MIKE PENCE: Here’s where we should look for the leadership America needs now more than ever
Former US Vice President Mike Pence has written an opinion piece marking one year since the death of Ed Feulner, co-founder of the Heritage Foundation and a key architect of the modern American conservative movement. Pence argues that Feulner's approach to political leadership, prioritising the building of durable institutions and cultivating future leaders over chasing short-term wins, offers a model that America needs "now more than ever" amid current political turmoil.
Pence contrasts Feulner's long-term institution-building with what he characterises as others' focus on winning immediate political battles or media headlines. He credits Feulner with investing in the next generation of conservative leaders and cultivating people who would carry forward the cause of freedom beyond his own lifetime, presenting this legacy as a blueprint for conservatives to follow today.
In short
- Mike Pence marks one year since Ed Feulner's death
- Feulner co-founded the Heritage Foundation, shaped US conservatism
- Pence urges leaders to prioritise institutions over short-term wins
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
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The case for
Feulner's model of long-term institution-building creates lasting, principled change that outlives individual leaders and electoral cycles. By cultivating thoughtful next-generation leaders and developing durable institutions rooted in core values, movements avoid the trap of short-term opportunism that often undermines their broader goals. This approach prioritises sustainability over immediate gratification, ensuring that conservative principles have a coherent intellectual home and leadership pipeline that can withstand political setbacks.
The case against
An excessive focus on institution-building and future leadership can become divorced from the urgent needs of citizens today. Voters reasonably expect their leaders to address immediate crises and deliver tangible results now rather than defer action whilst building institutions for decades hence. Without electoral victories and real-world policy wins, institutions risk becoming hollow shells lacking legitimacy with voters, and sometimes winning elections now is necessary to preserve the ability to govern at all or to prevent opponents from consolidating power.
Explained simply
Ed Feulner was co-founder of the Heritage Foundation, one of America's most influential conservative think tanks, and a major architect of the modern American conservative movement. He died one year ago, and Mike Pence, the former Vice President, has marked that anniversary with an opinion piece about Feulner's approach to leadership.
In his piece, Pence argues that Feulner's model offers lessons for America today. Rather than focusing on immediate political wins, Feulner emphasised building lasting institutions and cultivating the next generation of leaders who would advance conservative causes long after his lifetime.
Pence presents this institutional approach and commitment to developing future leaders as a contrast to what he sees as others' focus on winning short-term political battles and capturing media headlines. He suggests this legacy of long-term institution-building is particularly important for conservatives to adopt at the current time.