Initial members of the board of directors included the first president of the organization, R. Jack Hawke; businessman Robert Luddy; and Art Pope, a businessman, political figure and philanthropist.[6] Pope resigned from the Civitas board in December 2012 to serve as Deputy Budget Director in the administration of Governor Pat McCrory.[7]
The organization's name honors Art Pope's father, John William Pope, also a businessman and conservative philanthropist.[8]
Activities and advocacy
In late 2012, Civitas commissioned a study on the effects of lowering or eliminating state income taxes.[9] In July 2013, the legislature passed and the governor signed into law lower corporate and personal income tax rates.[10][11] The organization has also called for elimination of North Carolina's state corporate income tax.[12]
A Civitas study of the State Board of Elections led Civitas to call on top state officials for an investigation of the board and its ties to a lobbyist.[13]
In 2013, Civitas launched a website to attack the Affordable Care Act, portraying the health care reform legislation as an assault by elites against middle-class North Carolinians.[14]
Civitas has repeatedly sued the State of North Carolina over the same-day voter registration process, which Civitas opposes.[15][16] A suit filed by Civitas seeking to halt the final count of votes in the 2016 North Carolina gubernatorial election[16] was dismissed in December 2016, but the organization subsequently renewed its litigation.[15]
Civitas commissions live-caller opinion polling of North Carolina voters.[17]
Civitas also advocates for increased school choice for students in North Carolina.[18][19]
Civitas hosts a monthly lunch series to announce poll findings and offer commentary on issues.[24]
Publications
The Civitas Institute publishes a monthly newspaper, the Civitas Capitol Connection, an internet magazine, the Civitas Review and the Civitas Blog.[25][26]
The Civitas Institute has published a number of pieces online critical of the Moral Mondays protests.[27] In one article, William Barber Rakes in Taxpayer Dollars Leads Moral (no it is) Money Mondays! the Civitas Institute criticized Rev. William Barber, head of the state's NAACP, because a non-profit overseen by Barber's church received federal support. Barber responded, stating "People know I'm a volunteer, even with the NAACP. Other work I do, I volunteer. I am a pastor."[28]
The Civitas Institute also released a web page which compiles data on protestors arrested in the course of the civil disobedience actions, which includes demographic information and comments on their voter registration status.[29]
