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,
[Staff report (June 2, 1971). Nader Forums Unite To Seek Donations.New York Times] but in the aftermath of the
2000 presidential election it has sought to publicly dissociate itself from Mr Nader.
Lobbying Efforts
Public Citizen claims to represent public interests in the
United States federal government. Its six divisions include: auto safety;
Congress Watch; energy;
Global Trade Watch; health research; and
litigation.
Broadly speaking, Public Citizen favors strong government
regulation, particularly in the areas of
transport,
healthcare, and
nuclear power, but with the notable exception of
tort reform.
Its pro-regulatory stance has been criticized by
business groups such as the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce., 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;; it does not accept government or corporate funds.|date=October 2009
See also
