Revisiting think tanks on the rise of North American conservatism: American Enterprise Institute and Heritage Foundation

Abstract

This work seeks to present the rise and setting of the conservative movement in the United States from the role of two North American think tanks: American Enterprise Institute and Heritage Foundation. From specialized literature and primary and secondary data collect, this research presents the rise of the conservative movement and its expansion to the political arena in the USA from 1940s and 1960s, respectively. As a result, we conclude the study pointing the role that these think tanks had in USA while an organism that presents itself with intellectual credentials (therefore, “legitimate”) to the promotion of a conservative agenda in the political realm. More specifically, the think tanks studied advise Republican candidates; guide decision-makers and public staffs; propagate the conservative ideals when participating actively in media – such as programs and talk shows in radios and television channels or publications in important journals and magazines – and build new leaderships to be hired by the Republican administration. As such, both think tanks analyzed serve as a vehicle to propagate the conservative agenda in the US political realm.