Our Vision, Mission and Aims
As we approach our fourth decade of service, the Center for National Policy will:
Leverage our special standing in Washington as an independent think-tank that is well-respected by legislative leaders and policy makers from across the political spectrum.
Play a leadership role as both an ideas generator as well as a highly successful convener of the best thinkers and practitioners from across the nation.
Promote civil dialogue around innovative and practical solutions that demonstrate anew America's resilient spirit and unlimited capacity for renewal.
Independent visionary leadership has never been more important. We live in a world in which our presumptions, policies and institutions are increasingly ill-suited for the array of challenges that confront us. Yet if history is our guide, Americans will transform these challenges into opportunity. Since the nation's founding, every generation has added an inspiring chapter to the uniquely American story of innovation, renewal and resilience. We can and must continue that legacy.
At the Center for National Policy, we have three priorities for ensuring that Americans thrive now and into the future:
Understanding emerging global threats and redefining our homeland security and national security policies and tools to meet them.
Strengthening national resilience by inspiring and guiding Americans to better withstand, recover from, and adapt to chronic risks and periodic catastrophes.
Building next-generation infrastructure by applying our innovative spirit to this vital national security, economic, and sustainability imperative.
Understanding Emerging Global Threats
The United States cannot wall itself off from the world's dangers. Nor can we rely solely on the unparalleled firepower of our military to deter or defeat the disruptive and potentially destructive forces of terrorists, pandemics, cyber-warriors, or climate change. In fact, civilians are now on the frontlines, increasingly cast in the role as first preventers and first responders. Complicating matters further, our efforts to bolster the security of the nation's critical networks must be coordinated on a global scale. We must adapt and retool our national and homeland security policies and capabilities to deal with emerging and evolving global threats and capitalize on our greatest national asset--the American people, in both the private and public sectors.
Strengthening National Resilience
Americans have always bounced back better and stronger in the face of adversity. Our history – as a nation, a culture, a people – is filled with examples of our resilience. As such, we are the heirs to a powerful legacy of confidence and optimism about our ability to shape the future for the better. But, lately a torrent of new economic and security challenges appears to be sapping our "can-do" spirit. This sense of uncertainty and apprehension has been reinforced by a media and political climate that fans our anxieties and emphasizes what divides us over what unites us. We must once again draw upon the democratic principles of open dialogue and collaboration, civic engagement and volunteerism, and a shared commitment to bond together in common cause to overcome adversity. As a nation, we must reconnect with our tradition of grit and hopefulness and call upon our uniquely American capacity for resilience to not just survive, but to prosper in the face of turbulence.
Building the Next Generation of National Infrastructure
There is no more critical enterprise than engaging America's private and public sectors in renewing the nation's infrastructure. By embracing this imperative, we have an opportunity to strengthen our economy and national security while improving our quality of life and protecting the environment. To ignore this imperative places America on a path to decline and decay and further exposes us to unforeseen threats and cascading consequences. We must commit ourselves to leading the world in building smarter and more resilient infrastructure that provides safety and prosperity for generations to come.
