| FreedomWorks | |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2004[1] |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 527 |
| Headquarters | Washington, DC |
| Membership | over 1 million[2] |
| Chairman President |
Dick Armey Matt Kibbe [2] |
| Volunteers | 600,000 online activists[2] |
| Website | www.freedomworks.org |
FreedomWorks is a conservative non-profit organization based in Washington D.C., United States. FreedomWorks trains volunteers, assists in campaigns, and encourages them to mobilize, interacting with both fellow citizens and their political representatives.
Contents |
FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity both originated from a campaign called Citizens for a Sound Economy, which split in two in 2004. CSE was set up by businessman David Koch (Koch Industries).[3] Citizens for a Sound Economy merged with Empower America in 2004 and was renamed FreedomWorks, with Dick Armey, Jack Kemp and C. Boyden Gray serving as co-chairmen, Bill Bennett focusing on school choice as a Senior Fellow, and Matt Kibbe as President and CEO.[4][5] Empower America was founded in 1993 by William Bennett, former Secretary of HUD Jack Kemp, former Ambassador Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, and former Representative Vin Weber.[6] In December 2006, Steve Forbes joined the board of directors.[7]
The ‘Freedomworks’ name was derived from a common Armey saying: “Freedom works. Freedom is good policy and good politics.” [8]
FreedomWorks seeks to identify itself with two schools of thought: the Austrian School of economics and public choice theory. Through public choice theory, FreedomWorks legitimizes its mission and models itself after the Austrian School.[9]
Kibbe, a former aide to Republican Representative Dan Miller and a former staffer at the Republican National Committee, said that the group "will encourage Republicans -- and Democrats -- to take positions on issues of individual freedom." Armey said that "Ronald Reagan launched a political and intellectual revolution, and the Contract with America expanded it. Today, it’s time for the next wave. We have a rare window to make the big ideas of individual ownership and economic opportunity a political reality for all Americans. That’s the purpose of FreedomWorks."[10]
Freedomworks views itself as having eight key issues: Budget and Spending; Health Care Reform; Fundamental Tax Reform, Energy and the Environment; Workplace Freedom; School Choice [11]; RedTape, Hidden Taxes; and Regulation, and Medicare, Social Security and Entitlement Reform. [12]
In 2009, FreedomWorks responded to the growing number of Tea party protests across the United States, and is currently one of several groups active in the "Tea Party" tax protests.[13] Among other activities, they run boot camps for supporters of any Republican candidates, including spending over $10 million on the 2010 elections on campaign paraphernalia alone. The required reading list for new employees includes Saul Alinsky,[14] Frédéric Bastiat and Ayn Rand.[15] Rolling Stone and Talking Points Memo allege that FreedomWorks helps run the Tea Party Patriots.[16][17] Tea Party Patriots denies this claim.
For the 2010 Congressional elections, FreedomWorks has endorsed a number of candidates, including Marco Rubio, Pat Toomey, Mike Lee, and Rand Paul.[18] In addition to the aforementioned United States Senate candidates, Freedomworks endorsed 114 candidates for federal office, of whom seventy won election,[19] an independent study performed by Brigham Young University showed that only Freedomworks's endorsement had a statistically significant impact on the success of a candidate in the General Election (U.S.).[20]
In 2011 Freedomworks has run a number of campaigns targeted at corporate rent-seeking behavior. They campaigned against GE CEO Jeff Immelt who they argue has made GE a rent-seeking corporation.[21] In addition to this Freedomworks ran a campaign with the goal of getting Duke Energy to fire their CEO Jim Rodgers, accusing duke energy of lobbying for a “progressive agenda” to ensure that they would receive green energy subsidies.[22]
In addition to their Anti-Rent seeking campaigns Freedomworks has also been active in a number of issue campaigns at the state and national levels. One of these campaigns is the Pro-School Choice SB1 campaign in Pennsylvania.[23] In addition to this Freedomworks has run an active Grassroots campaign in support Governor Kasich's union reforms where they delivered thousands of yard signs, door-hangers, handouts, and registered conservative voters.[24]
FreedomWorks is primarily funded by individual donations. According to the progressive media watchdog group Media Matters for America, FreedomWorks has also received funding from Verizon and SBC (now AT&T).[25] Other FreedomWorks funders have included Philip Morris and foundations controlled by the Scaife family, according to tax filings and other records.[26][27] It also receives funding through the sale of insurance policies through which policyholders automatically become members of FreedomWorks.[28]
FreedomWorks is closely tied to its founder, corporate lobbyist and former Republican Congressman Dick Armey, whose former lobbying firm DLA Piper from which he resigned in August 2009, represents Bristol Myers Squibb, among other pharmaceutical companies.[29][30]
Most of FreedomWorks' campaigns have been called "astroturfing," and some claim that they project a false impression of grassroots organizing.[31][32][33]
On August 14, 2009, after Armey's leadership of FreedomWorks became a problem to his employer, the lobbying and legal firm of DLA Piper, he was forced to resign from his job there. DLA Piper chairman Francis Burch responded that the firm serves clients “… who support enactment of effective health care reform this year and encourages responsible national debate." It is unknown whether this move will impact Armey's role with FreedomWorks.[29]
Information concerning both funding and expenses and a "rating" of this charity may be found at http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10908
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