WASHINGTON, JAN. 21, 2014—Stephen Moore, a prominent economic analyst and writer, has been named chief economist of The Heritage Foundation. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Moore, who started his career at the Washington think tank some three decades ago. Moore returns to Heritage from The Wall Street Journal where, for the last eight years, he has been the senior economics writer for the editorial board. He will continue to contribute to the Journal.
“It’s tremendously exciting to come back to Heritage, a powerhouse of rigorous research and effective policy solutions,” Moore said. “Heritage has a great record of driving innovative policy ideas across the goal line on Capitol Hill and in state capitals across the country.”
As chief economist at Heritage, Moore will concentrate on policies to accelerate faster economic growth. He will also work on developing fiscal reform proposals, focusing on tax reform and on curbing the growth of major federal entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Absent reform, spending on these three programs alone will consume more than half of the federal budget by the end of the decade.
Moore is no stranger to these issues. In his first stint at Heritage (1983-1987) he was the Grover M. Hermann Fellow in Budgetary Affairs. In the ‘90s, he served as senior economist of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, where he worked with Chairman Dick Armey to develop tax reform and other legislation.
A prolific author, he has written and co-written numerous books, starting with “Privatization: A Strategy for Taming the Deficit,” published by Heritage in 1988. His most recent, “Who’s the Fairest of Them All? The Truth about Opportunity, Taxes, and Wealth in America,” explores the differences between government redistribution and the free market’s opportunity for success and achievement. With Arthur B. Laffer and Jonathan Williams, Moore also co-writes the influential “Rich States, Poor States,” an annual study of economic competitiveness among the 50 states.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Steve back on the Heritage team,” said Heritage President Jim DeMint. “In addition to being an expert economist, he is a gifted communicator, skilled in explaining complex fiscal issues to the American people. Add in his experience on Capitol Hill and we have someone who not only can produce rigorous research and analyses, but help translate that into winning legislation.”