In 1981, a group of influential conservative leaders decided to create a powerful network of conservative activists, business leaders, and religious figures to de-liberalize the American Landscape, basically undo FDR’s New Deal. Council for National Policy (CNP) was born; established by evangelical pastor Tim LaHaye, oilman Nelson Bunker Hunt, businessman T. Cullen Davis, William Cies, Howard Phillips and political activist Paul Weyrich.
You probably never heard of it or about it because it was designed to be a private, invitation-only organization, emphasizing secrecy and exclusivity. Members were instructed not to discuss the group or reveal its membership or activities. The members have only become known over time because of some great journalistic sleuthing. They staked out annual events and found copies of programs left behind and slowly put the pieces and people together. That’s the kind of journalism we need now.
It was initially funded by conservative billionaires and business magnates, and it quickly became a central meeting place for strategizing and coordinating the conservative movement in America from behind the scenes. The genius strategy of using astroturf organizations, media coordination, and dark money allows the CNP to shape local politics in ways that advance its national conservative agenda while maintaining a facade of grassroots activism.
This strategy and secrecy have contributed to its reputation as a powerful but little-known force in American politics. They mobilize conservative activists, train candidates, and support legal and policy initiatives at local, state, and national levels. Its network extends to affiliated groups (Astroturf Grassroots Groups) that influence school boards, city councils, and state legislatures. Think Mom’s for Liberty and how they shook up school boards.
Some key strategies include amplifying Christian nationalist rhetoric and views, opposing progressive policies, and support of restrictive voting laws, making it a central player in the ongoing polarization of American politics. The Council for National Policy is a powerful and secretive organization that has shaped the direction of American conservatism for over four decades and bought us to this political inflection point.
Our rights and freedoms are slowly being snatched and our country’s democratic institutions toppled daily. Here in Tennessee the Supreme Court just decided that the state could deny transgender healthcare. While in Georgia a young black mother was taken off state-enforced life support after they retrieved a 1 lb. 3 oz. baby boy from her womb —reduced to a breeding machine while brain dead. This is life in America when a small but powerful group forces their morale beliefs on everyone.
As an advocate, I’ve learned from many different resources over the years and will share them as I go. I often recommend a very comprehensive book by Anne Nelson “The Shadow Network” and if you’re not up for reading, check out the comprehensive well done documentary, “Bad Faith,” a cinematic explainer of CNP’s origin and rise to power.
It is the issue we face. It goes far beyond a particular candidate(s) or politics in general. It’s not hyperbolic to say Christian Nationalism is the existential threat to American Democracy. It is the essence of Project 2025 and the creed of CNP.
This is an introductory overview in my Democracy & Christian Nationalism series. Join us in our weekly Good Trouble Chat as we continue to discuss.
Sources:
'Shadow Network' Offers A Lesson On The American Right's Mastery Of Politics
The Council for National Policy: Behind the Curtain
Impact of CNP’s Local Influence
Project 2025: A Villain Origin Story
Documentation: A Conservative Manifesto for the 1990s by Paul Weyrich
Shadow Network Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right