American Conservative Union
An American conservative political organization that advocates for conservative policies, rates lawmakers, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The American Conservative Union (ACU) is a United States conservative political organization founded in December 1964 during the post-Barry Goldwater expansion of the modern conservative movement. It describes itself as the country’s oldest continuously operating conservative lobbying organization. Its work is organized around advocacy, political accountability, public education, and coalition-building rather than around commercial products. The organization’s stated intellectual focus includes individual liberty, limited government, property rights, and traditional values. Its activities are conducted through a structure that includes the American Conservative Union as a 501(c)(4) lobbying organization, the American Conservative Union Foundation as a 501(c)(3) educational and conference-organizing entity, and the American Conservative Union Political Action Committee, which endorses and supports conservative candidates for federal and state office. These entities are related in mission but have distinct legal and operational roles. A central ACU activity is its annual congressional and state legislative rating system. Dating to 1971, the scorecards evaluate lawmakers according to selected votes that the organization interprets through a conservative policy framework. Unlike systems that primarily score sponsorship or stated positions on pending bills, the ACU approach emphasizes votes already cast. The resulting numerical and percentile ratings are used by journalists, political campaigns, researchers, activists, and voters as an indicator of a lawmaker’s alignment with conservative principles. The organization has generally treated scores above 80 percent as identifying an “ACU Conservative.” The ACU Foundation is best known for organizing the Conservative Political Action Conference, commonly called CPAC. The conference has become one of the most prominent recurring gatherings in American conservatism, bringing together elected officials, activists, commentators, policy advocates, and conservative movement organizations. Speakers have included sitting and former presidents, members of Congress, governors, and senior executive-branch officials. CPAC provides the organization with a highly visible platform for policy debate, movement coordination, candidate exposure, and political messaging. The foundation also operates policy centers addressing subjects such as arts and culture, human dignity, statesmanship and diplomacy, property rights, and criminal justice reform. Its criminal justice work has included opposition to civil asset forfeiture and support for expanded mental-health resources within the justice system. The foundation has participated in the Right on Crime coalition alongside other conservative policy organizations and has used CPAC programming to promote criminal-justice reform arguments. Historically, the ACU has engaged in direct lobbying and mass-communication campaigns on major foreign-policy and national-security issues. It opposed ratification of the Panama Canal treaties in the late 1970s, campaigned against SALT II in 1980, and supported aid for the Nicaraguan Contras during the Reagan administration. These campaigns used direct mail, television advertising, newspaper advertisements, Capitol Hill advocacy, and alliances with sympathetic lawmakers. The organization has also experienced internal controversy. In 2009, a dispute involving a proposed FedEx-funded grassroots campaign raised questions about the use of ACU branding and the organization’s position on legislation affecting the company. In 2011, former administrative director Diana Hubbard Carr pleaded guilty to embezzlement connected with funds taken while she served as the organization’s bookkeeper. Despite these episodes, the ACU remains active as an advocacy, rating, conference, and conservative movement organization.
