Proposed OSHA Rule Opens Door for Abuse in Iowa

A newly-proposed rule has the potential to weaponize OSHA safety inspections — without protecting worker safety — and is certain to erode trust. Who has access to a business or other organization’s premises can be a highly sensitive matter, and public policy must make a priority of fostering trust in government agents with that authority. Unfortunately, that trust has been […]

Herbert Hoover: Defender of the Old Order 

This article was published in the Des Moines Register, Cedar Rapids Gazette, Iowa City Press-Citizen and the West Branch Times. Herbert Hoover is a forgotten conservative statesman, whose philosophy and ideas can still serve as a guide for the nation today. President Herbert Hoover led a remarkable life that was based upon public service, humanitarianism, and a belief that America […]

Iowa Rising: Governor Kim Reynolds Continues to Champion Conservative Policies

Governor Kim Reynolds, after winning reelection in a landslide, delivered her sixth Condition of the State address where she continued to outline a conservative policy agenda. Governor Reynolds has led the state through natural disasters, the COVID pandemic, and through our current uncertain national economy. Since assuming office, Governor Reynolds has been a champion of conservative policies that place the taxpayer first and protect and defend traditional values. As a result, Iowa’s economy is strong, the tax code is more competitive, and as Governor Reynolds stated the state is “a beacon for freedom and opportunity.”

Roosevelt’s Revolution – The election of 1936 and the Triumph of New Deal Liberalism

David Pietrusza is both a gifted historian and storyteller. He is also the “Dean” of American presidential election history. His previous books focus on the elections of 1920, 1932, 1948, and 1960. All provide a rich narrative that explores the individuals, candidates and political environment that shaped these important presidential elections, which have lasting impact on both the nation and […]

New Attorney General, New Opportunities

Constraining the size and scope of the federal government is an issue that should transcend politics or partisanship. State Attorneys General have a vital role in protecting states from regulatory and administrative overreach. Iowans elected a new Attorney General to represent them in the 2022 elections. Forty-year incumbent Tom Miller was defeated by Republican Brenna Bird. Bird, who lost to […]

Governor Kim Reynolds: Defender of Freedom and Conservatism

Image: Governor Kim Reynolds   “This campaign is more than a contest between two men. It is more than a contest between two parties. It is a contest between two philosophies of government,” stated President Herbert Hoover in describing his differences with then-Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt. Governor Kim Reynolds, just as with President Hoover, offered a different philosophy of government […]

A Victory for Free Speech on Campus

These days, it seems the last place where the free exchange of ideas is tolerated is a college campus. Too often we read about an example of a university administrator stamping out free expression and thought in the name of promoting ephemeral concepts like “social justice” or a “safe environment for learning.” Rather than promoting an environment where students and faculty exchange viewpoints and learn to live in a world where not everyone thinks alike, the trend is to treat certain views as out of bounds and subject to discipline.

Remembering Warren G. Harding: The Original America First President

The Republican Ascendancy of the 1920s is associated with a return to conservative politics with the presidential administrations of Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. Warren G. Harding, who was elected President in the election of 1920, initiated an era of conservative government based upon policies that were rooted in constitutional limited government. Harding was a constitutional conservative […]

Remembering the “Full-Dinner Pail” on Labor Day

“The Full-Dinner Pail” was a campaign slogan utilized by President William McKinley and other Republicans to symbolize support for working Americans. It is often assumed that Republicans are opposed to labor, but this notion is false. President Donald J. Trump’s America First policies were pro-labor. Whether unshackling businesses from excessive regulations, cutting tax rates, and pursuing trade agreements that place […]

The Wisdom of Alexander Hamilton

“It is good to meet and drink at the fountains of wisdom inherited from the Founding Fathers of the republic,” noted President Warren G. Harding. Perhaps now more than ever the nation needs to follow Harding’s advice. Instead of tearing down statues of the Founding Fathers we should be learning from their wisdom. Alexander Hamilton is one of the Founders […]

Legal Victories

By Alan Ostergren   Freedom movement scores important legal victories Labels are useful for describing a person’s political views, but only to a point. People who define themselves, for instance, as Conservatives, Republicans, or even Patriots, do not agree on every issue. But one issue unites political observers of all stripes: the importance of the courts. In the last few […]

The Historical Roots of Big Government

Our government has changed drastically since the American Founding. The implied powers of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution have expanded greatly and almost all aspects of American life is impacted on some level by government. How did we go from a government that was designed by the Constitution to be limited to a government that has become a […]

Coolidge Serves as a Guide for National Policy

In the 20th century, President Calvin Coolidge represents the best example of American conservatism. Whether in his political philosophy or temperament, Calvin Coolidge can serve as a guide for today’s conservatives. Conservatives during the 1920s placed the American Founding and the Constitution as their philosophical center as a “veritable cult of Constitution worship flourished.” As President, Coolidge was a champion […]

Hands Off the Supreme Court

In response to the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court by President Donald Trump, Democrats are threatening to “pack” the Supreme Court. On the campaign trail Vice President Joe Biden has refused to address whether he would support a measure to “pack” the Court. The threat of “packing” the Supreme Court should alarm every […]

Improving Healthcare: Repeal Certificate of Need Law

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Iowa’s rural hospitals. The Iowa Hospital Association has estimated, the “state’s 118 hospitals, collectively, could lose as much as $2.17 billion in revenue by the end of this year.” A significant reason for this potential loss is, during the start of the pandemic, hospitals were not providing elective surgeries and other procedures. “Most of the […]

Liability Reform to Aid Recovery

The Iowa legislature recently passed a major piece of legislation, COVID-19 liability reform.  Iowa’s economy is reopening, and social distancing and other hygienic practices continue to slow the spread of the virus.  As Iowans beginning to reengage with the economy and other public institutions there remains an element of risk of catching COVID-19. The objective of COVID-19 liability protection is […]

A Win in the Shadow of a Cross

Religion and Morality: The Indispensable Supports of Political Prosperity   The United States Supreme Court in a 7-2 ruling in American Legion v. American Humanist Association decided that a Bladensburg, Maryland memorial cross dedicated to 48 heroes from Prince George County who died in World War 1 does not violate the Establishment Clause. The First Amendment to the Constitution reads […]