
Exactly.
And that's something we seethroughout this whole document.
They're not just tryingto make government work better.
Right
They want to make itreflect their values too.
Okay. Let's move on to another big one.
The Departmentof the Interior.
Right.
They manage a lot of land and resources.
mm mm
What are they going to do with that?
They want to change how thedepartment manages those lands
Okay
And put more emphasis on energydevelopment and using resources
(14:43):
instead of conservationand protecting the environment.
That sounds likea pretty big change.
It is.
Right now, the focus is on protecting those lands
and using themfor recreation.
Right
They think those lands should be used to help
the American peoplethrough economic development.
Okay.
Not just kept for special interest groups.
mm mm
They specifically wantto open up more of that land
(15:04):
for oil and gas drilling,mining and logging.
I bet that will make a lot of people mad.
Oh, yeah.
Especially environmental groups
and people who like to use those lands for recreation.
Right.
What about other partsof the Interior Department,
like the Fishand Wildlife Service?
They want to changethe Endangered Species Act.
Okay.
They think it's been usedto stop economic development,
(15:26):
and that the decisions about which species to protect
are often based on bad science.
Okay.
They want to make it easier to take species off
the endangered list.
Right.
And to consider the economic impact more
when deciding whether to protect a species.
That's a controversial idea, for sure.
It could really affect howwe protect endangered species.
(15:47):
And it shows a bigger themein this document.
What's that?
They don't trust environmentalregulations very much.
hmm mmm
And they think economic growthis more important.
Okay, let's move on to an agencythat's been in the news a lot.
The FBI
Yeah
They had some pretty big changesplanned for the FBI too.
They think the FBI has becometoo political and powerful.
(16:07):
Okay.
They want to restructure it tofocus more on law enforcement.
mm mm
Maybe even createa separate agency
for intelligenceand counterterrorism.
Wow
They also want to stop the FBI
from doing anything relatedto fighting misinformation.
Interesting, so they want to limitwhat the FBI can do.
Exactly.
They think the FBI has gonebeyond its original purpose.
Okay.
(16:28):
And is getting involvedin things it shouldn't.
mm mm
They want to make sure it focuseson fighting crime and terrorism,
and not on targetingpolitical opponents
or stopping free speech.
A lot of conservativeswould agree with that.
Yeah, especially after what's happenedwith the FBI in recent years.
Right.
But other people might thinkthe FBI is important
for protectingnational security
and our rights.
(16:48):
Definitely, and that's what makesthis document so interesting.
mm mm
It shows exactly how a conservative government
would run things.
Rght
But it also makes us thinkabout the role of government,
the balance of power.
Right.
And how to protect individual rights.
Okay.
So we've covered a lot of ground today
looking at the conservative vision
for all these different partsof the government.
(17:09):
Yeah, we really have.
But this documentgoes even deeper than that.
It does.
What are somefinal thoughts
you want to leave our listeners with?
Well, it's importantto remember that this is just
one way oflooking at things.
It's the conservative way.
Right
There are other ways of thinking about how to govern.
Right?
It's up to each of us to thinkabout these ideas.
Right
(17:29):
To decide what we believe andto come to our own conclusions.
This deep dive has definitelygiven us a lot to think about.
It has.
And we hope it's made you
want to learn more about these issues,
and to get involved in the conversation
on of the future of our country.
We want you to look at different viewpoints.
Right
Think about the evidence
mmm
and make your own informed decisions.
(17:50):
Because in the end,
Yeah,
the future of our countryis up to all of us.
That's right.
Thanks for joining us on this deep dive.
Welcome back to the Deep Dive.
You know,
sometimes we find a sourceand it's not just informative.
It's like a a crystal ball,you know, into the future.
And I think today's source
‘Mandate for Leadership (00:11):
The Conservative Promise’ [Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation]
is a lot like that.
Yeah, it really lays outlike a roadmap
for conservatives,you know,
for the next presidential administration.
Yeah.
It's like a blueprint
for how they want to governstarting in 2025.
Exactly. And it gets really specific to I mean,
they dive deep into all kinds of things.
Oh yeah.
Like education,national defense.
(00:33):
Yeah.
And even like
how they'd actually, like reshape the government.
Yeah.
