Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson announced Wednesday that he has launched a nonprofit think tank named the American Cornerstone Institute. The institute, according to its website, pursues “commonsense solutions to America’s most pressing issues, while ensuring our country stands firm in support of our founding principles.” “The American Cornerstone Institute (ACI) is dedicated to promoting and preserving individual and religious liberty, helping our country’s most vulnerable find new hope, and developing methods to decrease the federal government’s role in society and to improve efficiency to best serve ALL our nation’s citizens,” the institute’s mission statement reads, pledging to be “a voice for reason and civility” in a nation that is “increasingly devoid of common sense.” In a commentary piece on RealClearPolitics, Carson said his think tank will focus on a variety of topics including problems of American urban life, education, religious liberty, and the value of self-efficiency. …