41-658: The American Conservative Union ( ACU ) is an American political organization that advocates for conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference . Founded on December 18, 1964, it calls itself the oldest ongoing conservative lobbying organization in the U.S. The ACU is concerned with issues such as personal liberty or freedom , and traditional values , which they define as foundations of conservatism. The ACU comprises three entities: The American Conservative Union,
82-566: A 501(c)(4) organization which conducts lobbying; The American Conservative Union Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization best known for hosting the Conservative Political Action Conference; and The American Conservative Union Political Action Committee, a PAC that formally endorses and funds conservative candidates for federal and state level offices. Dating back to 1971, ACU has implemented its own scoring system which annually rates politicians on their conservatism. While
123-455: A businessman who had formerly worked for George H. W. Bush and Sam Walton . Leininger is notable for his school voucher and privatization activism. The organization's board of directors includes 19 individuals. Originally based in San Antonio , it was relocated in 2003 to Austin, Texas to be near the state capitol. In February 2015, TPPF moved into a new $ 20-million building two blocks from
164-402: A certain way and Burton goes the other". The ACU annually rates politicians according to how they vote on key issues, providing a numerical indicator of how much the lawmakers agreed with conservative ideals. They use this rating system as a point of accountability for politicians, comparing their political rhetoric to their voting records to assess their conservativeness. Politicians are given
205-451: A letter saying that FedEx was mischaracterizing the legislative situation and was unfairly trying to tap into public resentment against federal bailouts to attack its competition. The letter included, at its top, logos from the ACU and the other organizations. Whitfield said that Keene had endorsed the second letter as an individual, even though the letter bore the logo of the ACU. The ACU then issued
246-524: A litigation arm. During the year, TPPF hosts monthly policy events ("Policy Primers") covering a range of issues, and an annual conference ("Policy Orientation for the Texas Legislature"). The 2015 policy orientation included Steve Forbes , Newt Gingrich , and Phil Gramm . In 2013, TPPF published The Texas Model: Prosperity in the Lone Star State and Lessons for America . TPPF also publishes
287-810: A percentile rating, anyone with a rating of over 80% is considered to be an "ACU Conservative". These scores are often used in political science research, in news stories and in election campaigns. ACU's most well-known event is the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an annual event organized by the ACU foundation. CPAC has an annual attendance of thousands. Speakers regularly include sitting and former presidents and other famous conservatives. CPAC 2017 featured President Donald Trump , Vice President Mike Pence , Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Governors Matt Bevin (R-KY), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Doug Ducey (R-AZ), and Scott Walker (R-WI) and executive branch officials (EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos ). The ACU Foundation's purpose
328-494: A press release saying that permission to use the logo had not been given by the ACU, and that the ACU continued to stand with the policy supported by FedEx. Diana Hubbard Carr, the ACU's former administrative director and ex-wife of David Keene , pleaded guilty in June 2011 to embezzling between $ 120,000 and $ 400,000 from 2006 to 2009, during her time as bookkeeper for the group. Political organization A political organization
369-580: A quarterly journal titled Veritas . Current U.S. Senator Ted Cruz formerly headed TPPF's Center for Tenth Amendment Studies. The organization sponsors the Right on Crime initiative, an effort to reduce crime, restore victims, and replace mass incarceration with more cost-effective and humane sentencing and criminal punishment. In October 2017, the White House announced that President Donald Trump had selected Kathleen Hartnett White to serve as chair of
410-426: A thirty-minute-long television ad which aired on 150 television station in eighteen states, and took out newspaper ads in thirty states, encouraging citizens to write to their senators to oppose the treaties. The ACU also helped to fund a "truth squad," formed by Senator Paul Laxalt , whose purpose was to "focus renewed public interest in the treaties" and pressure senators to vote against the treaties. Gary Jarmin, who
451-530: Is a group of political parties operating together in parliament . Oftentimes, party coalitions are formed after elections have taken place and no party has clearly won a majority seat in parliament (e.g. the AAP-Congress Government in Delhi ). Other coalitions are formed prior to elections and are effectively agreements between two or more parties to run jointly in elections and to pursue similar agendas (e.g.
