Table of Contents
What is Project 2025?
Project 2025 is a comprehensive plan developed by conservative think tanks and organizations, primarily led by the Heritage Foundation, to reshape the United States federal government if a Republican candidate wins the 2024 presidential election. The project provides a detailed roadmap for implementing conservative policies and restructuring government agencies on “day one” of a new Republican administration. It is a massive undertaking, spanning over 900 pages of policy proposals and strategies for every major federal agency and issue area. The full text can be found at project2025.org.
Project 2025 Plans
- Implement conservative policies and restructuring government agencies on “day one” of a new Republican administration.
- Dismantling federal agencies and bureaucracies (“The Administrative State”) that have significant power to create, implement, and enforce regulations and policies in the United States. This includes abolishing government agencies, such as the Department of Education or Transportation Safety Administration.
- Roll back rights including, but not limited to abortion access, LGBTQ+ protections.
What is The Administrative State?
The administrative state refers to the complex network of federal agencies and bureaucracies that have significant power to create, implement, and enforce regulations and policies in the United States. It emerged primarily during the Progressive Era and New Deal as a response to industrialization and economic changes, with Congress delegating substantial lawmaking authority to executive branch agencies. Proponents argue agencies staffed by subject matter experts can effectively address complex issues, while critics contend the administrative state lacks sufficient democratic accountability and violates separation of powers principles. Key aspects include the combination of legislative, executive and judicial functions within agencies, judicial deference to agency interpretations, and debates over constitutional legitimacy. The administrative state’s growth has led to concerns about unchecked bureaucratic power and its compatibility with limited government ideals. Proposed reforms range from increasing congressional oversight to restructuring agencies, though finding the right balance between expertise, efficiency and democratic accountability remains an ongoing challenge in American governance.
Will Project 2025 Plans Impact Cybersecurity?
It’s important to note the below potential cybersecurity impacts are purely speculative, as the project does not explicitly address cybersecurity. The actual effects on cybersecurity would depend on how and to what extent the project’s recommendations get implemented, and how they interact with existing cybersecurity frameworks, policies, and agencies.
- The project aims to reshape federal agencies. This could affect agencies responsible for cybersecurity, potentially altering their priorities, resources, or organizational structures. For instance, what if the agency monitoring cybersecurity of power plants and substations was abolished? Who would make sure our nation’s electric grid is protected from bad actors?
- The project suggests outsourcing some government functions to the private sector. If applied to cybersecurity-related agencies or operations, this could change how cybersecurity is managed and implemented at the federal level.
- The project’s focus on conservative social and economic policies might lead to a de-emphasis on certain cybersecurity initiatives, especially if they are perceived as conflicting with other priorities. What is if CISA was subject to budget cuts? Would we lose an integral
- The project’s approach to foreign policy and national sovereignty could affect international cooperation on cybersecurity issues, potentially impacting global efforts to combat cyber threats.
Other Resources
https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/inside-project-2025s-plan-to-reprogram-the-government
https://www.heritage.org/homeland-security/report/10-conservative-principles-cybersecurity-policy
https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf