National Review founded
The publication became a durable postwar conservative media institution.
Source-linked chronology
Historical Timeline
The institutions did not appear overnight. Follow selected milestones across decades, then open the source or related Encyclopedia entry.
Goldwater presidential campaign
The 1964 Goldwater campaign provides an early milestone in the movement's later organization-building history.
Heritage Foundation established
A new conservative think tank pursued policy research and influence on national politics.
Heritage Resource Bank developed
Edwin Feulner's leadership included creation of an expert and organizations network.
Mandate for Leadership emerges
Heritage’s early policy manual was prepared for the Reagan transition.
Jim DeMint enters U.S. House
DeMint begins congressional service representing South Carolina.
Jim DeMint leads Heritage
The former senator becomes president of the Heritage Foundation.
CPI founded
The Conservative Partnership Institute enters the nonprofit landscape focused on training and coalition work.
Meadows becomes chief of staff
Mark Meadows resigns from Congress and serves in the first Trump White House.
Georgia election call
Trump, Meadows, Cleta Mitchell and Georgia officials participate in the January 2 call.
Meadows joins CPI
CPI announces appointment of Meadows as a senior partner.
Election Integrity Network formed
EIN identifies Mitchell as founder and CPI as its incubator.
America First Legal established
Stephen Miller and Gene Hamilton are identified as organization co-founders.
Center for Renewing America established
Russ Vought launches a policy institution after his first OMB service.
New Mandate volume published
Heritage publishes policy work connected to Project 2025.
CPI FY2024 Form 990
CPI reports $34.49 million of revenue for the year; its return is subsequently publicly filed.
Vought returns to OMB
The White House lists Russ Vought as OMB director in the second Trump administration.
Mitchell network examined in reporting
ProPublica publishes an investigation into the scope of Mitchell’s election organizing.
These selected milestones are evidence-based pointers, not a claim that every later event was caused by an earlier one. A chronological sequence alone does not prove coordination.