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John Birch Society

John Birch Society
AbbreviationJBS
Named afterJohn Birch
FormationDecember 9, 1958 (1958-12-09)
FounderRobert W. Welch Jr.
Founded atIndianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
TypeNot-for-profit
Legal status501(c)
PurposePolitical advocacy group
HeadquartersGrand Chute, Wisconsin, U.S.
Chief executive officer
Bill Hahn
President
Martin Ohlson
SubsidiariesThe New American
AffiliationsAmerican Opinion Foundation
FreedomProject Academy
Websitejbs.org Edit this at Wikidata

The John Birch Society (JBS) is an American right-wing political advocacy group.[1] Founded in 1958, it is anti-communist,[2][3] supports social conservatism,[2][3] and is associated with ultraconservative, radical right, far-right, right-wing populist, and right-wing libertarian ideas.[12] Originally based in Belmont, Massachusetts, the JBS is now headquartered in Grand Chute, Wisconsin,[13] with local chapters throughout the United States. It owns American Opinion Publishing, Inc., which publishes the magazine The New American,[7] and it is affiliated with an online school called FreedomProject Academy.[14]

The society's founder, businessman Robert W. Welch Jr. (1899–1985), developed an organizational infrastructure of nationwide chapters in December 1958. The society rose quickly in membership and influence, and also became known for Welch's conspiracy theories.[15][16] His allegation that Dwight D. Eisenhower was a communist agent was especially controversial.[17][18] In the 1960s, the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. and National Review attempted to shun the JBS to the fringes of the American right.[19][16] JBS membership is kept private but is said to have neared 100,000 in the 1960s and 1970s, declining afterward.[3][20][21]

In the 2010s and 2020s, several observers and commentators argued that, while the organization's influence peaked in the 1970s, Bircherism and its legacy of conspiracy theories began making a resurgence in the mid-2010s,[21] and had become the dominant strain in the conservative movement.[22] In particular, they argued that the JBS and its beliefs shaped the Republican Party,[23][24] the Trump administration, and the broader conservative movement.[25][26][27]

  1. ^ Webster's guide to American history: a chronological, geographical, and biographical survey and compendium. Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam Co. 1971. p. 576. ISBN 978-0877790815.
  2. ^ a b Stewart 2002, pp. 423–447.
  3. ^ a b c Mulloy 2014, p. [page needed].
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference UltraConservative was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Blumenthal, Max (2010). Republican Gomorrah: inside the movement that shattered the party. New York: Nation Books. p. 332. ISBN 978-1568584171. Skousen's vocal support for the Far-right John Birch Society's claim that Communists controlled President Dwight Eisenhower cost him the support of the corporate backers who had paid for his Red-bashing lecture tours.
  6. ^ Eatwell, Roger (2004), "Introduction: The new extreme right challenge", Western Democracies and The New Extreme Right challenge, Routledge, p. 7, ISBN 978-1134201570
    Potok, Mark (2004), "The American radical right: The 1990s and beyond", Western Democracies and The New Extreme Right challenge, Routledge, p. 43, ISBN 978-1134201570
  7. ^ a b Levine, Deborah; Brenman, Marc (November 15, 2019). "The Local–Global Context". When Hate Groups March Down Main Street: Engaging a Community Response. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-5381-3266-1 – via Google Books. ...there are fierce objections on the extreme right to initiatives related to international collaboration. This attitude is typified by The New American (TNA), a print magazine published by American Opinion Publishing, Inc., a subsidiary of the John Birch Society (JBS), a far-right organization.
  8. ^ Bernstein, Richard (May 21, 2007). "The JFK assassination and a '60s leftist prism Letter from America". International Herald Tribune. Paris. p. 2.
    Jordan, Ida Kay (August 26, 2001). "Voters Admired N.C. Senator's Independent Streak, Southern Charm". The Virginian-Pilot. Norfolk, Va. p. J.1.
    Brinkley, Douglas (February 10, 1997). "The Right Choice for the C.I.A.". The New York Times. p. A.15.
  9. ^ Webb, Clive. Rabble rousers: the American far right in the civil rights era. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 2010 ISBN 0820327646 p. 10
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Inheritance2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference WillTheRight2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]
  13. ^ Dan Barry (June 25, 2009). "Holding Firm Against Plots by Evildoers". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Leonard 2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Mulloy 2014a, p. 15.
  16. ^ a b Chapman, Roger (2010). Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices. M.E. Sharpe. pp. 58, 91, 148. ISBN 978-0765617613.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference :7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Stewart 2002, p. 425.
  19. ^ Regnery, Alfred S. (2008). Upstream: The Ascendance of American Conservatism. Simon and Schuster. p. 79. ISBN 978-1416522881.
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ a b Savage, John (July 16, 2017). "The John Birch Society Is Back". Politico. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  22. ^ Heer, Jeet (June 14, 2016). "Donald Trump's United States of Conspiracy". The New Republic. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ward 2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ Dallek, Matthew (October 20, 2023). "The History That Makes It So Difficult for Republicans to Pick a Speaker of the House". Time. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  25. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lehmann2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  26. ^ Cite error: The named reference TracedBack2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  27. ^ Cite error: The named reference Robinson2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).