When Barack Obama was elected to office by a landslide last November and the Democrats picked up multiple seats in former Republican strongholds, many saw this as a mandate of the people’s will — and a sign that the Conservative movement was on its way out.

Today, with the economy in rapid decline and Barack Obama’s presidency taking center stage, the Republican Party may have lost its former level of influence. Despite this, campus activism is still in full swing, and officers of conservative student groups Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) and the College Republicans (CRs) are aggressively planning recruiting efforts and spring quarter events.

YAL is a new student organization; the UW chapter was founded last October by sophomore Steve Heidenreich. It is part of a larger national organization that was founded as a continuation of Students for Ron Paul and has a libertarian — socially liberal and fiscally conservative — focus.

“Basically, we’re all about the Constitution,” Heidenreich said. “We believe in freedom: free markets, small government and freedom of choice in personal, lifestyle decisions.”

Since the group is still in its infancy, Heidenreich said he hopes to recruit heavily during spring quarter, especially calling on students who are on the fence, or those who voted for Barack Obama because they disagreed with John McCain and the mainstream Republican party.

“The libertarian movement is getting so much bigger,” Heidenreich said. “In the past, many people wrote them off as crazy, but things are changing with the downfall of the mainstream Republican Party. A lot of people are giving them [the Libertarian movement] a second thought, especially younger people like students.”

Students, Heidenreich said, may be fiscally conservative but are socially liberal, so they feel alienated by people like Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter. Those are exactly the kind of students he wants to join YAL.

The essence of YAL’s beliefs is that the Republican Party needs to go back to its roots, to the Constitution and the principle of limited government.

“We shouldn’t be funding wars, we shouldn’t be funding anything that isn’t absolutely essential,” Heidenreich said. “Tax dollars are tax dollars. The big thing is that we are not the Republicans who elected George W. Bush — we’re pro-civil rights, anti-war, pro-legalization, anti-tax and pro-business. We appeal to people on both sides of the aisle, and in order to be successful, the Republican Party needs to go back to that.”

Heidenreich said that YAL has a full agenda for spring quarter, including attending a taxation protest “tea party” in Seattle on April 15 and a bake sale on April 20. YAL is also planning regular tabling efforts to establish a campus presence and call attention to the group and their activities.

Despite the UW’s largely liberal student body, Heidenreich said he feels confident that YAL will be successful both in the short and the long-term.

“I think we’ll be appealing to a large base of people here,” Heidenreich said. “I mean, who doesn’t love freedom? ... That’s what we’re all about. Yes, we’re in economic recession, but going down the path of socialism has never helped this country economically, and I think people ultimately will realize that.”

College Republicans President Auggie Eck, a senior, echoed this opinion, and said that the CRs hope to educate the student body about the undesirable effects of Obama’s actions.

“I think a lot of students who voted for Obama did so because John McCain wasn’t as charismatic or charming and because [Obama] was such a dynamic guy,” Eck said. “The media is in love with the president — he’s sort of their idol — but really, all we need to do is bring the numbers to people, to have them realize how irresponsible his big-government policy is: the massive spending, bailouts of irresponsible industries and muddy foreign policy.”

Like Heidenreich and YAL, Eck said he’s planning on ramping up campus activism during spring quarter, as well as recruiting underclassmen who will be able to play a leadership role next year.

On the horizon is the statewide College Republicans convention next week, as well as a tongue-in-cheek social activity — the annual “animal rights” barbeque. Ecks has also started to plan an on-campus activity protesting President Obama’s economic policy.

“Obviously we’re not huge fans of the bailouts and reckless spending that have gone on since Obama took office,” Eck said. “Yes, people are scared right now, and justifiably so, but socialism is never the answer, and that’s what we’re hoping to educate people about.”

Eck said he realizes that the Republican Party needs to re-brand itself and alter its approach in order to be successful on the local and national levels in future elections.

“We need to go back to our roots and focus on the fact that we are the fiscally responsible party,” he said. “We’ve gotten a bad rap from certain members of the party who haven’t been fiscally responsible, and in the future, we need to take those guys to task for it. We also need to become more competent when it comes to using the Internet as a means of outreach, especially to younger people. If we don’t, we’ll consistently be behind.”

Ultimately, he said he is confident in the Republican Party’s prospects, both in terms of the CRs’ presence on campus and in future elections.

“People will eventually realize the fallacy of Obama’s policy and will start to demand fiscal responsibility,” Eck said. “I have complete confidence that as long as we get our act together, offering real solutions, we have every chance of picking up seats in 2010 and will have a fair shot at the presidency in 2012. I’m feeling optimistic about it all.”

Reach reporter Katie Paff at features@dailyuw.com.