And what's really interesting is
this isn't just like a bulletpoint list or something.
It's like they're trying to present a whole vision for the country,
you know, based on conservative principles.
Okay.So let's get into it.
Yeah.
The document startsby talking about families
and how importantthey are to society.
hmm mmm
But they don't stop there.
(00:54):
They actually saythey want to use federal power
like tax policy.
Yeah.
To deal with whatthey're calling a family crisis.
Right.
And that's where things get interesting
because they suggest things like
getting rid of marriage penalties
in the tax codeand welfare programs.
Wow.
Basically using money
to encourage people toform certain types of families.
(01:14):
That's a, a bold approach, for sure.
Yeah.
It really makes you think about
how much the government should be involved in family life.
mm mm
I mean, that's a debatethat's been going on forever.
Yeah.
How effective canthe government really be
when it comes to strengthening families.
It's complicated.
And the answer probably dependson a lot of different things.
(01:35):
Right.
But this document clearly says
that the government canand should play a big part.
Okay, so moving on.
The document then goes afterthe federal bureaucracy
mm mm
saying it’s has gottentoo big, too powerful,
Right
and that it doesn't care aboutthe needs of everyday Americans.
And they have some pretty dramatic solutions.
They want to overhaulthe civil service,
and they even want to bring backIQ tests for federal hiring.
(01:58):
Wait, bring back IQ tests?
Yeah
But those were discontinuedlike decades ago because
people were worriedabout racial bias.
That's right.
And this is a good exampleof something
we see a lot in this document.
Okay.
They want to make governmentbetter and more accountable.
But they also have to thinkabout what that might mean
for things like diversity and equity in the civil service.
Okay.
(02:19):
Let's switch gearsto national defense.
Okay.
The document says that China
is the biggest priority for U.S. defense planning.
mmm mmm
And they're calling fora pretty aggressive approach.
I mean they want to modernize and expand the nuclear arsenal.
Yeah.
Make the defense industry strongerand spend more on the military.
They even want to prioritize American and allied manufacturing
(02:43):
when it comes to defense contracts.
Oh wow.
So they want to relyless on foreign suppliers,
especially from countrieslike China.
Okay, so they're thinking about morethan just military strength.
We're thinking about economiccompetition as strategy too.
Exactly.
Now things get really serious
when we get toHomeland Security.
They suggest some big changesto the Department of Homeland Security
They even hint at maybeshrinking it
(03:03):
or getting rid of itcompletely.
Yeah, and that goes back to their idea of streamlining the government.
Right.
And making it smaller.
They think that a more focused approach
to homeland security might actually be better.
Okay.
But they also wantsome specific policy changes.
Yeah
And those are sure to becontroversial.
Oh, definitely.
Like they want stricterimmigration enforcement.
They want to use all thedetention space available,
(03:26):
and they want to limit
the use of parole for peoplecrossing the border.
Wow.
They even say that the Secretary of Homeland Security
should be able to ignorecertain legal requirements
during a mass migration event.
Whoa. That's a pretty big idea.
It is.
I can see how that mightmake things easier in a crisis,
but it also makesyou worry about
due process and people's rights.
You're right.
(03:46):
And that's something thatcomes up a lot in this document.
Okay.
It's this tension between
wanting to be efficient and secure
and wanting to protect individual liberties and legal processes.
Okay, so we've talked about families,
the bureaucracy, defense and homeland security.
(04:06):
mm hmm
What about the economy?
What kind of vision dothey have for that?
Unsurprisinglythey want to go back
to classic conservativeeconomic ideas
Right
free trade, less regulationand responsible spending.
But there are some interesting things
that go beyond the usual talking points.
Like what?Give me the good stuff.
Well, they want to get ridof the Export-Import Bank,
(04:28):
Okay
which helps American businesses compete globally.
Oh
They say it's corporate welfare
and that it messes up the market.
Now, that's a proposal that willdefinitely get people talking.
Oh, yeah.
I bet the people who support the bank
would say that it's really important
for American jobsand businesses.
Yeah, especiallyin certain industries.
And that's what makesthis document so interesting.
It's not just repeatingthe same old things.
(04:49):
They're putting forwardsome specific and sometimes
surprising ideas that challengethe usual way of thinking.
