Student Scholarship

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

This paper provides an in-depth study of the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), serving as a primary case study for small, religious-based lobbies operating in Washington, D.C.. The research focuses specifically on the organization’s lobbying methods during its intensive campaign against peacetime military conscription between June 1947 and June 1948. 

The study contextualizes the FCNL within the broader history of lobbying as a tool for public opinion and the right to petition, tracing its evolution from industrialization to the expansion of federal power. Unlike large political lobbies representing business or labor, the FCNL is presented as an agency for moral principles and social welfare, acting as a representative body through which individual Quakers can express their legislative concerns. 

A central component of the paper is the analysis of the FCNL’s strategy during the anti-conscription fight. This includes its leadership in the Consultative Peace Council and its extensive cooperation with diverse church, labor, and educational groups to defeat Universal Military Training (UMT). The author details both indirect methods—such as field trips, "flash letters," and the distribution of the Washington Letter—and direct methods, including personal contacts with Congress and marshaling testimony for committee hearings. 

The paper concludes by evaluating the FCNL’s effectiveness, arguing that while immediate legislative victories vary, the committee's true value lies in its role as a formulator of public opinion. It serves as a vital democratic link, informing citizens and encouraging them to participate in the legislative process.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: The FCNL sought to counter the post-WWII drive for permanent military conscription and Universal Military Training (UMT) while advocating for a foreign policy centered on world disarmament and the United Nations rather than military force. 

  • The Method: The researcher utilized primary source files from the FCNL’s Washington office, interviews with staff members and congressmen, and research at the Legislative Reference Service of the Library of Congress to examine lobbying techniques from June 1947 to June 1948. 

  • Quantitative Finding: FCNL increased its 1948–1949 budget by 25%; the organization raised a special anti-conscription fund of $28,714.96 by April 22, 1948; total expenditures for the 1947–1948 period reached $56,689.19; the committee distributed 40,000 copies of voting records and sent "flash letters" to 100 organizations.

  • Qualitative Finding: FCNL employed "quiet influence" methods including personal persuasion, the distribution of monthly Washington Letters, field trips to nine Western states, and the organization of political action seminars for students and leaders. 

  • Finding: The FCNL's coordinated efforts with church, farm, labor, and school groups were credited with the defeat of UMT legislation and securing a broader recognition of the rights of conscience in the Selective Service Act of 1948.

Publication Date

1949

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