called for significant budget cuts, tax cuts (especially of income tax) including the implementation of a flat tax, health care reform, and welfare reform. The Foundation also defended the Bush administration's war on terror, argued for increased defence spending, stronger American-European links, and played a major role in the Dutch campaign against the European Constitution in June 2005. The Foundation also had a more philosophical and student-focused program. During parts of 2004 and 2005 Spruyt, among other prominent Dutch intellectuals, had to hire private security services, given the bad political climate in the Netherlands following the murder of Theo van Gogh. Politics When Dutch politician Geert Wilders started a conservative party in 2004, Spruyt supported that move, hoping that it could spur a movement inspired on the basis of American conservatism. From January through August 2006, Spruyt advised Wilders on political strategy. In August, however, he announced that he was disappointed with the development of the nascent Wilders party and would not stand as a parliamentary candidate on the Wilders slate. Spruyt believed that Wilders should have formed a broad conservative front with other politicians like Marco Pastors (of Leefbaar Rotterdam) and Joost Eerdmans (of the LPF). But Wilders did not want to cooperate, the Dutch right splintered, and Spruyt decided to end his brief political career after six months. Spruyt has since criticized Wilders for being too radical. Policy entrepreneur and freelance journalist After leaving politics, Spruyt entered a life as an independent consultant, journalist, teacher, writer and speaker. Spruyt continues to contribute widely to Dutch magazines and newspapers on a broad array of topics. In April 2006, Spruyt delivered the second Roosevelt Study Centre Lecture in Transatlantic Relations in Middelburg on the topic "The Defence of the West: Neoconservatism and the continuing need for new Churchills." He blogs at Bart J. Spruyt Blog. He regularly writes for such publications as HP De Tijd and Binnenlands Bestuur. In 2008, he was named the successor of Pim Fortuyn as the columnist for a prominent Dutch weekly news magazine, Elsevier. He continues to be chairman of the Edmund Burke Stichting. Teacher Since September 2009, Spruyt has been teaching civics and history at Wartburg College, location Guido de Brès in Rotterdam. References External links Roosevelt Lecture in Transatlantic Relations Article in the Weekly Standard Resume at the Burke Foundation website Dissertation 1964 births Living people Reformation historians Conservatism in the Netherlands Dutch