Okay, so we've covered a lot already,
but we're just getting started.
Yep
Next, we'll look at their ideasfor education, social issues,
and how they see the role
of technology and innovationin the future of the country.
It's definitely a visionthat's going to get people
talking on all sides.
(05:09):
For sure.
So get ready.It's going to be interesting.
All right,buckle up everyone.
So picking up where we left off,
this documentreally gets into education.
Okay
They're big on school choice.
Yep
They think that federal educationfunding should follow the child,
not the school system.
So like letting parents choosethe best schools for their kids.
Exactly.
Even if it means going outsidethe public school system.
(05:31):
Right.
They even specificallytalk about
the D.C. OpportunitiesScholarship Program,
hmm hmm
which gives vouchersto low income families
so their kids can go to private schools.
Interesting.
Yeah,
I can see why people
who don't like the public schoolswould like that.
Yeah
But what about the publicschools themselves?
I mean, would this hurt them?
Right
And can these programs really make sure that
(05:52):
all kids have accessto good schools?
Those are definitely some of the big questions
about school choice.
Yeah.
And the document triesto address them.
Okay.
They say that competition would actually make
all schools better public and private.
Interesting.
Okay, so we've talked about education.
Let's move on to something thatalways gets people riled up.
Social issues.
(06:12):
All right.
How does this document handle those?
Well, they definitely don't hold back
when it comes to expressingconservative views.
So
They talk about
abortion, transgenderism andthe role of religion in society.
umm
They want to protectconscience rights,
promote traditional marriage,
and limit federal funding for abortion providers.
(06:33):
Sounds like they're reallygetting into the culture wars here.
Yeah, they're definitely sticking
to those traditionalconservative values.
Okay.
This part of the documentreally shows how important
those moral beliefs areto conservative thinking.
Right
It's all aboutthe sanctity of life,
the importance of the traditional family
and the role of faith.
Yeah, I can see
how this part of the documentwill get strong reactions.
(06:54):
These are some of the mostdivisive issues in America right now
Absolutely.
And the people who wrote this
know that they're notavoiding the debate.
mmm
They're running right into it.
Okay.
Let's change gears againand talk about technology.
Right.
This is something
that's always changing,and it affects everything
mm mm
from the economyto national security.
It does.
So how does this document dealwith technology and innovation?
(07:17):
Well they say thattechnological advancement
is important for both theeconomy and national security.
Okay.
They want more investmentin research and development.
mmm
They want to simplifyregulations on new technologies.
Right.
And they want to protectintellectual property.
So basicallythey want to make sure
America stays ahead of the game.
Right.
When it comes to things like
artificial intelligence,biotechnology and all that.
(07:38):
Exactly.
But they're also worriedabout American businesses
helping Chinadevelop its own AI.
Oh, wow.
They want a planto stop that from happening.
Interesting
They want to be more aggressive
about protecting American intellectual property
Oh
and making sure it doesn'tend up in the wrong hands.
That makes sense.
It's a tough balancethough, right?
(07:59):
Yeah.
You want to encourageinnovation,
hm mm
but you also have to think aboutnational security.
Exactly.
And this document suggests
that they're leaningmore towards security.
Okay.
So we talked about their visionfor families, the bureaucracy
national defensesocial issues and technology.
mmm mm
But this documentgoes even deeper than that.
(08:19):
It does.
It actually gets into specificdepartments and agencies.
Yeah.
Proposing reforms
and even suggestinggetting rid of some altogether.
Right.
And that's where thingsget really interesting.
mmm mm
It's one thing to talk about ideas
Right.
But it's another
to actually figure outhow to put them into practice.
And this document tries to do just that.
Okay. So let's dive in.
(08:40):
Where do they start?
One of their big targets
is the Departmentof Homeland Security.
Okay.
They think that it's too bigand bureaucratic
and that might be making it less effective.
They even suggest
breaking it up into smaller,more focused agencies.
Wow.
That would be a huge change.
It would.
And it really showshow much they want to
streamline the governmentand make it smaller.
(09:00):
Exactly.
And they have the same ideafor other agencies too.
Okay.
Like the civil servicethey want to make it easier
to hire, promoteand even fire people.
Mmm
They say that the current system
protects workerswho aren't doing a good job.
