American Principles Project
| Abbreviation | APP |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2009 |
| Founders | Francis P. Cannon, Jeff Bell, Robert P. George |
| Legal status | Tax-exempt organization |
| Headquarters | 2800 Shirlington Road, Arlington County, Virginia, 22206 |
| Coordinates | 38°50′33″N 77°05′05″W / 38.842541°N 77.084644°W |
Chairman of the Board | Sean Fieler |
Founding President | Francis P. Cannon |
President | Terry Schilling |
| Budget | 501(c)(4) Revenue: $5.12 million 501(c)(4) Expenses: $4.57 million (FYE December 2022) |
| Website | americanprinciplesproject |
The American Principles Project (APP) is a socially conservative 501(c)(4) political advocacy group founded in 2009 by Robert P. George, Jeff Bell, and Francis P. Cannon. It is chaired by Sean Fieler. It is led by Terry Schilling, the son of the late former U.S. Representative Bobby Schilling. The organization has an affiliated super PAC (political action committee), the American Principles Project PAC, which receives significant funding from Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein. It also has an affiliated 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank, the American Principles Project Foundation.
The American Principles Project focuses on using social issues, instead of economics, as a way to turn out voters for conservative candidates. APP advocates for parental rights and has criticized or opposed abortion rights, Common Core education standards, Federal Reserve System monetary policy, same-sex marriage, transgender rights, and voting rights legislation. In particular, after the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage in 2015, APP shifted to advocacy against affirmation of transgender identity in young people.
APP uses polls, focus groups, and other behavioral science methods to decide on messaging for political campaign advertising. The organization's headquarters is in Arlington County, Virginia.