Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) is a liberal political action organization founded in 1947 in Washington, D.C., by prominent figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Hubert Humphrey. As the oldest liberal lobbying group in the United States, ADA focuses on promoting social and economic justice through various initiatives, including grassroots advocacy and support for progressive political candidates. The organization has a membership of approximately 65,000 and is known for its commitment to civil rights, employee rights, health care reform, and the fight against censorship.
ADA publishes regular legislative updates and maintains the ADA Annual Voting Record, which assesses the performance of legislators based on their voting records. The organization also places an emphasis on youth involvement through its Youth for Democratic Action program, which fosters activism among younger members. Additionally, ADA's Education Fund promotes initiatives like voter registration drives and parental involvement in education. Over the years, ADA has actively opposed censorship in various forms, advocating for First Amendment rights and free expression against efforts to restrict access to literature and media. Overall, ADA plays a significant role in shaping liberal public policy and defending civil liberties in the United States.
Americans for Democratic Action
Founded: 1947
Type of organization: Liberal American citizen group
Significance: Dedicated to promoting liberalism in American public policy, ADA publishes appraisals of Congress and develops resolutions on issues such as civil rights, employees rights, and censorship
This Washington, D.C.-based political action organization was established in 1947 by leaders in politics, journalism, academia, and labor, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Hubert Humphrey, and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. ADA was founded primarily to promote a liberal, anticommunist agenda. By the 1990’s the nonpartisan organization was promoting liberalism and had become a central player in the fight against censorship. With sixty-five thousand members, ADA has continued to attract leading figures from the political Left. Past ADA presidents include former Democratic senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota and Democratic representatives Patsy Mink of Hawaii and John Lewis of Georgia.
ADA is the nation’s oldest liberal lobbying group and has been in the forefront of debate on important political issues since its inception. ADA achieves its goals of social and economic justice through several initiatives. One approach is political action, whereby ADA is involved in grassroots issue advocacy. A separate political action committee, ADA/PAC, supports progressive candidates for office and is committed to assisting women, minority, and nonincumbent candidates. ADA is also active in youth issues and its Youth for Democratic Action organization, made up of members under the age of thirty, builds chapters on college campuses, lobbies and works with political campaigns, and encourages community service. Another affiliated program, ADA’s Education Fund, an independent, charitable organization, sponsors drug awareness conferences and voter registration drives for young individuals and promotes parental involvement in education. Perhaps ADA’s most popular initiative is its publishing. A legislative update of key votes and issues is provided in ADAction News & Notes, published every week that Congress is in session. The ADA Annual Voting Record has been published since 1947 and has become a leading source of assessing legislators’ voting and performance.
ADA is active in developing positions on important policy issues. Through its large research staff, conferences and seminars, and publications, ADA promotes its agenda of civil rights, health care reform, employee rights, full employment, fair immigration standards, reproductive rights, and a fair minimum wage. ADA is also committed to fighting censorship. ADA’s policy resolution “Censorship in Education and the Arts,” adopted in 1995, states: “Liberty of thought and conscience and the freedom to express the ideas to which they give rise are the foundations upon which the edifice of American democracy rests.” ADA has fought attempts to censor the National Endowment for the Arts and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting by some members of Congress, such as North Carolina’s Republican Senator Jesse Helms, who cite a supposed liberal bias and sexually offensive, antireligious content as justification for censorship. Another issue of concern to ADA is that of banning books from libraries and educational curricula, including award-winning classics. ADA has opposed right-wing groups such as Focus on the Family and the American Family Association that have been engaged in efforts to ban books that do not conform to their beliefs.
New challenges to free expression are emerging in cyberspace. ADA has opposed plans by Congress to limit free access to the Internet and interactive media. ADA continues to be a leader in the fight for First Amendment rights and a champion of free expression.