Edwin Feulner

Archive profile summary

Heritage co-founder and longtime president who helped turn the think tank into an administration-facing policy institution and served on Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential transition executive committee.

Why this entry is in the archive

A clear personnel bridge from movement policy infrastructure into presidential transition planning.

Building Heritage

Feulner was central to Heritage’s growth from a new 1970s think tank into a major conservative policy institution with a network of experts, donors and allied organizations.

Mandate and transition

Heritage’s first Mandate for Leadership was prepared for the Reagan transition, and Feulner served on the transition executive committee.

That provides a concrete early example of outside policy infrastructure feeding into transition planning before an administration fully took office.

Resource Bank

Heritage credits Feulner with building its Resource Bank, a network-oriented approach to connecting conservative policy organizations and experts.

Evidence limits

Transition access does not establish that Heritage or Feulner controlled Reagan administration policy.

A policy guide can influence agenda-setting without every recommendation being adopted.

Timeline

1973
Institution-building accelerates
Heritage is founded; ALEC also dates its founding to 1973, reflecting the growth of permanent policy infrastructure.
The Heritage Foundation · Paul Weyrich · Joseph Coors · American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
1980
From movement to transition
Heritage’s Mandate for Leadership is delivered to the Reagan transition; Feulner serves on the transition executive committee.
The Heritage Foundation · Ronald Reagan
1981
Council for National Policy forms
Religious, political, donor and policy figures create a private networking organization intended to strengthen coordination across New Right institutions.
Tim LaHaye · Council for National Policy · Richard Viguerie · Paul Weyrich · Phyllis Schlafly