Senator J.D. Vance spoke at the Claremont Institute’s ‘Up from Conservatism’ book launch on Capitol Hill, praising a controversial essay collection that advocates for a more aggressive conservative approach. Vance emphasized the need for conservatives to ‘wield power’ …
Chicago businessman Barre Seid provided an unprecedented $1.6 billion donation to Leonard Leo’s Marble Freedom Trust through a strategic stock transfer of Tripp Lite to Eaton Corporation. This donation, the largest known to a political advocacy group in U.S. history, potentially avoided …
Barre SeidLeonard LeoMarble Freedom TrustEaton Corporationdark-moneyconservative-movementjudicial-capturenonprofit-financingtax-avoidance+1 more
Nick Fuentes launched the inaugural America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) in Washington, D.C., deliberately scheduled to coincide with the mainstream Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) as a far-right alternative. The conference featured prominent white nationalist and …
Nick FuentesMichelle MalkinWhite NationalismConservative MovementExtremism
Nick Fuentes and his “Groyper Army” followers disrupted a Turning Point USA promotional event for Donald Trump Jr.’s book “Triggered” at UCLA, forcing the event to end after just 30 minutes instead of the planned two hours. The event, featuring Trump Jr., Charlie Kirk, …
Nick FuentesDonald Trump Jr.Charlie KirkWhite NationalismExtremismConservative Movement
The Republican Party, led by Newt Gingrich, secured a decisive victory in the 1994 midterm elections, ending 40 years of Democratic congressional control. By campaigning on the ‘Contract with America’, Republicans gained 54 seats in the House and 8 seats in the Senate, fundamentally …
Republicans achieved an unprecedented victory in the 1994 midterm elections, gaining control of both the House and Senate for the first time in 40 years, ending four decades of Democratic dominance in Congress. Led by Rep. Newt Gingrich, who became Speaker of the House, the GOP united under the …
In 1985, the Bradley Foundation underwent a dramatic transformation when Rockwell International Corporation acquired the Allen-Bradley Company, expanding the foundation’s assets from $14 million to over $290 million - a more than 20-fold increase. This windfall enabled systematic, coordinated …
Michael S. JoyceLynde and Harry Bradley FoundationHeritage FoundationFederalist SocietyAmerican Enterprise Institute+2 morefoundation-fundingthink-tank-infrastructureconservative-movementcoordinated-fundingpowell-memo-implementation
The Heritage Foundation publishes “Mandate for Leadership,” a comprehensive 3,000-page policy blueprint containing over 2,000 specific recommendations for conservative governance. Reagan distributes copies to every Cabinet member at their first meeting and the administration implements …
In 1978, William J. Casey and Antony Fisher established the International Center for Economic Policy Studies (ICEPS) in Manhattan, which would be renamed the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research in 1981. Casey, a neoconservative who would become Reagan’s CIA Director from 1981 to 1987, …
William J. CaseyAntony FisherCharles MurrayGeorge KellingJames Q. Wilsonthink-tank-infrastructureintelligence-domestic-policybroken-windows-policingwelfare-reformconservative-movement+1 more
By 1977, the American Enterprise Institute’s budget had surged to approximately $10 million, representing more than a 12-fold increase from its 1970 budget of $800,000. This dramatic expansion transformed AEI from a modest research organization into a major policy influence machine, …
American Enterprise InstituteWilliam Baroody Sr.Gerald FordHoward Pew Freedom TrustJohn M. Olin Foundation+1 morethink-tank-infrastructurepowell-memo-implementationcorporate-fundingpolicy-launderingconservative-movement
By the mid-1970s, Richard Viguerie had revolutionized conservative political fundraising through direct mail campaigns, building a massive donor network that would finance the New Right movement and create the infrastructure for corporate-funded “grassroots” activism. Dubbed the …
Richard VigueriePaul WeyrichHoward PhillipsMorton BlackwellTerry Dolan+1 morefundraising-infrastructuredirect-mailgrassroots-mobilizationnew-rightconservative-movement+1 more
The American Legislative Exchange Council officially registered as a federal nonprofit agency in 1975 with support from the American Conservative Union, moving from Chicago to Washington D.C. under Paul Weyrich’s leadership. This transition marked ALEC’s evolution from a state …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Paul WeyrichAmerican Conservative Unionalecnonprofitpaul-weyrichwashington-dcconservative-movement+1 more
ALEC was strategically established in September 1973 by Paul Weyrich, Henry Hyde, and Lou Barnett as a pioneering corporate-legislative coordination mechanism. Developed from the Powell Memorandum’s blueprint, ALEC created a novel ‘model legislation’ approach allowing corporations …
Paul WeyrichHenry HydeLou Barnettcorporate-capturestate-level-politicsconservative-movementlegislative-infrastructurepolicy-engineering
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) was founded in Chicago as the Conservative Caucus of State Legislators, initiated by Mark Rhoads with key involvement from Paul Weyrich. The organization was designed to create a systematic vehicle for corporate and conservative influence over …
Mark RhoadsPaul WeyrichHenry HydeState LegislatorsCorporate Memberscapture-cascadeblueprintalecstate-legislationmodel-bills+2 more
The Heritage Foundation was established as a conservative policy research organization, with Joseph Coors of Coors Brewing Company providing critical initial funding of $250,000. Founded by Paul Weyrich, Edwin Feulner, and Joseph Coors, the think tank represented a new model of politically …
Joseph CoorsPaul WeyrichEdwin FeulnerHeritage FoundationAdolph Coors Foundationcapture-cascadeblueprintheritage-foundationthink-tankscoors-funding+2 more
The Heritage Foundation was formally established on February 16, 1973, by Paul Weyrich, Edwin Feulner, and Joseph Coors. Businessman Joseph Coors provided the critical seed funding of $250,000 (equivalent to $1.6 million in 2021 dollars), enabling the creation of a conservative think tank designed …
Paul WeyrichEdwin FeulnerJoseph CoorsHeritage Foundationconservative-movementthink-tank-foundingpolitical-infrastructurecorporate-influencepolicy-development
The Heritage Foundation is officially founded by Paul Weyrich, Edwin Feulner, and Joseph Coors, implementing the strategic vision outlined in the Powell Memorandum. Coors provides the crucial seed funding of $250,000 to establish what becomes one of the most influential conservative think tanks in …
Paul WeyrichEdwin FeulnerJoseph CoorsRichard Mellon ScaifeHeritage Foundationthink-tank-foundingconservative-movementcorporate-influencepolitical-infrastructurenarrative-control+1 more
The Heritage Foundation was formally incorporated on February 16, 1973, by Paul Weyrich, Edwin Feulner, and Joseph Coors. Inspired by the Powell Memorandum, the organization was designed to be a conservative counterpoint to liberal think tanks like the Brookings Institution. Joseph Coors provided …
Joseph CoorsPaul WeyrichEdwin FeulnerAdolph Coors Foundationcapture-cascadeblueprintheritage-foundationthink-tanksconservative-movement+1 more
On August 23, 1971, Lewis F. Powell Jr. delivered his confidential memorandum ‘Attack on American Free Enterprise System’ to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, providing a strategic blueprint for corporate political mobilization. The 34-page document outlined a comprehensive strategy for …
Lewis F. Powell Jr.Eugene B. Sydnor Jr.U.S. Chamber of CommerceJack AndersonRichard Nixonregulatory-capturecorporate-influencethink-tank-strategyconservative-movementbusiness-activism+2 more