History
The American Conservative Union emerged from the organizational growth of American conservatism in the 1960s. The defeat of Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign in 1964 helped convince conservative activists that the movement needed durable institutions capable of developing policy, influencing elections, and building a long-term presence in public life. The ACU was founded on December 18, 1964, by figures including Frank S. Meyer, William F. Buckley Jr., and Robert E. Bauman. Its first organizational meeting produced a board of roughly 50 directors, including Lammot Copeland, Peter O’Donnell, John A. Howard, Donald C. Bruce, and John Dos Passos. The group grew rapidly, reaching several thousand members during its first year and tens of thousands by the end of the 1960s. Its founders sought to create a broad conservative institution while distinguishing the organization from the John Birch Society. The ACU’s founding position emphasized that it had no organizational relationship with the Birchers and that its leadership held substantially different views on the issues that had made the John Birch Society controversial. This boundary-setting reflected a wider effort by conservative leaders to make the movement electorally viable and institutionally respectable. Donald C. Bruce served as the first chairman from 1964 to 1966, followed by Representative John Ashbrook from 1966 to 1971. M. Stanton Evans chaired the organization from 1971 to 1977, a period in which the ACU developed its annual congressional rating system. The ratings gave the group a repeatable method for comparing lawmakers’ voting records with conservative principles and became one of its most recognizable political instruments. Philip Crane chaired the organization from 1977 to 1979, followed by Mickey Edwards from 1979 to 1983. During the 1970s and 1980s, the ACU expanded beyond general movement-building into highly visible policy campaigns. It opposed the Panama Canal treaties in 1977 and 1978 through direct mail, television and newspaper advertising, and coordination with treaty opponents in Congress. Although the treaties were ultimately approved by the Senate, the campaign demonstrated the organization’s use of mass communication as a lobbying tool. The ACU later opposed SALT II, producing anti-treaty television programming and reaching hundreds of thousands of people through mail. In 1985, it supported Reagan administration efforts to secure aid for the Nicaraguan Contras, including outreach to members of Congress and the use of refugee advocacy on Capitol Hill. David Keene became chairman in 1984 and held the position until 2011, making his tenure one of the longest in the group’s history. He was succeeded by Al Cardenas, who chaired the organization until 2014. Matt Schlapp, a former political director in the George W. Bush administration, then became chairman. Under the organization’s contemporary structure, lobbying is conducted through the 501(c)(4) ACU, educational work and the Conservative Political Action Conference are associated with the ACU Foundation, and candidate support is handled through the ACU Political Action Committee. The Conservative Political Action Conference developed into the ACU’s most prominent public institution. It provides a national forum for conservative speakers, elected officials, activists, policy groups, and media figures. Its recurring program has helped the ACU connect policy advocacy with movement politics and candidate visibility. Alongside CPAC, the foundation has maintained policy centers covering cultural issues, human dignity, diplomacy and statesmanship, property rights, and criminal justice reform. The criminal justice program has focused particularly on civil asset forfeiture and mental-health treatment within the justice system, and has participated in the Right on Crime coalition. The organization has also faced controversies involving financial and political operations. In 2009, a proposed FedEx-funded campaign led to a disagreement over the company’s legislative framing and the use of ACU logos. The ACU stated that its logo had been used without authorization while continuing to support the relevant policy position. In 2011, former administrative director Diana Hubbard Carr pleaded guilty to embezzlement associated with funds taken while she worked as the organization’s bookkeeper between 2006 and 2009. The ACU nevertheless continues to operate as a conservative advocacy organization, political-rating publisher, conference organizer, and policy-education platform.
- 2014
Matt Schlapp becomes chairman
[1]Matt Schlapp succeeded Al Cardenas and became the organization’s ninth chairman.
- 2011
Leadership changes to Al Cardenas
[1]Al Cardenas succeeded David Keene as chairman.
- 1985
Support for Contra aid
[1]The ACU advocated United States assistance for the Nicaraguan Contras through mail outreach and congressional activity.
- 1980
Campaign against SALT II
[1]The ACU used direct mail and television programming to oppose the proposed arms-control treaty.
- 1977
Campaign against Panama Canal treaties
[1]The organization launched a major communications and lobbying effort opposing ratification of the Panama Canal treaties.
- 1971
Annual congressional rating system begins
[1]The ACU introduced its recurring system for assessing lawmakers’ voting records against conservative criteria.
- 1964
American Conservative Union founded
[1]The organization was established on December 18 during the expansion of the modern American conservative movement.
Products and positioning
A long-running institutional platform for conservative policy advocacy, political accountability, movement networking, and public education in the United States.
Political conference
Conservative Political Action Conference
CPAC is the ACU Foundation’s flagship annual conference and a major gathering for American conservative activists, officials, commentators, policy organizations, and candidates. Its programming combines speeches, panels, networking, policy discussion, and movement coordination. The event has featured sitting and former presidents, members of Congress, governors, and executive-branch officials, making it a prominent platform for conservative political communication.
Political scorecard · 1971
ACU Congressional Ratings
The congressional ratings evaluate lawmakers using selected votes and a conservative interpretation of government and public policy. The system is intended to compare political rhetoric with voting behavior and produces numerical or percentile indicators that are used by activists, campaigns, journalists, and researchers to assess conservative alignment.
