WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation today announced the appointment of Christopher DeMuth, a renowned public policy expert and former White House official, as a distinguished fellow in the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies. DeMuth joins Heritage after leading policy initiatives at Hudson Institute and serving as president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) for more than two decades.
Heritage’s Simon Center is committed to preserving America’s founding principles by using them to craft solutions to our country’s most pressing modern issues. DeMuth expressed his excitement about joining Heritage’s esteemed team of researchers, analysts, and experts:
“I am elated to be joining The Heritage Foundation and its talented, dedicated team of policy thinkers and conservative activists. Today, American government and politics are in serious disarray, and many of our nation’s greatest traditions and institutions are under siege. Heritage is at the forefront of confronting these momentous challenges and devising practical steps for recovery and renewal. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to be part of Heritage’s vitally important work.”
Welcoming DeMuth, Heritage President Dr. Kevin Roberts said:
“Almost two years ago, we laid out an ambitious vision for Heritage, encouraging conservatives to go on offense to beat back the naysayers who seem committed to breaking the essential pillars of American life, culture, and institutions. Today, I am proud to welcome Chris to Heritage because he shares our belief that the foundational principles of our country’s past are essential to securing her future. Amidst a growing American identity crisis, his work at Heritage will be instrumental in uniting the conservative movement, enabling us to build a winning governing coalition in the years to come.”
DeMuth has worked at the intersection of academic policy research, government service, and conservative politics for more than 50 years. He was president of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research from 1986–2008 and AEI’s D.C. Searle senior fellow from 2009–2011. He has been a distinguished fellow at Hudson Institute since 2012.
In government, DeMuth was administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) and executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Regulatory Relief during President Ronald Reagan’s first term. At the start of his career, DeMuth was staff assistant to the president and chairman of the White House Task Force on Environmental Policy during President Richard Nixon’s first term. He practiced law with Sidley & Austin (1973–1976) and was an economic consultant with Lexecon Inc. (1976–1980 and 1984–1986), editor-in-chief and publisher of Regulation magazine (1986), and lecturer at the Kennedy School of Government and director of the Harvard Faculty Project on Regulation (1976–1980).
DeMuth graduated from The Lawrenceville School and Harvard College before receiving a J.D. from the University of Chicago School of Law.
He is chairman of the National Conservatism Conference, co-chairman of the Board of Visitors of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, a member of the boards of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Fund and the AHA Foundation, and a distinguished senior fellow at the C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University.
He and his wife, Susan DeMuth, M.D., have three grown children and 12 grandchildren.
