How to avoid becoming a Socialist: A guide to the Conservative and Libertarian groups on campus

Capitalism or Socialism concept. Street sign pointing to opposite direction. Choose between.

Capitalism or Socialism concept. Street sign pointing to opposite direction. Choose between.

Nathan Amundson

The University of Minnesota may be the 9th most liberal university in the United States, but that doesn’t mean every student is trapped on a one-way street to the Left. There are many active student groups that have beliefs that span the full political spectrum—even the right.

Young Americans for Liberty

Do you like being political but hate partisan politics? Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) is your hookup for campus activism based around issues rather than the low-quality candidates that recent elections have produced. Because YAL is non-partisan, the group supports a healthy diversity of political thought while supporting liberty principles.

If you care about ensuring that free speech and discourse is protected at the University of Minnesota, want to promote the legalization of drugs, or want to fight the bloat that’s jacking up your tuition dollars, YAL does it all. They’re friendly, I promise!

Collegians For A Constructive Tomorrow

Do you care about the environment and want to go out and do something about it? Collegians For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) takes a slightly different approach to environmentalism, focusing on conservation and action by individuals and markets to impact our environment rather than government intervention.

If you want to help clean the banks of the Mississippi River and learn about the political impacts on the world and environment around us, CFACT is a great group for you!

College Republicans

A branch of the College Republican National Committee, the College Republicans hold weekly meetings on a variety of topics important to conservatism, host speakers, and hold events on campus to promote the major ideologies within their party’s big tent, at the moment mainstream conservatism and populism made prominent by the election of President Donald Trump.

The College Republicans are involved in helping to elect members of their party, including city council candidates during this election season. They are also gearing up for the 2018 elections in the fall of next school year.

College Libertarians

America’s largest third party has an active presence on the University of Minnesota as well, standing in opposition to the hawkish and borrowing-heavy policies on display in the Republican Party as well as the fiscally irresponsible policies supported by the Democrats.

If you’re looking for a group fighting for their principles in the political arena, the Vice-President of the College Libertarians is running for mayor and the group is going to be highly involved in his campaign.

Turning Point USA

One of the largest right-of-center student groups in the country, Turning Point USA is a slightly more conservative counterpart to YAL. They hold many of the same beliefs, especially their strong support for free speech on college campuses. Although they are mainly event-based, their membership is large on campus and they are fairly active.

If you want a focus on actively opposing socialism while advocating for non-partisan conservative principles, Turning Point USA provides a solid environment for that brand of activism. If you are a believer in free markets and free people, Turning Point is a group you’d likely enjoy.

Students for a Conservative Voice (SCV)

The greatest right-of-center group on this campus (slightly biased review) and publishers of a biweekly newspaper, the Minnesota Republic you’re reading right now. We focus on covering news around campus and the Twin Cities while providing opinion pieces with a conservative or libertarian takes on the issues of the day.

We pride ourselves on being administrative watchdogs. Our content ranges from news and opinion to satire with “Real Fake News”.