The Heritage Foundation was founded in 1973 with money provided by Joe Coors of the Coors Brewing Corporation. Joe wanted to create an outside operation to supply corporate-friendly “research” as well as testimony-ready experts for Republican politicians.

In 1975, ALEC was created to do the same on the state level by supplying model legislation written by corporate lobbyists, ready made for introduction. A few years later, in 1984, the Mackinac Center was founded by insurance companies to bring this corporate policy-making machinery to Michigan.

ALEC promises corporate funders that “winning the public policy debate will … have a tremendous effect on the bottom line of your company.”

Source: The Mackinac Center: National Leader in Plan to End Unions | MEAMatters