Faith and Freedom Coalition

Faith and Freedom Coalition
Name	Faith and Freedom Coalition
Formation	2009
Type	Political advocacy group
Headquarters	United States
Leader title	President
Leader name	Ralph Reed

Faith and Freedom Coalition is a conservative American political advocacy group founded in 2009 that mobilizes evangelical and conservative Christian constituencies in United States politics. The organization operates at the intersection of religion and public life through voter outreach, coalition-building, and issue campaigns aligned with social conservative policy priorities. It engages in electoral politics, policy advocacy, and public events, interacting with a range of national and state-level actors across the Republican Party and allied organizations.

History

The group traces roots to post-2000 conservative activism associated with figures from the 1994 Republican Revolution, campaigns around the 2004 United States presidential election, and earlier evangelical networks developed during the tenure of leaders linked to the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition of America. Its founding brought together activists with histories in the Bush–Cheney era, the Tea Party movement, and state-level campaigns in Florida, Texas, and Ohio. Early years featured involvement in mobilization for the 2010 United States elections and coordination with advocacy organizations active during the 2012 United States presidential election and the 2016 United States presidential election. The organization subsequently expanded national convenings that paralleled the scale of gatherings hosted by groups such as the Family Research Council and the National Rifle Association of America.

Mission and Activities

The organization states goals of promoting faith-based values in public affairs, engaging voters in civic life, and supporting candidates aligned with its platform, operating through programs comparable to initiatives led by the National Right to Life Committee, Focus on the Family, and state chapters of the American Family Association. Activities include organizing national conferences reminiscent of events by the Values Voter Summit, coordinating get-out-the-vote drives similar to those run by the American Conservative Union, and producing communications content analogous to materials from the Heritage Foundation and PragerU. It has partnered with coalitions that include groups aligned with the Tea Party Patriots, state party apparatuses such as the Republican National Committee, and faith networks active in the Southern Baptist Convention.

Political Advocacy and Policy Positions

Policy priorities emphasize positions on judicial appointments, religious liberty, opposition to abortion, family policy, and national security, reflecting stances similar to the Federalist Society on courts, the Susan B. Anthony List on abortion policy, and the Alliance Defending Freedom on religious liberty litigation. On healthcare and social welfare matters it has taken positions paralleling debates involving the Affordable Care Act and federal regulatory actions contested by the Cato Institute and Club for Growth. The group has endorsed legislative and electoral strategies connected to debates over immigration policy debated in contexts such as the 2013 immigration reform debates and national security issues framed by events like the September 11 attacks. It has also weighed in on tax policy and regulatory rollbacks advocated by leaders in the Trump administration and by think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute.

Leadership and Organization

The organization’s public leadership has included activists with prior roles in campaigns and advocacy networks associated with the Republican Party (United States), veterans of presidential campaigns such as those of George W. Bush and Donald Trump, and organizers connected to state party activities in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Iowa. Its governance structure includes a board and advisory councils that have featured figures from allied institutions like the Heritage Foundation, Family Research Council, and the American Conservative Union. Staff and consultants have often been veterans of Capitol Hill, presidential transition teams, and issue coalitions that interact with institutions such as the United States Congress and federal agencies.

Funding and Affiliations

Funding sources have included individual donors, political committees, and foundations that also support conservative causes, with financial relationships similar to those seen between organizations and funders tied to networks around the Koch brothers, the Scaife family, and donor-advised funds that contribute to multiple advocacy groups. The organization has coordinated with allied groups such as the Susan B. Anthony List, Club for Growth, and state-level conservative coalitions, and it has worked with legal partners like the Alliance Defending Freedom on litigation-related advocacy. It has engaged in joint activities with partisan institutions including state Republican parties and national coordinating bodies such as the Republican National Committee.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics have challenged the organization on grounds similar to scrutiny directed at other faith-based partisan groups like the Christian Coalition of America and the Heritage Foundation, raising concerns about the blending of religious advocacy and electoral politics, the role of money in partisan mobilization highlighted in discussions about the Citizens United v. FEC decision, and alliances with polarizing political figures tied to the Tea Party movement and the Trump administration. Media coverage and watchdog groups such as Common Cause and American Civil Liberties Union affiliates have critiqued aspects of its lobbying, messaging, and campaign activities, citing disputes over disclosure, coalition-building, and policy stances on reproductive rights and voting rights contested in cases like the Shelby County v. Holder decision.

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States