ANALYZING PROJECT 2025

Authored by the Heritage Foundation and its network of supporters,  Project 2025  is the collective work of dozens of authors and hundreds of contributors in the conservative movement that lays out plans for the next presidency.

The initiative seeks to influence governance by increasing executive power for a conservative administration. Reforms proposed by Project 2025 include shifting decision-making power from bureaucratic agencies back to elected officials, particularly the executive branch, with an emphasis on "efficiency" and reducing what the project refers to as "overregulation." It presents a vision of reshaping the structure of government with a focus on reforming federal institutions, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and dismantling what its authors describe as the "administrative state."

Project 2025 advocates for reducing the power of unelected federal bureaucracies (like regulatory agencies) and returning decision-making to elected officials, especially within the executive branch. According to its authors, the goal is to reduce what they see as the unchecked power of the administrative state, which they argue operates outside direct public accountability. By decentralizing power from these agencies, the plan seeks to restore what it perceives as the proper balance of power.

At the same time, the document calls for consolidating power within the executive branch, particularly under the president. This consolidation is presented as a correction to what the authors see as the overreach of both federal agencies and the judiciary. The executive branch, under the leadership of a conservative president, is viewed as the best vehicle for reclaiming control over government policy and ensuring that policies they claim will — supposedly — reflect the will of the electorate.

While the document pushes for decentralizing power from federal agencies to states or local governments in certain policy areas, such as environmental regulations, it also argues for more centralized executive power within the federal structure to carry out a cohesive conservative agenda. The scope of these proposed changes, including dismantling the EPA and other regulatory agencies, raises concerns about the long-term impact on public health and environmental protection.

ⓘ In the following sections, we analyze the policy recommendations outlined in each chapter of Project 2025 to reveal the possible impacts on communities and the environment. For a  complete analysis of Project 2025 , click on the Read More button below each section to be redirected to the full-length article, which features additional in-depth insights and citations based on extensive primary source material.

The environmental and regulatory implications of Project 2025 cannot be overstated. As outlined in this comprehensive document from The Heritage Foundation, the policies proposed could undermine essential climate data collection, regulatory oversight, and environmental justice initiatives that are critical to the future of our country. The Heritage Foundation's agenda poses a serious threat to the progress we've made on climate change, corporate accountability regarding environmental risks, and efforts to ensure that environmental justice is applied across the U.S. These proposals reflect a deeper, more organized push toward deregulation and reduced government intervention, risking the rollback of crucial protections that serve both urban and rural communities.

The policies set forth in Project 2025 are not just a step backward; they represent a coordinated attempt to dismantle the very institutions that monitor and address the environmental challenges we face, from climate change to pollution. While it is essential to engage with the concerns of disillusioned voters, we must remain vigilant and committed to advancing a future that includes everyone—especially those most vulnerable to environmental and economic injustices. Now more than ever, it is crucial to push back against the erosion of federal regulatory capacity and to protect the agencies and institutions that serve as the foundation for environmental accountability.

Read the in-depth analysis of the Project 2025 by Ted Auch, PhD, for more information about its implications for U.S. environmental policy and regulation.  Read more  →