FreedomWorks

infobox Organization
name = FreedomWorks


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formation = 2004
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status = 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 527
purpose = Less government, lower taxes, and more freedom
headquarters = Washington, DC
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leader_title = Chairman
leader_name = Dick Armey
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website = http://www.freedomworks.org
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FreedomWorks is a conservative non-profit organization based in Washington D.C., United States. FreedomWorks' agenda includes reducing the size of government, and lowering taxes. FreedomWorks trains and organizes volunteers to engage fellow citizens and influence their political representatives.

History

Founded in 1984 as Citizens for a Sound Economy, the organization was renamed FreedomWorks on July 22, 2004, and is chaired by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey. Publisher Steve Forbes serves as Vice Chairman of FreedomWorks Foundation.

President and CEO Matt Kibbe, a former aide to Republican Representative Dan Miller and a former staffer at the Republican National Committee, said that the new 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."

FreedomWorks is one of the oldest free market grassroots advocacy organizations in operation today. Congressman Ron Paul was the first Chairman of CSE. In 2003, Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation split and was reorganized as Americans for Prosperity.

In 2004, CSE acquired Empower America in a merger. 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. [ [http://rightweb.irc-online.org/org/empower.php Right Web | Profile | Empower America ] ]

Freedom Agenda

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right|thumb|FreedomWorks_activists_campaigning_for_lower_taxes_in_North Carolina.] The Freedom Agenda is a set of political changes that FreedomWorks supports. The six core issues are: Fundamental Tax Reform to scrap the federal tax code and make it simple, low, transparent, and flat; Social Security to include large Personal Retirement Accounts (PRAs) that individual workers own; Tort Reform to end lawsuit abuse; School Choice to increase parental control and competition in education; Economic Growth to push for pro-growth regulatory and trade policy changes; and Welfare Reform to emphasize work, personal responsibility, and greater access to capital. The Freedom Agenda also includes numerous state issues including those on telecommunications, TABOR (taxpayer bill of rights), property rights, and decreasing local taxes. The group is also opposed to network neutrality laws, more specifically, they believe in the right of network carriers to manage the content of their networks. Adam Brandon is currently the Press Secretary for FreedomWorks.

Legal Status

Like many other "independent expenditure" organizations that follow the provisions of the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance rules, FreedomWorks has legal nonprofit status as a 501(c)(3), a 501(c)(4), a 527 and a federal political action committee.

Personnel

*Chairman: Dick Armey
*President: Matt Kibbe
*Vice President, Research: Wayne T. Brough
*Vice President, Development: Jaci Brown
*Vice President, Interactive Media: Chris Kinnan
*Vice President, Campaigns Rob Jordan
*Director, Federal and State Campaigns Brendan Steinhauser
*Press Secretary: Adam Brandon

References

External links

* [http://www.FreedomWorks.org FreedomWorks Homepage]

Projects

* [http://www.CGEG.org Center for Global and Economic Growth (CGEG)] : Provides assistance and training to free market think tanks, taxpayer associations, and other limited government organizations outside of the U.S. to help them create effective grassroots networks to bring about policy changes through the political processes in their own countries.
* [http://www.scrapthecode.org Scrap the Code] : Online campaign site which supports the flat tax.
* [http://www.angryrenter.com Angry Renter] : Online campaign opposed to government support for homeowners and banks affected by the subprime mortgage crisis.