Both here in America and worldwide, one of the biggest threats to freedom and democracy today is the resurgence of socialism.
In fact, poll after polls shows that more young people are openly embracing socialist policies than ever before. Not only that, socialist Bernie Sanders consistently ranks in the top three of Democrat presidential candidates, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the darling of the liberal news media.
The good news is that there is still hope. There are still young people who understand the importance of individual freedom, free-market economics, honorable leadership, and personal responsibility.
1982 TFAS alumnus John Carson was not only transformed by our programs but has gone on to pass the knowledge he gained here on to college students in his home state of Colorado.
Carson has played an active role in the political process since his days as an undergraduate at the CU-Boulder. During his TFAS summer, Carson interned for the Senate Steering Committee, where he learned “an awful lot about how the U.S. Senate operates.”
After he completed his studies, Carson returned to Capitol Hill to work for several members of Congress and senators including Sen. Wayne Allard of Colorado, Sen. Robert Kasten of Wisconsin and Rep. Joe Knollenberg of Michigan. Carson says his time as a TFAS student helped him realize his next steps for his future.
“[TFAS] got me pretty excited about things, and I went back to work on Capitol Hill partly because of the excitement I experienced that summer,” Carson said. “A lot of the seeds to that were planted through my participation in ICPES and TFAS.”
Carson’s outstanding political involvement doesn’t stop at his time working on the Hill. After working on the Hill for more than 11 years, Carson returned to Colorado to serve in the George W. Bush administration as the Rocky Mountain Regional Director of Housing and Urban Development in Denver. From 2009 to 2013, Carson also served as president of the Douglas County Board of Education and served on its board beginning with his election in 2005.
Carson led the Douglas County Board of Education in its education innovation programs focusing on parental choice, pay for performance, online learning and a rigorous 21st century curriculum. The Denver Post named him Top Education Thinker of 2012 for his work serving the state’s third-largest school district, with more than 65,000 students.
Then in the fall of 2014, Carson was elected by the people of Colorado to serve on the University of Colorado System’s Board of Regents. Said Carson:
“It’s always exciting to run for office,” Carson said. “You have to network with a lot of folks, convey your ideas and develop a campaign. A lot of the skills for that you can learn through the TFAS programs. I really enjoyed running for office, getting elected and serving, and this gives me a chance to stay active in politics.”
Defend your values today!
John Carson’s exciting path from student to teacher is proof that it’s not too late. We can still turn the tide against socialism by proactively reaching and teaching the next generation with the bedrock principles that have made America a beacon of freedom in the world.
But we can’t do it alone. The mission of The Fund for American Studies is only as successful as the willingness of men and women like you to partner with us financially.
We do not take any government money, so the only thing stopping us from doing more great work like this to defend American values for generations to come is the support we get from donors like you.
There are more young people just like John who need your help. Will you do your part to preserve American values with your gift of support today?
Your gift of any amount today will help us continue to transform the lives of students like John Carson and others who go on to transform the world with the message of individual liberty and economic freedom that they learn here.