About Us
we are dedicated to bringing government back to the people
We are a non-profit organization committed to the mission of recruiting, educating, training, equipping, and motivating a nationwide network of self-governing citizens. We desire to grow the love of the Founders and their guiding principles of self-governance in the hearts of current American citizens.
Meet the Servant Leaders Guiding Our Organization
Mark Meckler
President and Co-Founder
Mark is one of the nation’s most effective grassroots activists. After co-founding the Tea Party Patriots, he founded Citizens for Self-Governance in February 2012 in order to revolutionize American government and to expand the growing, bipartisan self-governance movement. Mark has appeared on several media outlets, including MSNBC, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, Bloomberg, Fox Business and the BBC, in addition to radio broadcasts and podcasts.
Mark is the co-author of Tea Party Patriots: The Second American Revolution, and has published with Breitbart, the American Spectator, and SelfGovern.com. He also is an attorney who specializes in internet privacy law.
A native of California, Mark and his wife live in Texas. They have two adult children and one grandchild.
Mark Meckler
President and Co-Founder
Mark is one of the nation’s most effective grassroots activists. After co-founding the Tea Party Patriots, he founded Citizens for Self-Governance in February 2012 in order to revolutionize American government and to expand the growing, bipartisan self-governance movement. Mark has appeared on several media outlets, including MSNBC, ABC, NBC, Fox News, CNN, Bloomberg, Fox Business and the BBC, in addition to radio broadcasts and podcasts.
Mark is the co-author of Tea Party Patriots: The Second American Revolution, and has published with Breitbart, the American Spectator, and SelfGovern.com. He also is an attorney who specializes in internet privacy law.
A native of California, Mark and his wife live in Texas. They have two adult children and one grandchild.
MICHAEL FARRIS
Senior Advisor and Co-Founder
Michael Farris is a Senior Advisor to Citizens for Self-Governance and co-founded the organization with Mark Meckler. He is largely known for his work in constitutional appellate litigation, religious freedom, and homeschool advocacy.
Mike has also served as the President, CEO and General Counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom, the world’s premiere defender of religious liberty, and was the founding President of both the Home School Legal Defense Association and Patrick Henry College. He has argued before the appellate courts of 13 states, eight federal circuit courts of appeals, and twice before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Mike and his wife have 10 children and many grandchildren.
MICHAEL FARRIS
Senior Advisor and Co-Founder
Michael Farris is a Senior Advisor to Citizens for Self-Governance and co-founded the organization with Mark Meckler. He is largely known for his work in constitutional appellate litigation, religious freedom, and homeschool advocacy.
Mike has also served as the President, CEO and General Counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom, the world’s premiere defender of religious liberty, and was the founding President of both the Home School Legal Defense Association and Patrick Henry College. He has argued before the appellate courts of 13 states, eight federal circuit courts of appeals, and twice before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Mike and his wife have 10 children and many grandchildren.
RITA PETERS
Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs
Rita Peters is the Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs for Citizens for Self-Governance. She has been with the movement since 2011. Rita is an attorney and a member of the bars of the state of Virginia and the United States Supreme Court, and is an affiliated attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, for whom she has written several friend-of-the-court briefs. Rita is the author of Restoring America’s Soul. Prior to joining COS, Rita worked for The Rutherford Institute, a non-profit civil liberties organization.
Rita lives with her husband and children in Virginia.
RITA PETERS
Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs
Rita Peters is the Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs for Citizens for Self-Governance. She has been with the movement since 2011. Rita is an attorney and a member of the bars of the state of Virginia and the United States Supreme Court, and is an affiliated attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, for whom she has written several friend-of-the-court briefs. Rita is the author of Restoring America’s Soul. Prior to joining COS, Rita worked for The Rutherford Institute, a non-profit civil liberties organization.
Rita lives with her husband and children in Virginia.
The Core Values That Define Our Mission
The United States of America was created of, by, and for people who were, in the words of the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, “free and who mean to remain so.” Our Founding Fathers risked everything to establish a society with a government designed to protect the natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and to use only the powers granted by ‘The People.’ Their example, and the values they lived by, guide our mission today.
The Core Values That Define Our Organization
The United States of America was created of, by, and for people who were, in the words of the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, “free and who mean to remain so.” Our Founding Fathers risked everything to establish a society with a government designed to protect the natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and to use only the powers granted by ‘The People.’ Their example, and the values they lived by, guide our mission today.
Convention of States Foundation
CSG is the parent organization of the Convention of States Foundation (COSF) and provides the resources and experience necessary to make it successful.
COSF currently has over 5 million supporters and gives nearly 10,000 trained specialized leaders and over 6,000 grassroots leaders across the country the necessary tools and skills to bring about true political and social change to the republic.