Right Makes Might
Roger Hertog, former chairman of the Manhattan Institute, is the epitome of
the conservative benefactor who bases his politics on conservative
intellectualism and moves patiently and strategically to create, support and
distribute his ideas. The vice chairman of investment firm AllianceBernstein,
Hertog has given large amounts of money to the Manhattan Institute over the past
two decades.
“If you believe in the notion that ideas matter—and it’s really not that
ideas matter, ideas are the only things that matter—that they influence the way
policymakers ultimately craft legislation and/or influence the executive branch,
this is one of the most effective, intellectually honest methodologies to change
the way free people govern themselves,” Hertog says.
| TOP VIEW For decades, wealthy conservatives and libertarians have funded
advocacy think tanks that have influenced generations of lawmakers and supported
the rise of the neoconservatives. In recent years, their liberal foils have
caught on and are working to emulate their tactics, hoping to shift the nation’s
political debate toward the left. The growing conflict promises to be an
expensive war. |
Hertog, who also gives to the American Enterprise Institute, is part-owner
and chairman of the New Republic, sits on the publication committee of
Commentary Magazine and is an investor in the New York Sun, cautions that
patience is a necessary trait when funding policy revolutions. He never asks how
long an idea will take to gain traction, but rather how robust is the idea. He
studies the quality of the concepts, how well they hold up under attack and how
well they can be communicated to a larger audience. “After you do that, it still
doesn’t ensure success, because then these ideas get thrown out in the political
arena,” he explains. “It may not be expedient for this idea, or some politician
may not want to embrace it for his own short-term political reasons. It may take
more time. That’s the nature of this stuff; that’s been the whole history of
almost all ideas.”
According to Rich’s research, conservatives have traditionally channeled
their dollars toward research that supports a specific social, economic or
political agenda. They are far more supportive of advocacy think tanks than are
liberals, Rich says. Moreover, conservatives have established more foundations
with the specific purpose of funding think tanks.
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