Public Interest Research Groups

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Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) are non-profit groups that advocate for the public interest. They typically work in areas like health, safety, environment, public welfare and ethical operation of government. They work to hold elected official to high ethical standards, close unfair legal loopholes that disadvantage average citizens, work to achieve affordable health care, promote greater voter participation, hold manufacturers accountable for the safety of their products and other topics that help keep citizens safe and treated fairly. [1]

State-level PIRGs are part of a national federation of PIRGs called United States Public Interest Research Group, or U.S. PIRG.

The mission statement of the U.S. PIRG, states, "When consumers are cheated, or the voices of ordinary citizens are drowned out by special interest lobbyists, U.S. PIRG speaks up and takes action." PIRGS expose threats to public health and well-being and fight to end them, use tools like investigative research media expose's, grassroots organizing, advocacy and litigation to help protect public health, encourage a fair, sustainable economy, and foster responsive, democratic government.[2]

Sourcewatch resources

External resources

  • Website of U.S. PIRG: ww.uspirg.org/

Contact

The Federation of State PIRGs
44 Winter Street, 4th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
Phone: (617) 747-4370

References

  1. United States Public Interest Research Group Results, list of achievements, organizational web site, accessed May 15 2011
  2. U.S. Public Interest Research Group Mission Statement, organizational web site, accessed May 15, 2011