In 2026, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As a think tank whose work is grounded in liberty and freedom, R Street is spending 2025 researching, debating, and preparing to celebrate the country’s founding and what its future holds. From debating federalism, globalism, our electoral systems, free speech, and free markets, join us as we explore real solutions for this moment and the next.

Exploration

“…moments like this also invite us to return to what has always bound us together: a shared commitment to learning and discovery. It was this pursuit—not just of self-government, but of knowledge—that helped the founding generation secure independence and build a fragile young nation. It will take the same spirit to help us navigate today’s uncertainty and divisions and strengthen the bonds of citizenship.”

Freedom

“The more pressing threat we face stems not from too little democracy, but from a growing contempt for liberal constraints…As we celebrate the Fourth of July, we should remember what made the American Revolution unique: It wasn’t just a break from monarchy, it was a commitment to ‘unalienable’ rights and the constitutional form of government that could protect them, even against democracy.”

Federalism

“Our country has long drawn a bright line between military operations and domestic policing, doubtless originating from the 11th grievance listed in the Declaration of Independence.”

Speech

“These literary societies weren’t just extracurriculars. They were student-run civic training grounds that prepared young men for public life by teaching them to read deeply, write clearly, and speak persuasively. They introduced students to the critical issues of the day, as well as to the virtues of structured conflict and a shared code of conduct — an early rehearsal for democratic life.”

Freedom

“Particularly if America is to take its creed of “freedom” seriously, however, passing laws which limit behaviors that many see as personal choices poses huge challenges. Accusations of nanny statism very easily—and logically—follow attempts to deprive Americans of their firearms and efforts to intervene in their food choices. The best option, then, is harm reduction.”

Federalism

“Federalism is not a partisan principle. It’s not something to be championed only when it limits liberal policies or advances conservative ones. The president’s use of the National Guard risks transforming the Guard into a police force used by the executive branch to silence dissent. Those who value state autonomy should stand up to government overreach.”

Elections

“No two states approach election administration the same way, and those differences provide extensive opportunities for states to learn from each other by observing the strengths and weaknesses of various election policies.”

Self-Government

“American politics has always been noisy and contentious. But the American experiment in self-governance has endured. It has bent, but not broken. Do we still believe deeply enough in the ideals and institutions that make meaningful debate possible?”

Presidency

The Presidency, Polarization of Political Parties, and Public Trust in American Government. This panel was part of our 2025 Real Solutions Summit. It is 45 minutes.

Democracy

“Our ideas are right. They’ll be proven right again and again over time. It just depends how long we stray from believing the evidence in front of us before we recommit to those principles.”

American Discourse

“Is there a way of thinking about political vitriol in a positive light, especially for the free marketers in the room?”

250 Years

“…to plan and orchestrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence…Our aim is for this to be the largest and most inspiring commemoration in our country’s history.”

Democracy

“The idea that the winner will determine whether self-government endures has it exactly backward. The perseverance of democracy is in the hands of the losers.”

Our Founding Ideals

“With virtue as the base of political beliefs, the nation’s institutions were designed to check human ambition and prevent the abuse of power, as well as to incentivize and elevate people who exemplified wisdom and integrity.”

Liberty

“Whether it is alcohol, drugs, or tobacco, banning products does not lead to improved public health. Still, history is fraught with examples of attempts to do so, all of which have failed.”

Citizenship

“As Congress considers the specifics of their proposal to require citizenship checks, they should follow Arizona’s lead, making it easy for American citizens to comply and difficult for non-citizens to vote.”

Debt

“There are plenty of reasons to hold concerns, but you can still appreciate that they are the first Oval Office duo in recent memory to supposedly want to get the United States’ spending in check.”

Balance of Powers

“The term refers to the vast expansion of presidential authority—and the process whereby a president uses supposed national-security emergencies to justify far-reaching policies that evade the scrutiny of Congress and the courts.”

Freedom

“Yes, it costs a lot of money to incarcerate someone. When we have people sitting in pretrial holding in their jails, the tax dollar pays not only for their shelter, their housing, their food, any resources that they may get. It also pays for the time of the officers working there.”

National Defense

“…the Trump administration’s Department of Defense budget request for fiscal year 2026 will soar to $1 trillion dollars, breaking new ground in overspending for the federal government’s largest discretionary spending account…”

Taxation

“America’s tax code is known for its infinite complexities and unexplainable nuances, but perhaps no area of the tax code is more convoluted than alcohol.”

Founding Ideals

“…the common identity espoused by these principles has provided the inspiration and unity necessary to make America’s most significant advances.”

Scope of Government

“When elected leaders refuse to acknowledge limits on their power, they assert the right to trample American rights in the name of popular tyranny.”

Liberty or Death

“R Street is celebrating our founding-era principles and how they intersect with today’s policy challenges.”