So they wantthe federal government
to be morelike a business.
Yeah.
With more focus on efficiencyand accountability.
(09:22):
That's a good wayto put it.
Okay.
And they're not afraidof controversial topics.
Like what?
Like they say that the Secretary of Homeland Security
should be able to waive certain legal requirements
during a mass migration event.
That sounds likeit could be abused.
Yeah.
I mean, who decideswhat a mass migration is?
Right
And how do we make sure thatthis power isn't used unfairly?
(09:44):
Those are good questions.
And the document admitsthat this idea
would have to be carefullythought out
oh
to make sure it doesn'tviolate people's rights.
mmm mm
But they say that you need some flexibility
to deal with a crisis.
Right.
It's that classic dilemma.
Yeah.
Security versus Liberty.
Exactly.
Okay, so they're ready to shake thingsup at Homeland Security.
(10:05):
What about other agencies?
Who else are they targeting?
Well, they go after some familiar ones,
like the EPA and the Department of Education,
but they also go after somethat you might not expect,
like the Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve?
What's wrong with the fed?
They say it has too much power.
Okay.
And that its policieshave caused inflation,
economic instability.
(10:26):
Wow
Well, they want to limitthe Fed's independence
and maybe even go backto some kind of gold standard.
Wow. Going back to the gold standard.
That's a pretty radical idea.
It is.
Nobody's talked about thatseriously in a long time.
Yeah.
Sounds think they really wantto change things up.
They do.
And it's not just about the economy.
They also want to change social programs
like welfare and food stamps.
(10:48):
mmm hmm
They think those programs are too generous
and discourage people from working.
They want to make it so you haveto work to get those benefits.
And they want to reduce
the number of peoplewho depend on them.
So basically, they wantto make the government
smaller in every way.
That's right.
That's a prettyambitious plan.
It is.
And I bet the people who benefitfrom the current system
won't be happy about it.
Oh, yeah, they'll definitely push back.
(11:09):
Right.
But that's what makesthis document so interesting.
mm mm
It's a bold vision for
how a conservative government would run things.
Yeah.
And it shows the fight
over ideas is far from over.
Okay.
So we're back and readyto wrap up our look at
‘Mandate for Leadership’[The Conservative Promise, Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation]
hm mm
We've gone over a lotyou know
from those big ideas about the role of government
(11:29):
yeah
to those really specific
policy proposals like for educationand national security.
Right.
And now we can really zoom inon how those conservative ideas
could actually affect
how the different departments and agencies work
on a day to day basis.
Exactly.
So let's startwith the Department of Energy.
Okay.
The document says
(11:49):
they want to changehow the department works.
hmm mm
Focusing more on energyindependence
and getting rid of what they see as
too many regulations.
They specifically say
they want to get rid of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Wow
They think it'smessing up the market
by choosing winners and losers.
So basically they want thegovernment to be less involved.
(12:12):
Right.
And let the market decide whathappens in the energy sector.
Exactly.
They think that businesses are better at
developing new energy technologies.
Okay.
And that the government
just gets in the wayand makes things more expensive.
Interesting.
I can see how people who
believe in free markets would like that.
Yeah.
What about climate changeand switching to cleaner energy?
(12:33):
Well, the document does say that
protecting the environment is important.
Okay.
But they think it should be done in a way
that doesn't hurt the economyor take away people's freedoms.
Right?
They want to make regulations simpler
and focus on solutionsthat work with the market.
Okay, so let's move on to another agencythat's always in the news.
The EPA
Right.
They want to make somebig changes there too.
(12:55):
Yeah, they think the EPA has becometoo bureaucratic and powerful.
They want to combineoffices, streamline processes,
and just make the agencysmaller overall.
Okay.
They also want to lookat the EPA's scientific research
and advisory committees.
mm
They think those groups havebeen influenced by politics.
So basicallythey want to make sure
(13:15):
the EPA's focused on scienceand the economy
and not on ideology.
Exactly.
They think the EPA has puttoo many burdens on businesses.
Okay.
And hurt economic growth
all in the name of protecting the environment.
hmm mm
They want to finda better balance.
Okay, now let's talk about an agencythat affects a lot of people every day.
Okay.
The Department of Housingand Urban Development or HUD.
(13:36):
Yeah.
