The review about this product
Amy Binder and Kate Wood capture many truths about how and why young Americans become conservative, but this book has a number of factual errors and misses too much to be a principal source for understanding conservative groups. I will focus just on its mistakes relating to Young America's Foundation, the largest young conservative organization. On p. 81, the authors assert that a 501 c 3, like Young America's Foundation, is "officially prohibited from lobbying for legislation." Such entities have caps on how much they may spend, but if they opt in to lobbying permission under IRS regulations, as YAFoundation has, it is not prohibited. A few paragraphs later I learn we (yes, we!) are supported by David and Charles Koch, the Olin Foundation, and others. That would surprise the Kochs and the former Olin Foundation! Where did the authors get such a notion? From a report going back to 1985 by Media Matters. Young America's Foundation would love to be supported by the Olin Foundation and the Kochs, but it is just not the case. The authors suggest Young America's Foundation professors, like Robert George and Harvey Mansfield, are outliers to our programs. In fact, Robbie George is a frequent lecturer. "Outliers" could accurately be said of guest lectures by Nobel Laureates Lech Walesa, James Buchanan, and Vernon Smith, but regular lectures include Professors Walter Williams, Burt Folsom, Larry Schweikart, and others. These type of errors riddle the book and here is why: the authors rely on too many secondary sources, and in the YAF case on one former staffer, when they could have and should have interviewed the organizational leaders. At least they should have run some of their assumptions by its principals before publishing. They conclude YAF attracts "Joe Average" college student, using a stray and inaccurate comment of the former YAF conference director. In fact, a student who absorbs his or her normal academic load, but then attends special conferences, seminars, and lectures, are far from an average college "Joe" and the authors must know that! Finally, like other books by Leftists, the authors can't abide calling the groups what they identify as, except in the subtitle; we are "conservatives" not self-identified "Rightists!"
