The Council for National Policy is a leading networking exchange for the United States' most prominent conservatives. It is a section 503(c)(3) tax-exempt educational organization. Fundamentalist Baptist pastor Tim Lahaye founded the group in 1981 during first year of Ronald Reagan's Presidency. Other early participants included Cleon Skousen (best-selling author of The Naked Communist and father of popular conservative libertarian survivalist author Joel Skousen), a prominent Mormon theologian and founder of the Freemen Institute; Paul Weyrich; Phyllis Schlafly; Robert Grant; Howard Phillips, a former Republican affiliated with the Constitution Party; Richard Viguerie, the direct-mail specialist; and Morton Blackwell, a Louisiana and Virginia Republican activist.[1][2][3]
The council has a staff of eight people. Its first executive director was Woody Jenkins. Steve Baldwin is the current executive director.