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#1732847763914492-680: Is a heterogenous parliamentary group composed of elected officials from political parties of differing ideologies (or independent of any party) who are not numerous enough to form groups on their own. A political group is a group composed of multiple political parties or independents of aligned ideologies. A labour union (or trade union) is a political organization formed to promote the interests of workers. Labour unions have various roles in modern politics, including: Unlike other political organizations, labor unions do not directly participate in elections, although they may campaign for parties and politicians supporting their positions. Labour unionization
533-406: Is a way for workers to maintain unity and preserve their rights. Often, major corporations antagonize the principle of labor unionization since it results in heavier employment regulations which restrict the powers of big business to fire workers at will, effectively causing economic difficulties for such companies. Texas Public Policy Foundation The Texas Public Policy Foundation ( TPPF )
574-450: Is an American conservative think tank based in Austin, Texas . The organization was co-founded in 1989 by James R. Leininger and Fritz S. Steiger, who sought intellectual support for his education reform ideas, including public school vouchers . Projects of the organization include Right on Crime , which is focused on criminal justice reform, and Fueling Freedom, which seeks to "explain
615-725: Is any organization that involves itself in the political process, including political parties , non-governmental organizations , and special interest advocacy groups . Political organizations are those engaged in political activities (e.g., lobbying , community organizing , campaign advertising , etc.) aimed at achieving clearly-defined political goals, which typically benefit the interests of their members. While parties are one type of political organization that may engage in some or all of those activities, they are distinct in that they typically focus on supporting candidates for public office, winning elections and controlling government . The most well-known type of political organization
656-402: Is not concentrated in one party and that parties have to consider the opinion of the general public in order to retain power by winning elections. Most two-party systems are technically multiparty systems but all power is effectively concentrated amongst two parties or coalitions. Examples of two-party systems are: Another type of political organization is the party coalition. A party coalition
697-489: Is the political party . Political parties are directly involved in the political processes of countries with party systems, of which there are several types. Some of the most common types are multi-party systems , single party dictatorships , and two party systems . In multi-party systems such as India, Pakistan, etc., there is no restriction on the number of parties allowed to be in operation at any given time. Under these types of systems, people are free to participate in
738-547: Is the CCJR, who advocate for conservative criminal justice reform through advising governmental officials, media advocacy, and testifying as expert witnesses at governmental hearings. The CCJR focuses on two main policy areas: preventing civil asset forfeiture and increasing mental health facilities within the criminal justice system. The CCJR works with the Texas Public Policy Foundation and Prison Fellow Ministries in
779-510: Is to educate the public on conservative principles and currently has five "policy centers" which focus on different political areas. There is the Center for Arts and Culture, the Center for Human Dignity, the Center for Statesmanship & Diplomacy, the Center for 21st Century Property Rights, and the Center for Criminal Justice Reform (CCJR). These policy centers are mainly blogs which post articles regarding their topic area. The most extensive of these
820-495: The Council on Environmental Quality . White is a fellow at TPPF. A climate change denier , White has said that climate change does not exist and that United Nations findings on climate change are "not validated and politically corrupt." She has argued that carbon dioxide levels are good for life on Earth, that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, and that "fossil fuels dissolved the economic justification for slavery." In February 2018,
861-808: The National Democratic Alliance in India, and the Liberal/National Coalition in Australia). The electoral thresholds for multi-party alliances are set differently in many countries depending on the number of parties. Parliamentary groups are groups of some members of the same political party or electoral fusion of parties, also called caucus in the United States Congress and the Parliament of Canada . A technical group or mixed group
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#1732847763914902-424: The Right on Crime campaign, and offers a panel at the Conservative Political Action Conference each year. Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other The American Conservative Union was one of many conservative organizations formed in
943-456: The 1960s as part of the resurgence of conservatism. As conservative activist M. Stanton Evans predicted, "Historians may well record the decade of the 1960s as the era in which conservatism, as a viable political force, finally came into its own." During a time of increasing polarization between liberals and conservatives, activists began to build a well-organized conservative movement, forming organizations such as Young Americans for Freedom and
984-545: The ACU estimated that it would cost roughly $ 1.8 million to defeat SALT II ; together with other conservative groups, SALT opponents outspent supporters 15:1. Having found the technique of mass mailing to be successful during other campaigns, the ACU used this same technique to oppose SALT II, reaching roughly 500,000 people with this strategy. Additionally, they produced a half-hour-long anti-SALT television program called Soviet Might/American Myth: The United States in Retreat , which
1025-541: The ACU offered FedEx requested and solicited payment of fees totaling $ 3.4 million for e-mail and other services for "an aggressive grass-roots campaign" to stop a legislative provision being considered by the U.S. Senate . The letter said the ACU's campaign could include "Producing op-eds and articles written by ACU’s Chairman David Keene and/or other members of the ACU’s Board of Directors." Two weeks later, Keene and leaders of five other conservative organizations issued
1066-521: The ACU. During this era, conservative groups focused less on direct action and more on long term planning and sought to gain positions in public office. The ACU was founded in December 1964 in response to the predominance of liberalism in America as evidenced by the defeat of Barry Goldwater 's presidential campaign. Founders included Frank S. Meyer , William F Buckley Jr , and Robert E. Bauman , who organized
