![\"Republican](\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/ssn\/files\/2013\/02\/Republican-Student-Organization-300x181.jpg\")
<\/a>Radical activists on the left in the 1960s were often known for colorful language and flashy protest tactics \u2013 and the same is true for today\u2019s provocative campus conservatives. They ridicule faculty with labels such as \u201ctree hugging,\u201d \u201cgun taking,\u201d \u201cwealth hating,\u201d and \u201cleftist loving,\u201d and stage showy events like Affirmative Action Bake Sales and Catch an Illegal Alien Days. Reminiscent of Abbie Hoffman and the Yippies, this provocative style of right-wing activism is designed to poke fun at liberals and attract the media spotlight. Where does this style come from, and why is it propagated mostly on large state campuses and lesser known liberal arts colleges?<\/p>\n
At the center of today\u2019s conservative youth movement are national organizations with deep pockets and well-articulated templates for confrontational activism. We can think of them as equivalent to Super PACS (political action committees) for college-age conservatism. To plant the seeds of the provocative style, these organizations distribute month-by-month \u201cbattle plans\u201d to existing student clubs and send field representatives to help students start new groups. They offer money and extensive networking opportunities to help campus activism grow.<\/p>\n
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- In 2011, Young America\u2019s Foundation<\/b> boasted more than $40 million in assets and had expenditures of approximately $15 million, according to audited financial statements. Yearly expenditures underwrote campus speaking tours for conservative luminaries and paid for conservative students to attend regional and national conferences, where attendees would learn how to fight \u201cpersecution\u201d with an \u201cactivist mentality.\u201d<\/li>\n
- With $15 million in the bank, the Leadership Institute<\/b> spends about $7 million annually to encourage young conservatives. The organization keeps a database of \u201cleftist faculty\u201d and \u201cbiased textbooks\u201d on some 2000 campuses, and it has trained tens of thousands of college students to run conservative election campaigns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These organizations deliver a coordinated message to their young audience: You are under siege on your liberal campuses, and you must use aggressive tactics to counteract the discrimination.<\/p>\n
Student Conservatism as \u201cCivilized Discourse\u201d<\/h3>\n
- With $15 million in the bank, the Leadership Institute<\/b> spends about $7 million annually to encourage young conservatives. The organization keeps a database of \u201cleftist faculty\u201d and \u201cbiased textbooks\u201d on some 2000 campuses, and it has trained tens of thousands of college students to run conservative election campaigns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n