The New York Times editorial board is made up of leaders of the Times Opinion department who rely on research, debate and individual expertise to reach a shared view of important issues. The board does not speak for the newsroom or The Times as a whole. Rather, amid the contending individual voices of Times Opinion, it aims to provide a consistent, independent view of the world based on time-tested institutional values.

The board argues for a world that is both free and fair, believing that societies must struggle to reconcile these values in order to succeed. It has long supported a liberal order of nations in which freedom and progress advance through democracy and capitalism. But it has also sought to guard against the excesses of those systems by promoting honest governance, civil rights, equality of opportunity, a healthy planet and a good life for society's most vulnerable members.

Since its founding in 1896, the board has, above all, championed what Adolph Ochs called “the free exercise of a sound conscience,” believing that the fearless exchange of information and ideas is the surest means of resisting tyranny and realizing human potential.

Kathleen Kingsbury, the Opinion editor of The Times, oversees the editorial board.David Leonhardt is the board's lead editor.

Read the latest editorials from the boardhere.