Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Donate
Non-profit

Alliance for Market Solutions

Website:

amsresearch.org/
Location:

WASHINGTON, DC
Tax ID:

47-5567372
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2020):

Revenue: $853,895
Expenses: $2,524,188
Assets: $2,422,944

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The Alliance for Market Solutions (AMS) is a notionally right-of-center organization that advocates in favor of implementing a carbon tax to address concerns about climate change. 1

AMS works to influence conservative policymakers to support this particular policy by producing research that they believe would demonstrate the economic benefits of such a revenue neutral carbon tax. AMS considers reducing carbon dioxide emissions to be among “America’s most pressing challenges.” 2

Background

The Alliance for Market Solutions (AMS) was founded in May 2017 as “an alliance of conservative Republican leaders” who want to encourage more conservatives to engage in conversations concerning the advancement of clean energy and the reduction of carbon emissions. 3

Leadership

Alliance for Market Solutions’ executive director is Alex Flint, who had previously worked as Republican staff director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and as senior vice president for governmental affairs at the Nuclear Energy Institute, a trade association for nuclear energy producers. 4

The chairman AMS is Jeffrey Williams, an investment banker for over three decades who now owns his own financial firm, Jeffrey Williams & Co. 5

Research

Upon launching, AMS released its first initial publication titled Carbon Tax Policy: A Conservative Dialogue on Pro Growth Opportunities in which a series of policy experts argue in favor of implementing the carbon tax. 6 The report sets forth the organization’s foundational argument and cites various opinions and data asserting that a tax would be preferable to rules and regulation for controlling carbon emissions. 7

Former U.S. Senator and AMS board member Mel Martinez (R-FL) echoed the purpose of the organization by saying that in the context of the climate change debate, Americans are “expecting leaders to take meaningful action.” 8

Activism

AMS executive director Alex Flint and Alex Brill, a fellow at the center-right American Enterprise Institute, authored a March 2019 article titled in which they openly say that: “it is encouraging to see more and more fellow Republicans shed the reflexive skepticism about climate change that has characterized the GOP for years. Now, Republicans need to offer solutions.” 9

AMS proposes that Republicans enact the carbon tax, maintaining that this tax policy does not contradict the conservative agenda since it would prevent future regulations. 10

Controversies

According to E&E News political reporter Mathew K. Mathews, AMS executive director Alex Flint sent out a mass email to subscribers in April 2019, in which he declared that “climate denial was not conservatism and that continued ignorance of global warming was a betrayal of conservative values.” 11 Allegedly the email was headlined with the statement: “Real conservatives are not deniers” and goes on to boldly assert that “anyone who denies the risk of climate change is irresponsible.” 12

The email was sent out in response to the publication of a National Journal article: “Conservatives Shoot Down GOP Climate Alternatives.” 13 In response, the letter in the email states that conservatives are “incompatible” with so-called “climate deniers” and that Flint was “tired of climate deniers hiding among conservatives.” 14

Flint’s position was criticized by right-of-center figures, among them Marlo Lewis, Jr. of the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute15  and by Benjamin Zycher of AEI. 16

References

  1. “About AMS.” Alliance for Market Solutions – Who We Are. Accessed July 29, 2019. https://amsresearch.org/about/
  2. “About AMS.” Alliance for Market Solutions – Who We Are. Accessed July 29, 2019. https://amsresearch.org/about/
  3. Alliance for Market Solutions. “Alliance for Market Solutions Launches Initiative to Build the Conservative Case for a Clean-Energy Future.” News Release, May 31, 2017. Accessed July 29, 2019. https://amsresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/AMS_Press-Release_21.pdf
  4. Alliance for Market Solutions. “Alliance for Market Solutions Launches Initiative to Build the Conservative Case for a Clean-Energy Future.” News Release, May 31, 2017. Accessed July 29, 2019. https://amsresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/AMS_Press-Release_21.pdf
  5. “About AMS.” Alliance for Market Solutions – Who We Are. Accessed July 29, 2019. https://amsresearch.org/about/
  6. Brill, Alex. “Carbon Tax Policy: A Conservative Dialogue on Pro-Growth Opportunities.” June 1, 2017. Accessed July 29, 2019. http://www.aei.org/publication/carbon-tax-policy-a-conservative-dialogue-on-pro-growth-opportunities/
  7. Brill, Alex. “Carbon Tax Policy: A Conservative Dialogue on Pro-Growth Opportunities.” June 1, 2017. Accessed July 29, 2019. http://www.aei.org/publication/carbon-tax-policy-a-conservative-dialogue-on-pro-growth-opportunities/
  8. Alliance for Market Solutions. “Alliance for Market Solutions Launches Initiative to Build the Conservative Case for a Clean-Energy Future.” News Release, May 31, 2017. Accessed July 29, 2019. https://amsresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/AMS_Press-Release_21.pdf
  9. Brill, Alex, and Flint, Alex. “Carbon Tax Most Efficient in Tacking Climate Change.” March 1, 2019. Accessed July 29, 2019. http://www.aei.org/publication/comment-carbon-tax-most-efficient-in-tackling-climate-change/
  10. Brill, Alex, and Flint, Alex. “Carbon Tax Most Efficient in Tacking Climate Change.” March 1, 2019. Accessed July 29, 2019. http://www.aei.org/publication/comment-carbon-tax-most-efficient-in-tackling-climate-change/
  11. Matthews, Mark K. “Inside Conservatives’ Disarray on Climate.” Accessed July 29, 2019. E&E News, April 15, 2019. Accessed July 29, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060162805
  12. Matthews, Mark K. “Inside Conservatives’ Disarray on Climate.” Accessed July 29, 2019. E&E News, April 15, 2019. Accessed July 29, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060162805
  13. Matthews, Mark K. “Inside Conservatives’ Disarray on Climate.” Accessed July 29, 2019. E&E News, April 15, 2019. Accessed July 29, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060162805
  14. Matthews, Mark K. “Inside Conservatives’ Disarray on Climate.” E&E News, April 15, 2019. Accessed July 29, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060162805
  15. Lewis, Marlo. “Carbon Tax Not a Conservative Policy.” Competitive Enterprise Institute. April 16, 2019. Accessed July 29, 2019. https://cei.org/blog/carbon-tax-not-conservative-policy
  16. Zycher, Benjamin. “Observations on the Alliance for Market Solutions’ ‘Conservative’ Case for a Carbon Tax.” May 28, 2019. Accessed July 29, 2019.  http://www.aei.org/publication/observations-on-the-alliance-for-market-solutions-conservative-case-for-a-carbon-tax/

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. William Strong
    Officer/Board Member
  2. William Kunkler
    Officer/Board Member
  3. Jeffrey Williams
    Officer/Board Member
  See an error? Let us know!

Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: April 1, 2016

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Dec Form 990 $853,895 $2,524,188 $2,422,944 $128,312 N $853,895 $0 $0 $742,982
    2019 Dec Form 990 $4,034,772 $3,037,335 $6,541,435 $121,517 N $4,034,772 $0 $0 $784,509
    2018 Dec Form 990 $190,052 $3,103,783 $5,663,660 $241,179 Y $160,003 $0 $0 $419,659 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $10,885,728 $2,580,760 $8,515,982 $179,770 N $10,885,728 $0 $0 $286,170 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $1,054,188 $1,023,044 $166,244 $135,000 N $1,054,188 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Alliance for Market Solutions

    325 7TH STREET NW NO 820
    WASHINGTON, DC 20004-2818