1107-526: The Birchers became a national storyline when Buckley continued to criticize the Birchers in his National Review column. The ACU spent roughly $ 1.4 million opposing the ratification of the Panama Canal treaties in 1977. They used a mass mailing campaign, sending out around 2.4 million letters. This brought in roughly $ 15,000 a day in support of conservative candidates who opposed the treaties. They also produced
1148-460: The John Birch Society. ACU's founding documents state that, There is no relation between the two organizations. The directors of the ACU take a view of world affairs substantially at variance with that taken by Mr. Robert Welch in his most publicized writing. Under the circumstances, the leadership of the ACU will be wholly distinct from that of the John Birch Society. Conservatives' view of
1189-558: The Texas Capitol. In 2010, TPPF received funding from Koch Industries as well as Geo Prison Group, a GEO Group company. In January 2018, the organization announced that it had opened a new office in Washington, D.C. At the time, TPPF had more than 75 employees based in Texas; it announced plans to increase its D.C.-based staff from 5 to as many as 15 employees in 2018 in order to expand
1230-490: The White House confirmed their intention to withdraw their nomination of Hartnett White as a senior advisor on environmental policy. TPPF has been described by NPR as "an influential think tank that opposes efforts to fight climate change and receives millions of dollars from fossil fuel interests." A 2023 study by TPPF found that the total cost of fueling an electric vehicle would equate to an electric vehicle owner "paying $ 17.33 per gallon of gasoline." TPPF lobbied for
1271-402: The first chairman from 1964 to 1966, succeeded by John Ashbrook from 1966 to 1971. M. Stanton Evans then served six years from 1971 to 1977, succeeded by a two-year term served by Philip Crane from 1977 to 1979. Mickey Edwards served as chairman from 1979 to 1983. David Keene was chairman from 1984 until 2011, succeeded by Al Cardenas , who served until 2014. Cardenas was succeeded by
American Conservative Union - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-410: The first meeting. In the initial meetings, a 50-member board of directors was appointed, whose members included Lammot Copeland, Peter O'Donnell, John A. Howard, Donald C. Bruce , and John Dos Passos . Membership grew to 7,000 within 9 months, and 45,000 by the end of 1972. As part of ACU's mission to unite conservatives, William F. Buckley and Robert Bauman led an initiative to declare ACU's views of
1353-496: The forgotten moral case for fossil fuels" by rejecting the scientific consensus on climate change . Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other TPPF was initially co-founded in 1989 by James R. Leininger , a physician, businessman and conservative activist from San Antonio, Texas and Fritz S. Steiger,
1394-551: The group's work in the areas of environmental and health care policy and criminal justice reform. In February 2019, the organization hired former U.S. Representative John Hostettler , a Republican from Indiana, to lead its state-based policy efforts. The Texas Public Policy Foundation States Trust initiative promotes policy ideas aimed at increasing state's rights and decreasing the role of the federal government in areas including energy regulation, spending, and health care. In 2015, TPPF had total revenue of $ 10.8 million. Donors to
1435-550: The ninth and current chairman, Matt Schlapp , who has previously served as George W. Bush 's political director. According to OpenSecrets , the American Conservative Union spent roughly $ 20,000 on lobbying in 2001, $ 400,000 in 2003, and $ 1,100,000 in 2005. They did not spend any money on lobbying in 2004. In the years since Schlapp was elected chairman ACU, the organization has spent $ 120,000 on lobbying. Recurring lobbyists are Lorenz Hart and Amir Iljazi. In 2009,
1476-410: The organization include energy companies Chevron , ExxonMobil , and other fossil fuel interests. The stated mission of TPPF is "to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation by educating and affecting policymakers and the Texas public policy debate with academically sound research and outreach." TPPF is organized into nine issue-area centers and
1517-503: The person) and then apply our understanding of government (its essential role is to defend life, liberty, and property)." Unlike other congressional ratings that take positions on pending legislation, ACU Foundation rates votes already cast by lawmakers. Each rating provides a conservative interpretation of an official's view of governance. As one spokesperson for the ACU once noted, "clear-cut distinctions between liberals and conservatives [occur] if you have Crane , Ashbrook , and Kemp go
1558-524: The political process both through elections and by forming their own political parties as they please. Examples of multi-party systems are: In single-party systems , one political party exercises control over the government. Unlike under other systems, single-party systems do not necessarily extend democratic privileges to the citizens. This means that citizens have little say regarding political subjects. Examples of single-party systems are: Two-party systems are similar to multi-party systems in that power
1599-400: The scorecard was novel to conservatism, Americans for Democratic Action has utilized a liberal rubric for liberalism since 1947. Each publication of Congressional and State Ratings contains a statement from Chairman Matt Schlapp about the philosophy guiding the ratings as one of conservatism: "We begin with our philosophy (conservatism is the political philosophy that sovereignty resides in
1640-577: Was aired on 200 television stations around the country. In 1985, the ACU sent out roughly 100,000 pieces of mail in support of Nicaraguan contra aid in 1985. They also escorted Nicaraguan refugees around Capitol Hill in order to persuade undecided politicians to support Reagan's contra aid request. Founding members include: William F. Buckley, Jr. Rep. Donald Bruce (R.-Ind.), Rep. John Ashbrook (R.-Ohio), Rep. Katherine St. George (R.-N.Y.), William A. Rusher , Frank Meyer , Thomas S. Winter , John A. Howard and L. Brent Bozell . Donald Bruce served as
1681-636: Was at the time Legislator of the ACU, stated that the Panama Canal Treaties were "a good issue for the conservative movement. It's not just the issue itself we're fighting for. This is an excellent opportunity to seize control of the Republican Party." Even so, the two treaties were signed September 7, 1977, ratified by the Panamanian election of October 23, 1977, and approved (68-32) by the U. S. Senate on March 16, 1978 and April 18, 1978. In 1980,