Sam Adams Alliance
Encyclopedia
Sam Adams Alliance is a non-profit organization based in Richmond, Virginia
. Founded in Chicago in 2006, the group describes itself as a "fiercely independent organization dedicated to inspiring and encouraging grass-roots citizen activism."
The Sam Adams Alliance was founded to inspire and cultivate citizen activism. Initially, the organization provided new media and blogger training to free-market activists to help them effectively communicate online. It also launched three Wikipedia-style websites (Judgepedia
, Ballotpedia
, and Sunshine Review
) so people could learn and engage in the conversation about issues affecting personal and economic freedom
. SAM also helped launch American Majority
to train potential candidates for public office and campaign organizers, and the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity
, which helps train and place investigative journalists.
Today, the organization works to equip ordinary citizens with the tools they need as they become activists in their local communities, towns, cities, regions and states. By recognizing the efforts of these citizen activists, they hope to help shine a light on the broad and deep areas of common purpose Americans share.
The organization takes its name from Sam Adams
, who is considered the "father of the American Revolution
" for his role in connecting colonists in the 18th century American colonies
. Adams allowed colonists to share information and experience with each other through writing and word-of-mouth in the hope of instigating a popular uprising against the British. The Sam Adams Alliance has adopted this strategy of action - empowering people through innovative marketing and communications - as a way of increasing government accountability, supporting free market ideas, and returning true self-governance to the people.
of FOX Business was the keynote speaker at the 2011 Sammies ceremony, held at Chicago’s Union Station in April 2011.
Named for Samuel Adams, this ongoing program recognizes the accomplishments of engaged citizens involved in a range of activities. These can include conducting voter-registration campaigns, running for public office, demanding transparency in government, developing new forms of citizen journalism that hold public officials accountable for their actions, educating children, rebuilding neighborhoods, and establishing free health-care clinics and food banks.
In August 2010, a follow up report exploring the Tea Party movement was released titled "Next Wave: A Surf Report."
In September 2010, Sam Adams Alliance released their first "Market Insights Report" titled "Surface Tension: Tea Parties and the Political Establishment."
and social networking sites began linking to the project, especially the video. Michelle Malkin
featured the project on her site.
The video, which has a 1940's government educational film setting, is 2 minutes and 22 seconds in length, was viewed approximately 25,000 times in the first thirty six hours of its release according to the YouTube
views counter. The film was entirely filmed and produced by Sam Adams Alliance staff and features no professional actors, only employees and family members.
website suggested that Sam Adams Alliance was involved in Rick Santelli
's call for a "Chicago Tea Party" against President Barack Obama
's housing rescue plan. The Playboy blog making this allegation was removed without explanation within two days. An article on Talking Points Memo
based on the Playboy allegations was similarly removed. Megan McArdle
, writing for The Atlantic, suggested that the items were removed because it had "absolutely no verification of a fact ... central to its core thesis."
The day after the Playboy piece was posted online, but before it was removed, Sam Adams Alliance posted a response on its website, "It would have been nice if we knew about it." On Monday, March 2, Rick Santelli
also posted a notice online asserting that he had never had any dealings with, and had no connections to, Sam Adams Alliance.
Though the organization is often referred to as conservative or libertarian, it does not affiliate with any particular political ideology, and does not work with partisan political groups.
is the Chairman and CEO of the Sam Adams Alliance. O'Keefe also serves on the Board of Directors of the Institute for Humane Studies
, the Center for Competitive Politics
, the Citizens In Charge Foundation
, and the Club for Growth Wisconsin. Before working for the Alliance, O'Keefe was the President of Americans for Limited Terms from 1996 to 2000. In 2002, Americans for Limited Terms changed its name to Americans for Limited Government
. O'Keefe served on its board until 2007.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Founded in Chicago in 2006, the group describes itself as a "fiercely independent organization dedicated to inspiring and encouraging grass-roots citizen activism."
The Sam Adams Alliance was founded to inspire and cultivate citizen activism. Initially, the organization provided new media and blogger training to free-market activists to help them effectively communicate online. It also launched three Wikipedia-style websites (Judgepedia
Judgepedia
Judgepedia is a wiki-style website billed as an "interactive encyclopedia of courts and judges".-Mission:The mission of Judgepedia is to help readers find useful information about the court system and judiciary in the United States.-History:...
, Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia is a wiki-style website billed as "an interactive almanac of state politics". InfoWorld has called it one of the "Top 20 Election Day Web sites and online tools".-Purpose:...
, and Sunshine Review
Sunshine Review
Sunshine Review is a nonprofit wiki promoting proactive disclosure of government information online. The organization developed a ten-point transparency checklist to evaluate if government websites proactively and voluntarily disclose information to the public and media.The wiki-based website was...
) so people could learn and engage in the conversation about issues affecting personal and economic freedom
Economic freedom
Economic freedom is a term used in economic and policy debates. As with freedom generally, there are various definitions, but no universally accepted concept of economic freedom...
. SAM also helped launch American Majority
American Majority
American Majority is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political training organization. Founded with an initial investment by the Sam Adams Alliance, the organization is funded by smaller individual donors. The organization provides political training to conservative activists and candidates in state and...
to train potential candidates for public office and campaign organizers, and the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity
Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity
The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity was founded on January 13, 2009 to serve as a national organization dedicated to training and supporting investigative journalism and journalistic endeavors at state based think tanks and other state based groups, individuals and...
, which helps train and place investigative journalists.
Today, the organization works to equip ordinary citizens with the tools they need as they become activists in their local communities, towns, cities, regions and states. By recognizing the efforts of these citizen activists, they hope to help shine a light on the broad and deep areas of common purpose Americans share.
The organization takes its name from Sam Adams
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a politician in colonial Massachusetts, Adams was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and was one of the architects of the principles of American...
, who is considered the "father of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
" for his role in connecting colonists in the 18th century American colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
. Adams allowed colonists to share information and experience with each other through writing and word-of-mouth in the hope of instigating a popular uprising against the British. The Sam Adams Alliance has adopted this strategy of action - empowering people through innovative marketing and communications - as a way of increasing government accountability, supporting free market ideas, and returning true self-governance to the people.
The Sammies
Begun in 2007, the Sammies is an annual national awards program that honors outstanding achievements in citizen activism. John StosselJohn Stossel
John F. Stossel is an American consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author and libertarian columnist. In October 2009 Stossel left his long time home on ABC News to join the Fox Business Channel and Fox News Channel, both owned and operated by News Corp...
of FOX Business was the keynote speaker at the 2011 Sammies ceremony, held at Chicago’s Union Station in April 2011.
Named for Samuel Adams, this ongoing program recognizes the accomplishments of engaged citizens involved in a range of activities. These can include conducting voter-registration campaigns, running for public office, demanding transparency in government, developing new forms of citizen journalism that hold public officials accountable for their actions, educating children, rebuilding neighborhoods, and establishing free health-care clinics and food banks.
Marketing research
In March 2010, Sam Adams Alliance released the first of a series of "Activist Insights Reports" titled "Early Adopters: Reading the Tea Leaves," the first-ever comprehensive study of leaders in the tea party movement. The study, which received coverage from The New York Times, Politico, The Washington Times, U.S. News and World Report and Rush Limbaugh, among others, surveyed 50 active leaders in the movement on their motivations for becoming involved. It found that about half of tea party activists have never before been involved in politics, and that many became involved out of fear of passing on larger government and insurmountable debt to their children and grandchildren.In August 2010, a follow up report exploring the Tea Party movement was released titled "Next Wave: A Surf Report."
In September 2010, Sam Adams Alliance released their first "Market Insights Report" titled "Surface Tension: Tea Parties and the Political Establishment."
Health Administration Bureau
On July 16, 2009, Sam Adams Alliance launched a project titled "Health Administration Bureau," featuring the video, "Health Rations And You." Within minutes the blogosphereBlogosphere
The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community or as a social network in which everyday authors can publish their opinions...
and social networking sites began linking to the project, especially the video. Michelle Malkin
Michelle Malkin
Michelle Malkin is an American conservative blogger, political commentator, and author. Her weekly syndicated column appears in a number of newspapers and websites. She is a Fox News Channel contributor and has been a guest on MSNBC, C-SPAN, and national radio programs...
featured the project on her site.
