America's Biggest Issues

It’s perhaps never been more important to ask: What kind of country do I want to live in, work in, and raise my family in? What kind of America do I believe in?

The Heritage Foundation’s Genevieve Wood breaks down what exactly is at stake.

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When President Lyndon Johnson launched his War on Poverty in the 1960s, he pledged to eliminate poverty in America. But more than five decades, several welfare programs, and $25 trillion later, the welfare system has largely failed the poor. The Heritage Foundation’s Genevieve Wood explains that the United States currently spends about a trillion dollars a year on over 90 different federal, state, and local welfare programs. Yet around 12 percent of Americans are still considered poor. We are clearly spending a lot of money so why do we still have such a high poverty rate? 

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Contrary to the claims of many on the left, voter fraud is a very real problem. When someone commits voter fraud, the process is no longer fair, everyone’s vote gets diluted, and in some cases, election results are changed.

The Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky explains that in the freest nation in the world, our system of government and our very liberty depend on free and fair elections. Whether they’re selecting a mayor or the president of the United States, every American must be able to trust the process, or the democratic system itself breaks down.

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The first amendment to the United States constitution begins, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” Fast forward almost 250 years and religious freedom is one of the most pressing issues in American culture today. The Heritage Foundation’s Genevieve Wood takes a look at some of the concerns surrounding this debate and how, ultimately, everyone benefits from religious freedom. 

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American colleges and universities are failing in one of their most basic missions: to equip students with the tools they need for a career. The Heritage Foundation’s Lindsey Burke explains how to stop the sharp rise in both college tuition and student debt by getting the federal government out of the student loan business. 

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Most Americans agree that the health care system in the United States is in need of an overhaul. What many are not in agreement on is how best to do it. As we weigh our options, The Heritage Foundation's Genevieve Wood explains a few basic facts you need to know. 

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We’re now being told we only have 12 years to combat climate change and the solution is to fundamentally dismantle the system of free enterprise. That means Washington controls things like how we produce our energy, what food we eat and what type of cars we drive. The question is, even if we believed their alarmist, catastrophic predictions, would their proposals work? The Heritage Foundation’s Nick Loris helps dispel some environmental myths, and explains how America can ensure affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy by keeping our economy growing. 

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Despite their promises to the contrary, every year, politicians continue to spend hundreds of billions of dollars more than the government takes in. And every year, they put it on the national credit card and the bill grows bigger. That bill currently averages $67,000 for every single American. If you’re a family of three, that’s over $200,000. The Heritage Foundation's Romina Boccia explains how it’s not too late to save the incredible promise that is America. But first, we have to get convince leaders to end their runaway spending habits and adopt spending controls.

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Families are the building blocks of civilization. They are personal relationships but they greatly shape and serve the public good. Strong families make for strong communities. Conversely, family breakdown harms society as a whole. That’s why America’s declining marriage rate is a real problem. The Heritage Foundation’s Genevieve Wood explains that it’s an undeniable fact that the best chances for financial success, emotional well-being, and good health for both parents and children happen when parents are married and families are intact. 

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Immigration is one of the fundamental building blocks that help make America the unique nation that it is. But the debate over border security and immigration has become toxic because politicians have put politics before principles. And reasonable Americans find themselves trapped between zealots on both sides. So what does a thoughtful agenda for American immigration reform look like? The Heritage Foundation’s Genevieve Wood takes us through four guiding principles to keep us focused on what is best for the welfare of all Americans, both those of today and those of the future. 

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