The Koch Brothers USA

In America, the wealthy have long used their influence to sway elections and policy. What’s more striking in the early 21st century, especially at the state level, is the rise of organized big donor groups. These collectives, made up of hundreds of billionaires and millionaires, pour resources into building organizations that reshape the playing field for US elections and government operations. By backing lasting organizations, political mega-donors can wield far more influence than through sporadic, one-off donations to individual politicians.

•   Interest Groups  Influencing Policy  Making 

• Are US Interest Groups good for democracy? 

The Koch brothers, primarily Charles and the late David Koch, were billionaire industrialists and major political influencers known for funding libertarian/conservative causes, opposing environmental regulations, and building a vast network of think tanks and advocacy groups like Americans for Prosperity (AFP) to promote limited government, lower taxes, and free-market principles, stemming from their ownership of the diversified Koch Industries, a massive private conglomerate. They used their immense wealth, inherited and grown from their father Fred C. Koch's energy business, to shape U.S. politics and public opinion for decades.The two brothers have vast resources to invest in politics, commanding over $50bn each from their ownership of Koch Industries. That company, which the brothers inherited from their father, has grown under their leadership to become one of the largest privately held conglomerates in the United States.

Although Charles and David have been committed libertarians for most of their lives, since the 1980s they have steadily ramped up their political involvement and by now have constructed a vast network of organizations that pool hundreds of millions of dollars from their own pockets and other wealthy donors each year in support of conservative idea generation, leadership training, election campaigning and policy advocacy. Yet for all the groups the Kochs have created and funded, there is just one group that sits at the center of their network: Americans for Prosperity. 

AFP focuses on both elections and policy battles at all levels of government, from city councils to Congress and the White House. Although its activities are mostly centrally directed from its headquarters in Virginia, AFP has active local, state and regional offices that reflect the federated nature of US politics. And even though grassroots participants do not have much say in the direction of the group, AFP has nearly 3 million citizen activists signed up to mobilize for candidates and policy causes. Activists participate in rallies or protests and contact elected officials at the direction of more than 500 paid staffers nationwide.

Taken together, AFP’s grassroots volunteers and staffing rival those of the Republican party itself. However, AFP is not a free-standing political party – but instead is an extra-party organization that parallels and leverages Republican candidates and office-holders. By providing resources to support GOP candidates and officials, and exerting leverage on them once elected, AFP has been able to pull the Republican party to the far right on economic, tax and regulatory issues.