The “Think Tanks” That Control The Republican Party. Steve Williamson and Gary LaMaster examine the rightwing organizations that hold sway over the GOP by creating policies, selecting judges, and funding candidates.
Since the 1970s, these so-called think tanks have grown in power to such an extent that it’s increasingly unlikely that a Republican candidate can be elected to office without their consent and support.
For example, the Federalist Society helped Donald J. Trump reshape federal courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States. Project Veritas has acted as a hit squad to attack progressive organizations on the Party’s behalf. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has written much of the legislation that has passed in Republican controlled states. And The Heritage Foundation, which has been called the “Mothership of Conservatism” was the source of the Trump administration’s most extreme staff members and policies.
Worst of all, by creating Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation has created a road map to authoritarianism for the next Republican president.