From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Public Citizen is a non-partisan, politically
left-of-center, non-profit public interest advocacy organization based in Washington,
D.C., with a branch in Austin, Texas. Public Citizen was founded
by Ralph Nader in
1971,[1]
but in the aftermath of the 2000 presidential
election[2] it
sought to publicly dissociate itself from Mr. Nader.
Lobbying
Efforts
Public Citizen advocates for the public interest before all
three branches of the United
States federal government. Its six divisions include: Auto
Safety; Congress
Watch; Energy; Global Trade Watch; the Health
Research Group; and Public Citizen Litigation
Group, a nationally prominent public interest law firm founded
by Alan Morrison and known for its Supreme Court and appellate
practice.[3]
Broadly speaking, Public Citizen favors robust corporate
accountability and strong government regulation, particularly in the areas
of transport,[4] healthcare,[5] and nuclear power,[6]. The
organizations priorities range from campaign finance reform to drug
and auto safety and financial reform. The unifying theme is an
effort to curb the impact of corporate power on American
democracy.
Public Citizen's pro-regulatory stance has been criticized by business groups such as the
U.S. Chamber
of Commerce.[7], as
well as by free-market non-profit institutes such as
the Cato
Institute, among others.
Funding
Public Citizen is funded by dues and contributions from its
members and supporters, foundation grants, and publication
sales;[8] it does
not accept government or corporate funds.[9]
See also
References
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