Project 2025

Project 2025, also referred to as the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, is a political initiative aimed at restructuring the federal government of the United States and consolidating executive authority to promote christian right-wing policies. Launched in April 2023 by The Heritage Foundation, a prominent American conservative think tank, The plan was designed with the expectation that Donald Trump would secure victory in the 2024 presidential election. Since Trump won the election in 2024, they are trying to implement it.

The ninth edition of the Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership series, known as Project 2025, presents a contentious interpretation of the unitary executive theory, which posits that the president has complete authority over the entire executive branch. To fulfill its objectives, the project advocates for replacing merit-based federal civil service employees with individuals who are loyal to the president, thereby enabling partisan control over crucial government agencies such as the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Commerce (DOC), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Additionally, it proposes dismantling certain agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and abolishing the Department of Education (ED).

Philosophical overview

The Mandate for Leadership identifies four primary objectives: to re-establish the family as the focal point of American society; to dismantle the administrative state; to protect the nation's sovereignty and borders; and to uphold God-given individual rights that allow for freedom of living. In the foreword of the Mandate, Roberts states, "The long march of cultural Marxism through our institutions has come to pass. The federal government has become a colossal entity, weaponised against American citizens and conservative values, with freedom and liberty facing unprecedented threats."

Roberts interprets the phrase "pursuit of happiness" from the Declaration of Independence as "pursuit of blessedness." He asserts that individuals should have the freedom to live according to their Creator's intentions in order to thrive. According to him, the Constitution provides us the liberty not simply to do as we please, but to act according to our moral obligations. He emphasises that family and religious devotion are fundamental principles of life. Project 2025 seeks to incorporate Christian nationalism into all facets of the federal government.

Roberts describes the situation in the U.S. in 2024 as one where "inflation is straining family budgets, drug overdose fatalities are on the rise, and children are exposed to the harmful normalisation of transgenderism, with drag queens and pornography infiltrating school libraries. He also voices concerns about the increasing crime rates in the country.

Dans, who also serves as an editor for the guiding document of Project 2025, characterised the initiative as a means to equip a cadre of conservatives to combat the deep state, leveraging training from affiliated organszations. He outlined four key pillars that underpin Project 2025:

1. The Mandate for Leadership
2. A personnel database, open to the public for submissions that Heritage can share with Trump's team
3. The Presidential Administration Academy, an online educational system
4. A secret playbook for creating teams and plans to activate in case the president says "so help me God".

Policies

The plan encompasses various culture war topics and overarching policies that diverge from traditional Republican principles. Although certain proposals may necessitate backing from Republicans in Congress or favorable decisions from the Supreme Court, a significant portion relies heavily on the exercise of executive authority.