Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies

Who We Are

The Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies, Inc. (DFI) is an independent, nonprofit institute focused on providing thoughtful, conservative solutions to the challenges presented by education, workforce, labor, and employment issues.

Through a unique blend of policy and legal expertise, we fight to expand school and work opportunities for all Americans; to limit the power of federal agencies and government-sector unions; and to defend the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans in the classroom and the workplace.  

Defense of Freedom Institute Website

Our Principles

We strongly believe in the visionary and timeless principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the great civil rights legislation of the twentieth century:

  • All people are born free and created equal with inalienable rightsย 
  • Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are central to a free societyย 
  • The federal government should be limited to secure those freedoms and rightsย ย 
  • The Constitution and the nationโ€™s laws are โ€œcolor blindโ€ and rest on the principle of nondiscriminationย 
  • All people should have the equal opportunity toย choose the education, work, and life that is best for themย 

Defense of Freedom Institute Website

Co-Founders of Defense of Freedom Institute

Robert S. Eitel

Bob is a co-founder and President of DFI. He previously served as Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Education from 2017 through 2020 and Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Education from 2005 until 2009.

During his most recent tenure at the Department, Bob served on the Secretaryโ€™s Leadership Team as a strategic and legal adviser on higher education, civil rights, and congressional oversight matters. As the Departmentโ€™s Regulatory Reform Officer, he also supervised the implementation of the Secretaryโ€™s regulatory agenda and was an architect of the Secretaryโ€™s regulatory reforms under Title IX and the Higher Education Act.

Prior to joining the Department in 2017, Bob was vice president for regulatory compliance matters for several postsecondary institutions and practiced education and employment law in Washington, D.C. Before coming to the Department in 2005, he practiced law in New Orleans and litigated commercial, employment, and bankruptcy cases in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.

His op-eds on education and civil rights matters have appeared in National Review, Real Clear Education, Washington Examiner, Fox News, and other media outlets.

Bob earned his A.B. in History from Georgetown University, studied British government and international politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and received his law degree from Tulane University Law School. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Louisiana Bars and the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.

Jim Blew

Jim is a co-founder of DFI. Before his Senate confirmation as the Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development at the U.S. Department of Education under Secretary Betsy DeVos, he worked in education reform at the state level for more than 20 years. Among other leadership roles, he was the national president of StudentsFirst and the national director of the Alliance for School Choice. He also helped guide the education reform investments of the Walton Family Foundation for nearly a decade until 2014. Before committing himself full-time to education reform, Jim worked at political and communications firms in New York and California. He holds a bachelorโ€™s degree from Occidental College and a masterโ€™s in business administration from the Yale School of Management.

Defense of Freedom Institute Website

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

Columns

How a Chinese Government Statistician Was Forced to Report Fake Data

Chinese local govt employee produced a non-authorized report on bees and was visited by police and threatened with being sent to a mental hospital.

โ€˜This One Time, at Groomer Campโ€™

All Camp Brave Trails programs focus on helping LGBTQ+ youth find what they need most to thrive: their people, their place, and their passion.

Why Recognizing a Palestinian State Now Undermines U.S. Interestsย 

A recent American Conservativeย article suggests President Trump recognize a Palestinian state, but this would undermine the interests of the United States.

Harvardโ€™s China Ties Under Scrutiny as US Targets Student Visas

Following Trump adminโ€™s action to vet Chinese nationals studying in US for ties to the CCP, Harvard's involvement with Beijing has come to the fore.

The Russian-Ukrainian Talks Are At An Impasse That Only The US Or Brute Force Can Break

The second round of Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul resulted in no progress and talks are at an impasse that only the US or brute force can break.

News

Supreme Court Rules 9-0 Wisconsin Violated First Amendment by Denying Tax Exemption to Catholic Charity

Supreme Court ruled unanimously that WI violated the First Amendment by not granting Catholic charity an exemption from paying unemployment tax.

Appeals Court Rules San Diegoโ€™s Yoga Ban Is Unconstitutional

The city of San Diegoโ€™s ban on yoga classes in public parks and beaches was ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court.

FDA Not Recommending Newly Approved COVID-19 Vaccine: Official

FDA approved a new COVID-19 vaccine but is not recommending people receive it, the agencyโ€™s top vaccine officials said on June 4.

Self-Sufficiency Summits in Ohio Reflect Surging Interest in Homesteading

After an age of reliance on store-bought items, many Americans are returning to a self-sufficient lifestyle and growing and raising the food they consume.

Judge Requires Trump Admin to Provide Due Process for Deportees in El Salvador Prison

Boasberg ordered Trump admin to provide habeas relief for individuals it deported and are held in Salvadoran maximum security prison.

New Nebraska Law Classifies School Sports Teams by Sex

NE Gov. Pillen signed new law requiring students to play on sports teams based on their sex, allowing women and girls to fairly compete in sports.

Supreme Court Declines to Shield Identities of Police Who Attended Jan. 6 Capitol Rally

U.S. Supreme Court declined to shield identities of police officers fighting a public records request for info about their attendance at Jan. 6 2021 rally.

ICE Arrests 72 Illegal Immigrants at South Carolina Nightclub Linked to Mexican Cartel

ICE arrested 72 illegal immigrants, including six minors, at a nightclub run by an alleged member of the Los Zetas cartel in South Carolina.
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