The video, which has a 1940's government educational film setting, is 2 minutes and 22 seconds in length, was viewed approximately 25,000 times in the first thirty six hours of its release according to the YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
views counter. The film was entirely filmed and produced by Sam Adams Alliance staff and features no professional actors, only employees and family members.
Chicago Tea Parties
In February 2009, a blog posting on the PlayboyPlayboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
website suggested that Sam Adams Alliance was involved in Rick Santelli
Rick Santelli
Rick Santelli is an American on-air editor for the CNBC Business News network. He joined CNBC as an on-air editor on June 14, 1999, reporting primarily from the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade. He was formerly the vice president for an institutional trading and hedge fund account for...
's call for a "Chicago Tea Party" against President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's housing rescue plan. The Playboy blog making this allegation was removed without explanation within two days. An article on Talking Points Memo
Talking Points Memo
Talking Points Memo is a web-based political journalism organization created and run by Josh Marshall, journalist and historian covering issues from a "politically left perspective,". It debuted on November 12, 2000...
based on the Playboy allegations was similarly removed. Megan McArdle
Megan McArdle
Megan McArdle is a Washington, D.C.-based blogger and journalist. She writes mostly about economics, finance and government policy from a moderate libertarian or classical liberal perspective. She currently serves as the business and economics editor, as well as a blogger, for The Atlantic. She is...
, writing for The Atlantic, suggested that the items were removed because it had "absolutely no verification of a fact ... central to its core thesis."
The day after the Playboy piece was posted online, but before it was removed, Sam Adams Alliance posted a response on its website, "It would have been nice if we knew about it." On Monday, March 2, Rick Santelli
Rick Santelli
Rick Santelli is an American on-air editor for the CNBC Business News network. He joined CNBC as an on-air editor on June 14, 1999, reporting primarily from the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade. He was formerly the vice president for an institutional trading and hedge fund account for...
also posted a notice online asserting that he had never had any dealings with, and had no connections to, Sam Adams Alliance.
Policy positions
Sam Adams Alliance works on behalf of individuals and groups who support free market and free enterprise causes, and greater government accountability at all levels of government. The organization does not take overt policy positions, and evaluates the causes it supports on a case-by-case basis, judging them by the amount to which they advance individual freedoms and responsible government.Though the organization is often referred to as conservative or libertarian, it does not affiliate with any particular political ideology, and does not work with partisan political groups.
Funding
The Sam Adams Alliance is not endowed and does not accept government funding. The organization is funded by private donors.Personnel
Eric O'KeefeEric O'Keefe (political activist)
Eric O’Keefe is the chairman and CEO of the Sam Adams Alliance and co-founder and co-chairman of the Alliance for Self-Governance...
is the Chairman and CEO of the Sam Adams Alliance. O'Keefe also serves on the Board of Directors of the Institute for Humane Studies
Institute for Humane Studies
The Institute for Humane Studies is a classical liberal non-profit organization whose stated mission is “to support the achievement of a freer society by discovering and facilitating the development of talented students, scholars, and other intellectuals who share an interest in liberty and in...
, the Center for Competitive Politics
Center for Competitive Politics
The Center for Competitive Politics is a Section 501 non-profit organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. The CCP's mission statement is "through legal briefs, studies, historical and constitutional analyses, and media communication, to educate the public on the actual effects of money...
, the Citizens In Charge Foundation
Citizens In Charge Foundation
The Citizens in Charge Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization based in Virginia. The Foundation is the only national organization dedicated to promoting the initiative & referendum process....
, and the Club for Growth Wisconsin. Before working for the Alliance, O'Keefe was the President of Americans for Limited Terms from 1996 to 2000. In 2002, Americans for Limited Terms changed its name to Americans for Limited Government
Americans for Limited Government
Americans for Limited Government describes itself as a non-partisan, nationwide network committed to advancing free-market reforms, private property rights and core American liberties...
. O'Keefe served on its board until 2007.