Public Citizen

Founded	1971 by Ralph Nader in the US
Type	Think tank
Focus	Consumer advocacy
Location	Washington D.C.
Area served	Nationwide (US)
Method	Research, lobbying, litigation and appeals, media attention, direct-appeal campaigns
Key people	Robert Weissman, President Robert C. Fellmeth, (Foundation Chair) Jason Adkins, Inc. Chair Joan Claybrook, emeritus President
Revenue	$15.468 million (2014) ^[1]
Website	http://www.citizen.org

Public Citizen is a non-profit, consumer rights advocacy group and think tank based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a branch in Austin, Texas.

Lobbying efforts

Public Citizen advocates before all three branches of the United States federal government.^[2] Its five divisions include: 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, healthcare, and nuclear power. The organization's 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.^[2]

Public Citizen's pro-regulatory stance has been criticized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.^[4]

Organization and history

Public Citizen's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Founded by Ralph Nader in 1971,^[5] Public Citizen is funded by dues and contributions from its members and supporters, foundation grants, and publication sales and does not accept government or corporate funds.^[6]

Public Citizen's slogan is “Corporations have their lobbyists in Washington, D.C. The People need advocates too.” As explained on its website, its overarching goal is “to ensure that all citizens are represented in the halls of power.” It is a nonprofit organization unaffiliated with any partisan political activity, and it does not endorse anybody running for public office. It survives on donations from its 80,000 supporters and on other income, and it does not accept donations from governments or corporations.

Disassociation from Ralph Nader

In the aftermath of Ralph Nader's role in the 2000 presidential election, Public Citizen disassociated itself from its founder. Wrote Mother Jones, "For evidence of how rank-and-file liberals have turned against Nader, one need look no further than the empire he created. Public Citizen, the organization (Nader) founded in 1971, has a new fundraising problem–its founder. After the election, contributions dropped... When people inquire about Nader's relationship to the organization, Public Citizen sends out a letter that begins with a startling new disclaimer: 'Although Ralph Nader was our founder, he has not held an official position in the organization since 1980 and does not serve on the board. Public Citizen–and the other groups that Mr. Nader founded–act independently.'"^[7]

People associated with Public Citizen

Ralph Nader, founder
Joan Claybrook, first Executive Director
Representative Donna Edwards
Robert Weissman, Executive Director
Mark J. Green
Lori Wallach, Director, Global Trade Watch
Sidney M. Wolfe, Director, Health Research Group
Phil Radford, Former Organizer, Global Trade Watch; currently democracy, clean energy and environmental leader
Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director, Food and Water Watch
Lisa Gilbert, Congress Watch Director

References

↑ "Public Citizen Annual Report" (PDF). Public Citizen. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
1 2 About Public Citizen
↑ Courting Change: The Story of the Public Citizen Litigation Group
↑ Kendall, Brent (2009-04-29). "US Consumer Groups: Public Opposes Forced Arbitration By Cos". Dow Jones Newswires. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
↑ Staff report (June 2, 1971). Nader Forums Unite To Seek Donations.New York Times
↑ "Public Citizen's Annual Report and 990s". Retrieved 2009-06-01.
↑ Margolis, John (July/August 2001) Nader Unrepentant. Mother Jones.

External links

Public Citizen Website

Public Citizen

People	Phil Radford Ralph Nader Gene Karpinski Joan Claybrook Alan Morrison (lawyer) Mark J. Green David Vladeck Lori Wallach Todd Tucker

Related organizations	Public Citizen Litigation Group Public Citizen Texas Global Trade Watch Food & Water Watch

Anti-nuclear movement in the United States

General	Anti-nuclear groups in the US California movement Great Peace March Nuclear history of the United States Nuclear power in the US Canceled nuclear plants in the US Nuclear weapons and the US Protests in the US Anti-nuclear advocates in the US

Organizations and groups	Abalone Alliance Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility Clamshell Alliance Committee for Nuclear Responsibility Corporate Accountability International Critical Mass Energy Project Friends of the Earth Greenpeace USA Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Mothers for Peace Musicians United for Safe Energy Nevada Desert Experience Nuclear Control Institute Nuclear Information and Resource Service Physicians for Social Responsibility Plowshares Movement Public Citizen Shad Alliance Sierra Club Three Mile Island Alert Women Strike for Peace

People	Daniel Berrigan Larry Bogart Pierce Brosnan Helen Caldicott Barry Commoner Frances Crowe Carrie Barefoot Dickerson Paul M. Doty Jane Fonda Randall Forsberg John Gofman Paul Gunter John Hall Jackie Hudson Sam Lovejoy Amory Lovins Gregory Minor Hermann Joseph Muller Ralph Nader Linus Pauling Eugene Rabinowitch Phil Radford Bonnie Raitt Martin Sheen Karen Silkwood Thomas Louie Vitale Harvey Wasserman Victor Weisskopf

Main protest sites	Black Fox Bodega Bay Diablo Canyon Indian Point Lawrence Livermore Montague Naval Base Kitsap Nevada Test Site Rancho Seco Rocky Flats San Onofre Seabrook Shoreham Three Mile Island Trojan Vermont Yankee White House Peace Vigil Y-12 Weapons Plant Yankee Rowe

Books	Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free Conservation Fallout: Nuclear Protest at Diablo Canyon Contesting the Future of Nuclear Power Critical Masses: Opposition to Nuclear Power in California, 1958-1978 The Cult of the Atom The Doomsday Machine (book) Fallout: An American Nuclear Tragedy Killing Our Own Licensed to Kill? The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Shoreham Power Plant Making a Real Killing: Rocky Flats and the Nuclear West Nuclear Implosions: The Rise and Fall of the Washington Public Power Supply System Nuclear Politics in America We Almost Lost Detroit

Films	Atomic Ed and the Black Hole The China Syndrome Countdown to Zero Dark Circle Nuclear Tipping Point Silkwood

Ralph Nader

Family	Rose Nader Claire Nader Laura Nader Shafeek Nader

Books authored	Unsafe at Any Speed Action for a Change Crashing the Party Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us! Unstoppable: The Emerging Left–Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State

Political campaigns	Campaign for 1992 presidential election Campaign for 1996 presidential election Campaign for 2000 presidential election Campaign for 2004 presidential election Campaign for 2008 presidential election

Organizations	Public Citizen Knowledge Ecology International Public Interest Research Group Center for Auto Safety Connecticut Citizen Action Group Essential Information Princeton Project 55 Appleseed Foundation Democracy Rising American Antitrust Institute Commercial Alert

Other	An Unreasonable Man Concord Principles Political positions American Museum of Tort Law

Media

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