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Overview
“The Republican plan to impose repressive measures on every single one of us”. In an unwithering, blasé and frank account of The Heritage Foundation’s treatise which aims to outline the playbook for the next conservative administration, Joy Ann Reid summarises the trepidation top political pundits on the left of American electoral commentary feel towards Project 2025. The Wall Street Journal referred to the over 900 page document as “radical” and from a quick scan of some its proposals, Project 2025’s plan for the country would appear to some degree divorced from the moderate palate of most politically-engaged Americans.
Among some of its divisive proposals include: minimising or eliminating (depending on one’s interpretation) the US department of Education; withdrawing mifepristone (a form of the abortion bill) from the market; targeting DEI programmes mandated by state and federal bureaucracies; advocating for the Department of Health and Human Services to “maintain a biblically based, social science-reinforced definition of marriage and family” and calls for increased distance and a frostier approach to China- US relations moving forward.
Whilst the Trump campaign have disavowed any links to document and the organisers of Project 2025 have refuted accusations that the proposals were written with any particular candidate in mind, the name of the project with its intended implementation date suggests that Trump would be the candidate most likely to bring to life its lofty goals. Furthermore, given that top officials in the last Trump administration such as Paul Dans, Chief of Staff at the Office of Personnel Management and Spencer Chretien, former special assistant to the then President have been so involved with the creation of the treatise, the campaigns efforts to distance itself from the accusation have largely fallen on deaf ears.
One thing for sure and two things for certain is that without a doubt Project 2025 will continue appearing in conversations about the 2024 presidential race and for anyone watching the race with an eagle’s focus, it is certainly helpful to have an understanding of what exactly the project is synonymous with, its nuances, arguments and criticism it has consequently garnered. It is my hope that you enjoy this interdisciplinary analysis provided across a range of subjects on the topic.
Happy Reading,
Ivan Alexei Ampiah
Head of Content
The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 outlines a comprehensive conservative agenda aimed at reshaping various facets of the U.S. federal government. To American business, this project provides a number of reforms to a variety of departments and agencies. In particular, there are four critical areas of interest for the business sector: the Department of Labour, the Department of Justice, free trade policies, and the Federal Trade Commission.
Department of Labour
Project 2025 proposes substantial changes to the Department of Labour aimed at streamlining operations and reducing regulatory burdens on businesses. This plan concentrates on improving the use of labour rules to create employment and diminish federal intrusion. A key part of this effort involves updating wage and hour regulations through changes to the Fair Labour Standards Act. The goal of these updates is to make compliance easier and reduce challenges for businesses by providing guidelines, on overtime exemptions and modernising definitions to better reflect modern working environments.
The project also highlights the importance of promoting apprenticeships to bridge the skills gap in the workforce. By fostering collaborations between businesses and educational institutions, the Department of Labour aims to cultivate a more skilled workforce. This endeavour not only tackles present labour shortages, but also readies workers for future industry needs. Another critical aspect of the plan is revamping workforce development programs to ensure they are more responsive to the needs of both employers and workers. This involves reducing redundancy in existing programs and improving coordination to maximise their effectiveness. These changes are intended to foster a more dynamic labour market, bolster economic growth and equip American businesses with the proficient workforce essential for success in a fiercely competitive global economy.
Department of Justice
The Department of Justice has a key part in keeping an eye on how businesses operate through its antitrust and corporate compliance work. Project 2025 aims to reform these areas to foster a more business-friendly environment whilst maintaining healthy competition. One of the primary proposals involves shifting the focus of antitrust enforcement from large-scale corporate mergers to addressing anti-competitive practices that directly harm consumers. By promoting market competition and reducing unnecessary regulatory interference, the project seeks to create a more balanced and fair marketplace.
Moreover, Project 2025 emphasises the enhancement of corporate compliance programs. It targets clearer guidelines and incentives, to encourage businesses to put strong compliance measures into action. This proactive approach aims to prevent corporate misconduct through preventive measures rather than relying solely on punitive actions via a reactive approach. This change not only protects consumers in advance, but also helps businesses work within clear and predictable rules and underlines the need for harsh punishments for those who do indeed break them. Furthermore, the project advocates for reducing litigation costs by streamlining the legal process, which is intended to lessen the burden of litigation on businesses. This includes promoting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, which can provide faster and less costly solutions to traditional legal disputes, as well as improving the efficiency of the federal court system to handle cases more effectively. These changes are designed to create a more predictable and supportive regulatory environment for businesses, allowing them to innovate and expand with greater confidence, a key contributor to business investment levels.
Free Trade Policies
Another approach from Project 2025 is the use of free trade to bolster the U.S. economy and enhance global competitiveness. The Heritage Foundation emphasises the benefits of open markets and reduced trade barriers, aiming to eliminate tariffs and other trade obstacles that increase costs for consumers and businesses. The project aims to open up new markets and grow the economy by encouraging free trade deals with other nations.
Whilst it does want to stimulate greater trade activity, protecting intellectual property is also a key focus, ensuring that free trade agreements include robust safeguards to foster innovation and protect American businesses from unfair competition. This has been a key point made by the Trump campaign, particularly targeting China in the alleged theft of US intellectual property.
Donald Trump signing memo regarding China stealing of US IP.
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is tasked with protecting consumers and maintaining competition in the marketplace. Project 2025 proposes several reforms to enhance the effectiveness of the FTC whilst reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on businesses. Key reforms include: streamlining regulatory processes to make it easier for businesses to comply with FTC regulations, rather similarly to the reforms suggested by the Department of Justice. This involves reducing bureaucratic red tape and promoting transparency in regulatory actions.
In this way, the project seeks to enhance consumer protection by focusing on safeguarding consumers from deceptive practices, whilst ensuring that the regulations deployed do not stifle innovation. This includes updating guidelines to reflect new market realities and technological advancements in real-time. The proposals seek to promote competition by addressing anti-competitive practices without imposing excessive regulatory constraints on businesses, thus aiming to foster a level playing field for all market participants to drive American business innovation.
Project 2025's proposals aim to foster a business-friendly environment by cutting regulatory red tape, promoting free trade, and enhancing competition. These reforms aim to support the thriving of businesses, lower consumer costs, and a stronger global stance for the U.S. However, with potential drawbacks like reduced worker protections and the challenge of maintaining fair competition, will the benefits outweigh the risks? The impact of these reforms will shape the future U.S. economy, leaving businesses and consumers on the edge of anticipation.
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