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| Founded | 1981 (as Midwest Research, Chicago) 1987 (as PRA) |
|---|---|
| Founder | Jean V. Hardisty |
| Type | Tax exempt non-profit organization |
| Focus | Studying the U.S. political right |
| Location |
|
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Chip Berlet, Jean Hardisty Tarso Luís Ramos, Pam Chamberlain, Surina Khan |
Revenue | $700,000 |
| Website | www |
Political Research Associates (PRA), formerly Midwest Research, Chicago (1981–87) is a non-profit research group located in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Mission
PRA studies the U.S. political right wing, as well as white supremacists, and paramilitary organizations. It has a full-time staff of six. The Executive Director is Tarso Luis Ramos. Dr. Jean V. Hardisty was the founder and director from 1981 to 2004. Chip Berlet was the group's senior analyst from 1981–2011.
PRA publishes a journal, The Public Eye, quarterly, which reports on specific and current movements or trends within the U.S. political Right, and also produces special reports, past examples of which include "Calculated Compassion: How the Ex-Gay Movement Serves the Right's Attacks on Democracy,"[1] authored by former PRA research analyst, Surina Khan," which details attacks on gays and lesbians, and "Decades of Distortion," which alleged scapegoating of welfare recipients.[2]
The group provides public speakers, and has staff on hand to answer queries from journalists, researchers, and activists. Its annual funding of approximately $700,000 per year comes from foundation grants, individual contributions, and the sale of research materials. Expenditures are directed toward staffing, general & administrative expenses, programs and fundraising.[3] Among its major donors are the Public Welfare Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
PRA is supported by a number of progressive and liberal activists, including Anne Braden of the Southern Organizing Committee, and Suzanne Pharr of the Highlander Research Center. Pharr has written that PRA "sets the standard for researchers and political analysts of integrity," and describes the group's research as "thorough, thoughtful, carefully researched, and presented within a broad context of understanding of the complex relationships and activities of the Right." [2]
See also
- Clouds Blur the Rainbow: The Other Side of New Alliance Party, a 1987 report by Chip Berlet.
References
- ^ Khan, Surina. "Calculated Compassion". Political Research Associates. Retrieved 2011.
- ^ a b PRA: About Us
- ^ PRA Annual Report 2003-2004 See page 16
Further reading
- Mantilla, Karla. “Report says right wing is full of shit.” Off Our Backs, Vol. 28, No. 4, p. 3.
- Davis-Cohen, Simon. “Sheriffs Collude with Anti-Immigrant Group.” The Progressive, Vol. 83, No. 4, August 2019, pp. 23–24.
External links
- PoliticalResearch.org - The Website of Political Research Associates