What do they wantto do with HUD?
They want to make some major changes there too.
They want to restructure the department
combine programs,
make it smaller,
and focus on providingaffordable housing
to people who really need it.
So they're basically tryingto make HUD more efficient.
That's part of it.
Okay.
But they also want to make surethat HUD's policies
match up with their conservative beliefs.
(13:59):
Interesting.like what?
Well, for example,
they want to get rid of the Biden administration's
PAVE policies,[Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE)]
Okay
Which were about making property appraisals more fair.
mm mm
They think those policies actually undermine
how appraisals are done.
So it's not just aboutefficiency
Right
They also want to make sure that
HUD's policiesreflect their ideology.
(14:19):
Exactly.
And that's something we seethroughout this whole document.
They're not just tryingto make government work better.
Right
They want to make itreflect their values too.
Okay. Let's move on to another big one.
The Departmentof the Interior.
Right.
They manage a lot of land and resources.
mm mm
What are they going to do with that?
They want to change how thedepartment manages those lands
Okay
And put more emphasis on energydevelopment and using resources
(14:43):
instead of conservationand protecting the environment.
That sounds likea pretty big change.
It is.
Right now, the focus is on protecting those lands
and using themfor recreation.
Right
They think those lands should be used to help
the American peoplethrough economic development.
Okay.
Not just kept for special interest groups.
mm mm
They specifically wantto open up more of that land
(15:04):
for oil and gas drilling,mining and logging.
I bet that will make a lot of people mad.
Oh, yeah.
Especially environmental groups
and people who like to use those lands for recreation.
Right.
What about other partsof the Interior Department,
like the Fishand Wildlife Service?
They want to changethe Endangered Species Act.
Okay.
They think it's been usedto stop economic development,
(15:26):
and that the decisions about which species to protect
are often based on bad science.
Okay.
They want to make it easier to take species off
the endangered list.
Right.
And to consider the economic impact more
when deciding whether to protect a species.
That's a controversial idea, for sure.
It could really affect howwe protect endangered species.
(15:47):
And it shows a bigger themein this document.
What's that?
They don't trust environmentalregulations very much.
hmm mmm
And they think economic growthis more important.
Okay, let's move on to an agencythat's been in the news a lot.
The FBI
Yeah
They had some pretty big changesplanned for the FBI too.
They think the FBI has becometoo political and powerful.
(16:07):
Okay.
They want to restructure it tofocus more on law enforcement.
mm mm
Maybe even createa separate agency
for intelligenceand counterterrorism.
Wow
They also want to stop the FBI
from doing anything relatedto fighting misinformation.
Interesting, so they want to limitwhat the FBI can do.
Exactly.
They think the FBI has gonebeyond its original purpose.
Okay.
(16:28):
And is getting involvedin things it shouldn't.
mm mm
They want to make sure it focuseson fighting crime and terrorism,
and not on targetingpolitical opponents
or stopping free speech.
A lot of conservativeswould agree with that.
Yeah, especially after what's happenedwith the FBI in recent years.
Right.
But other people might thinkthe FBI is important
for protectingnational security
and our rights.
(16:48):
Definitely, and that's what makesthis document so interesting.
mm mm
It shows exactly how a conservative government
would run things.
Rght
But it also makes us thinkabout the role of government,
the balance of power.
Right.
And how to protect individual rights.
Okay.
So we've covered a lot of ground today
looking at the conservative vision
for all these different partsof the government.
(17:09):
Yeah, we really have.
But this documentgoes even deeper than that.
It does.
What are somefinal thoughts
you want to leave our listeners with?
Well, it's importantto remember that this is just
one way oflooking at things.
It's the conservative way.
Right
There are other ways of thinking about how to govern.
Right?
It's up to each of us to thinkabout these ideas.
Right
(17:29):
To decide what we believe andto come to our own conclusions.
This deep dive has definitelygiven us a lot to think about.
It has.
And we hope it's made you
want to learn more about these issues,
and to get involved in the conversation
on of the future of our country.
We want you to look at different viewpoints.
Right
Think about the evidence
mmm
and make your own informed decisions.
(17:50):
Because in the end,
Yeah,
the future of our countryis up to all of us.
That's right.
Thanks for joining us on this deep dive.
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