Americans for Democratic Action

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications.
Primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of the article are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please include more appropriate citations from reliable sources, or discuss the issue on the talk page. (September 2008)

This article or section has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality.
Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (June 2008)

Americans for Democratic Action
Formation	1947
Headquarters	Washington D.C.
Membership	65,000 members
President	Richard Parker
Website	http://www.adaction.org/

Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) is an American political organization advocating liberal policies. ADA works for social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research and supporting progressive candidates.

1 History
2 Voting Records
3 Working Families Win
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

The group was established by prominent Democratic Party leaders in 1947 in order to combat what those leaders perceived to be an acceptance of, or even an alliance with, American communists. ADA's leaders considered communism (especially as practiced in the Soviet Union) to be both morally wrong and a threat to the United States.

Founding members included:

Over its 60-year history, ADA has played a significant role in many major national movements - civil rights, women's rights, opposition to Vietnam and Iraq wars - while supporting landmark legislation that resulted from these movements.

[edit] Voting Records

Gun interest groups in the U.S.
Pro-gun rights
Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Gun Owners of America JPFO Law Enforcement Alliance of America Liberty Belles National Rifle Association Pink Pistols Second Amendment Foundation Second Amendment Sisters Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
Pro-gun control
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence American Hunters and Shooters Association Americans for Democratic Action Americans for Gun Safety Foundation Coalition to Stop Gun Violence League of Women Voters Violence Policy Center

ADA is well-known for its rankings of legislators. ADA members identify key policy issues, and ADA tracks how members of Congress vote on these issues. The annual ADA Voting Record gives each member a rating from 0, meaning complete disagreement with ADA policies, to 100, meaning complete agreement with ADA policies. A score of 0 is considered conservative and a score 100 is considered liberal.

[edit] Working Families Win

As part of its efforts to promote economic policies that benefit working Americans, ADA created the Working Families Win project in 2004 to organize voters in small towns across the country for fair trade, workers' rights, and universal healthcare. For the 2008 elections, Working Families Win hired 60 organizers in 20 states to build relationships with community leaders and educate voters about how policies in Washington affect their daily lives.