Christian Coalition of America is a conservative political organization in the United States devoted to preserving what it considers traditional values in American life. It seeks to reach its goals by helping elect public officials who agree with its philosophy.
Most members of the Christian Coalition are Protestants, but the organization is open to all faiths. In politics, the coalition promotes conservative candidates, usually Republicans. Partly due to the Christian Coalition’s help in the 1994 national elections, Republicans won control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years.
In 1995, the Christian Coalition issued a social program called the Contract with the American Family and urged its adoption by Congress. The program’s goals included laws to restrict abortion and pornography, and to allow voluntary prayer at such public places as courthouse lawns and public high school graduation ceremonies. The program also called for the use of government funds to help parents who choose to send their children to parochial or other private schools. It favored an end to the government’s financial aid to the arts and public broadcasting.
The Christian Coalition was founded in 1989 by Pat Robertson, an evangelical Protestant religious broadcaster. Later that year, Robertson named Ralph Reed to head the organization as executive director. Reed did much to build up the organization. He resigned in 1997. Robertson headed the organization again from 1999 to 2001.
