American Conservative Union (미국 보수주의 연합, ACU)은 미국의 보수주의를 옹호하고 보수주의 정치인을 분류하는 미국의 정치 조직이다. 1964년 설립된 미국에서 가장 오래된 보수주의 로비 단체다.

활동

APU는 3개의 단체로 구성되어있다. 미국 보수연합, 501(c)(4)라고 불리는 로비단체, CPAC(Conservative Political Action Conference, 보수주의 정치 행동 컨퍼런스)의 개최를 위한 단체인 501(c)(3)이다.

의회 등급 정하기

1971년부터 ACU는 자체 평가시스템을 구현하여 정치인들의 보수주의 이념을 매년 평가한다.

Each publication of Congressional and State Ratings contains a statement from Chairman Matt Schlapp about the philosophy guiding the ratings as one of conservatism: "We begin with our philosophy (conservatism is the political philosophy that sovereignty resides in the person) and then apply our understanding of government (its essential role is to defend life, liberty and property)."

Unlike other congressional ratings that take positions on pending legislation, ACU Foundation rates votes already cast by lawmakers. Each rating provides a conservative interpretation of an official's view of governance. As one spokesperson for the ACU once noted, "clear-cut distinctions between liberals and conservatives [occur] if you have Crane, Ashbrook, and Kemp go a certain way and Burton goes the other".

The ACU annually rates politicians according to how they vote on key issues, providing a numerical indicator of how much the lawmakers agreed with conservative ideals. They use this rating system as a point of accountability for politicians, comparing their political rhetoric to their voting records to assess their conservativeness. These scores are often used in political science research, in news stories and in election campaigns.

Conservative Political Action Conference(CPAC)

ACU의 가장 잘 알려진 행사는 ACU 재단이 주최하는 연례 행사인 CPAC(Conservative Political Action Conference)다. CPAC은 매년 수천명이 참석하고 연사는 현직 대통령, 전직 대통령 등 유명한 보수주의를 대표하는 사람들이 나온다. CPAC 2019년에는 도널드 트럼프, 마이크 펜스등이 나와서 연설하였다.

ACU 재단

ACU 재단의 목적은 보수적인 원칙에 따라 일반 대중을 교육하는 것이다. 또한 5개의 '정책 센터'를 운영하고 있는데, 이는 예술문화 센터, 인간존엄성 센터, 정치 및 외교 센터, 21세기 재산권 센터, 형사 사법 개혁 센터다. 이 정책 센터는 주로 주제 영역과 관련된 기사 또는 논문을 게시하고 공유하며 연구하는 일을 한다. 이들 중 가장 광범위한 활동을 하는 곳은 형사사법 개혁센터인데, 형사사법 개혁센터는 정부 공무원들에게 자문을 제공하고 청문회에서 전문가 증인으로 증언하는 등 보수적인 형사 사법 개혁을 지지한다. 형사사법 개혁센터는 두 가지 주요 정책 영역에 초점을 맞추고 있는데 하나는 시민 재산권 침해방지이고 다른 하나나는 형사사법제도 내 정신건강을 증진하는 것이다.

역사

창립

The American Conservative Union was one of many conservative organizations formed in the 1960s as part of the resurgence of conservatism. As conservative activist M. Stanton Evans predicted, "Historians may well record the decade of the 1960s as the era in which conservatism, as a viable political force, finally came into its own." During a time of increasing polarization between liberals and conservatives, activists began to build a well organized conservative movement, forming organizations such as Young Americans for Freedom and the ACU. During this era, conservative groups focused less on direct action and more on long term planning and sought to gain positions in public office.

The ACU was founded in December 1964 in response to the predominance of liberalism in America as evidenced by the defeat of Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign. Founders included Frank S. Meyer, William F Buckley Jr, and Robert E. Bauman, who organized the first meeting. In the initial meetings, a 50-member board of directors was appointed, whose members included Lammot Copeland, Peter O'Donnell, John A. Howard, Donald C. Bruce, and John Dos Passos. Membership grew to 7,000 within 9 months, and 45,000 by the end of 1972.

As part of ACU's mission to unite conservatives, William F. Buckley and Robert Bauman led an initiative to declare ACU's views of the John Birch Society. ACU's founding documents state that,</ref>

Conservatives' view of the Birchers became a national storyline when Buckley continued to criticize the Birchers in his National Review column.

Foreign policy influence

The ACU spent roughly $1.4 million opposing the ratification of the Panama Canal treaties in 1977. They used a mass mailing campaign, sending out around 2.4 million letters. This brought in roughly $15,000 a day in support of conservative candidates who opposed the treaties. They also produced a thirty-minute-long television ad which aired on 150 television station in eighteen states, and took out newspaper ads in thirty states, encouraging citizens to write to their senators to oppose the treaties. The ACU also helped to fund a "truth squad," formed by Senator Paul Laxalt, whose purpose was to "focus renewed public interest in the treaties" and pressure senators to vote against the treaties. Gary Jarmin, who was at the time Legislator of the ACU, stated that the Panama Canal Treaties were "a good issue for the conservative movement. It's not just the issue itself we're fighting for. This is an excellent opportunity to seize control of the Republican Party."

In 1980, the ACU estimated that it would cost roughly $1.8 million to defeat SALT II; together with other conservative groups, SALT opponents outspent supporters 15:1. Having found the technique of mass mailing to be successful during other campaigns, the ACU used this same technique to oppose SALT II, reaching roughly 500,000 people with this strategy. Additionally, they produced a half-hour-long anti-SALT television program called Soviet Might/American Myth: The United States in Retreat, which was aired on 200 television stations around the country.

In 1985, the ACU sent out roughly 100,000 pieces of mail in support of Nicaraguan contra aid in 1985. They also escorted Nicaraguan refugees around Capital Hill in order to persuade undecided politicians to support Reagan's contra aid request.

21세기의 로비

ACU는 2001년 2만 달러를 사용했다. 2003년에는 40만 달러를 사용했으며 2005년에는 110만 달러를 사용했다. 이후 2006년부터 2017년까지 4~6만달러 정도를 사용하다가 2018년 54만 달러로 증가했다.

현재 ACU의 로비스트는 로렌츠 하트와 아미르 일리치다.

ACU는 미 하원과 메디케어 및 메디케이드 서비스 센터에 기부한 적도 있다.