Grassroots and political mobilisation: a comparative study of AIPAC and the Moral Majority

This study examines two distinct lobbying movements advocating for U.S.-Israel relations. The first and more established, AIPAC, founded by Isaiah Si Kenen in the 1950s, strategically used an inverted pyramid methodology, building a hierarchical framework for message dissemination that mobilized American citizens to engage with Congress and the White House. In contrast, Jerry Falwell’s expanding circles model, launched via Liberty University in the 1970s, trained church planters to act as missionary agents across the U.S. These planters created new communities that registered voters, influenced elections, and shaped U.S.-Israel policy. This approach was later reinforced by the Moral Majority movement in the 1980s. Within this context, the study contributes to broader discussions on how organizational structures serve both managerial and advocacy purposes, and act as key agents in shaping political orders, defining democratic participation boundaries, and driving large-scale political and social movements. It highlights the methodological differences between two organizational models—each led by a visionary figure. Despite their divergence, both converge within the broader framework of grassroots mobilisation, showing how bottom-up activism can influence political dynamics and U.S. foreign policy.