'Americans for Democratic Action' ('ADA') is an
American political organization advocating
liberal policies. 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. The ADA's leaders considered communism (especially as practiced in the
Soviet Union) to be both morally wrong and a threat to the United States.
The 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. ADA continues working for social and economic justice through lobbying, organizing, research, and the support of progressive candidates.
The ADA is well-known for its rankings of legislators. The ADA tracks how members of
Congress vote on what it considers key issues and 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.
Founding members include:
★
Eleanor Roosevelt
★
Hubert Humphrey
★
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
★
John Kenneth Galbraith
Reference
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Clifton Brock, ''Americans for Democratic Action'' (Public Affairs Press, 1962)
External link
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Americans for Democratic Action