STATE POLICY NETWORK is a national nonprofit organization pursuing a vision of an America where personal freedom, opportunity, and a more peaceful society flourish because of collaborative and entrepreneurial leaders in the network have secured lasting at the state and local level.
We believe the reason millions of people have come to America’s shores seeking better lives is not because of anything Washington, DC. has to offer. What makes America a blessing and a dream for so many is not the power of our government but the strength of our communities. Every day, Americans from coast to coast work to build businesses, take care of one another, and pursue fulfilling lives in peace. Unlike so many countries around the world that centralize power in the hands of elites, our system has enabled enormous prosperity and progress by keeping power in the hands of the people.
But more and more, barriers are emerging to the pursuit of a good life in America. Essentials like a safe place to live, reliable, meaningful work, affordable healthcare, quality education, and retirement security are beyond the reach of too many.
It’s not that we’ve forgotten how to govern ourselves, to solve problems together, and to build enterprises that generate good products and steady jobs. The American people are not the problem. The problem is that powerful elites are turning Washington, DC into an imperial city. They seek to dictate how we educate our children, how we provide healthcare in our communities, how we police our neighborhoods, how we farm our land, how we express our political opinions, and even how we practice our religious convictions.
We believe the solution to what ails so many American communities is not more power in the hands of Washington elites, but a restoration of the individual rights and local governance that for centuries made America a beacon of hope for millions around the world.