Resources
Things don’t happen in a vacuum — and they don’t just spring forth on the House or Senate floor either. There are endless organizations that play a major role in shaping public policy. Here are a few of the most infuential:
AARP Public Policy Institute Whatever else you may think of it, AARP conducts some of the best public policy research around.
ACLU Everyone knows about the American Civil Liberties Union, an historic and vigorous defender of individual liberties.
CATO Institute A think tank dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace.
Center for Science in the Public Interest For 40 years, CSPI has been telling the truth about America’s diet.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Conducts research and advocacy on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals.
Center for Responsible Lending A non-profit that provides information and resources about consumer loans and blows the whistle on predatory practices.
Center for Public Integrity A non-profit organization “dedicated to producing original investigative journalism about public issues.”
Consumer Federation of America CFA is an association of non-profit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.
CREW Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington An independent, non-partisan group of hell-raisers who investigate egregious conduct and file lawsuits to uncover unsavory practices.
Electronic Freedom Frontier EFF says it is the leading civil liberties group defending your rights in the digital world.
EPIC Electronic Privacy Information Center EPIC is a public interest research center that works to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues.
Environmental Working Group EWG works to protect children and infants from toxic substances and tries to goad the government into doing its job.
FactCheck.org What’s true and what isn’t? Sometimes it’s hard to say but sometimes all it takes is a little fact-checking, which is exactly what this site — a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center — does.
Free Press Free Press is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to reform the media.
Government Accountability Office The investigative arm of Congress.
Heritage Foundation Long before the Tea Party there was The Heritage Foundation, a think tank whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies.
National Consumer Law Center Works on behalf of low-income Americans, fights predatory lending practices.
Pew Charitable Trusts Rigorous, analytical studies shed light on current affairs.
Pro Publica “Journalism in the public interest” A non-profit investigative journalism organization.
Public Citizen The grandparent of grass-roots advocacy, Public Citizen was founded by Ralph Nader in 1971 to represent consumer interests in Washington.
U.S. PIRG The U.S. Public Interest Research Group “stands up to powerful special interests on behalf of the American public, working to win concrete results for our health and our well-being.”