Political scorecard
ACU State Ratings
State ratings apply the organization’s scorecard approach to state legislators. They provide a conservative assessment of selected votes and extend the ACU’s political-accountability work beyond the federal Congress.
Public policy education
ACU Foundation policy centers
The foundation’s policy-center work addresses areas including arts and culture, human dignity, statesmanship and diplomacy, property rights, and criminal justice reform. Activities include publishing commentary, advising officials, media advocacy, participating in hearings, and organizing conference panels.
Controversies
2011
Embezzlement conviction involving former administrator
Diana Hubbard Carr, a former administrative director and bookkeeper, pleaded guilty to embezzling funds from the organization during the 2006–2009 period.
2009
FedEx campaign and branding dispute
A proposed FedEx-funded grassroots campaign produced a dispute over the legislative issue, the services requested, and the use of ACU branding. The organization later said its logo had been used without authorization while maintaining its policy stance.
Marketing campaigns
- 1985Nicaraguan Contra aid advocacy
United States
The ACU used mail outreach and Capitol Hill advocacy, including engagement involving Nicaraguan refugees, to support Reagan administration requests for Contra aid.
- 1980SALT II opposition campaign
United States
The organization opposed SALT II through mass mailings and a televised program presenting the treaty as evidence of declining American strength.
Outcome. The campaign contributed to broader conservative opposition, but the treaty did not enter into force after the United States withheld final ratification.
- 1977Panama Canal treaty opposition campaign
United States
The ACU opposed ratification of the Panama Canal treaties through direct mail, television advertising, newspaper advertisements, and coordination with treaty opponents in Congress.
Outcome. The treaties were ultimately approved by the United States Senate in 1978.
Brand decisions
2014
Change organizational chairmanshipStrategyBackground
The ACU transitioned from Al Cardenas’s leadership to a new chairman with prior senior political experience.
Action taken
Matt Schlapp became chairman.
Aftermath
Schlapp continued to lead the organization while it maintained its lobbying, rating, conference, and policy-education activities.
1980
Oppose SALT II through national mediaStrategyBackground
The ACU and allied conservative groups viewed the arms-control agreement as weakening the United States relative to the Soviet Union.
Action taken
The organization conducted a large direct-mail effort and distributed an anti-SALT television program.
Aftermath
The United States did not complete ratification of SALT II.
1977
Use mass communications against Panama Canal treatiesStrategyBackground
The organization treated treaty ratification as both a foreign-policy dispute and an opportunity to strengthen conservative influence within the Republican Party.
Action taken
The ACU combined direct mail, broadcast advertising, newspaper placements, and congressional pressure.
Aftermath
The Senate approved the treaties despite the campaign.
1971
Introduce recurring lawmaker scorecardsStrategyBackground
The organization sought a systematic way to distinguish conservative and liberal voting records and hold elected officials accountable to conservative principles.
Action taken
It began publishing annual congressional ratings based primarily on selected votes already cast by lawmakers.
Aftermath
The ratings became one of the ACU’s most recognizable activities and are cited in political reporting, campaigns, and research.
Recent events
- 2017
CPAC features national conservative political figures[1]
Campaign · Other
The 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference included President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Ted Cruz, several governors, and senior executive-branch officials.
- 2014
Matt Schlapp becomes American Conservative Union chairman[1]
Leadership change
Matt Schlapp succeeded Al Cardenas as chairman of the organization.
- 1985
American Conservative Union supports Nicaraguan Contra aid[1]
Campaign · Other
The organization advocated continued United States support for the Nicaraguan Contras through mail outreach and congressional lobbying.
- 1980
American Conservative Union opposes SALT II[1]
Campaign · Other
The ACU used direct mail and television programming as part of the conservative campaign against the SALT II arms-control treaty.
- 1977
American Conservative Union campaigns against Panama Canal treaties[1]
Campaign · Other
The organization mounted a large-scale lobbying and communications campaign opposing ratification of the Panama Canal treaties.
- 1971
American Conservative Union establishes annual lawmaker ratings[1]
Other
The ACU began its recurring system for evaluating congressional voting records according to conservative policy criteria.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/american-conservative-union · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled