Talk:Americans for Democratic Action

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 Definition Americans for Democratic Action is a group that was created to preserve the ideals of the New Deal, continue to uphold American values with democratic and liberal views. [d] [e]
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 Workgroup categories politics and eduzendium [Please add or review categories]
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First (instructor) evaluation comments

Hi Vince,

Here are some suggestions for further improvements to your encyclopedia entry draft:

  • The intro is basically solid, though you might add just a little more contextualizing detail -- e.g. maybe mention the organization's founding date, and/or elaborate a bit more on what you mean by its having influenced those social movements.
  • You might restructure the "History" section so that the "Founding" subsection comes first; then you can add additional subsections containing information about the ADA's development since the late 1940s.
  • On that note, the "History" section could be a lot more fleshed out. You might explain more about the circumstances that led to the ADA's founding, for example, and provide much more information about its activities during the decades you mention. For example, I was surprised not to see any mention of its role in the Democratic Party's 1948 national convention. Which anti-poverty programs did it help to establish and how? Overall, it would be a good idea to expand your research beyond the ADA's own website to develop this section further.
  • The "Current Objectives and Activities" section starts with a sentence that suggests that the ADA had been alienated from the White House prior to the Obama administration, but you didn't provide any information previously to clarify that this had been the case. It would be a good idea to do that at the end of the "History" section to help segue between the two sections and provide a more coherent account of how the organization got to where it is today.
  • More generally, the "Current Objectives and Activities" section could be a lot more specific -- as it stands now, it reads a bit like organizational rhetoric rather than a third-party researcher's explanation of what's going on. You might also discuss the ADA's ongoing initiatives (e.g. the Voting Records publication and its significance) in this section.
  • The "Organizational Structure" section starts well, though you might mention who elects all those elected officers and how often. You might also provide some information about the individuals who currently fill those positions. It's not clear why the last sentence ("Their views are based on democratic action and focuses on incorporating democratic and liberal views in American policy") is there.
  • Good start on the "Achievements" section, though you might reach into its history a bit here and discuss some of its earlier achievements as well. Here again, it would be a good idea to go beyond the ADA's own website for your research.
  • The "Public Perceptions and Controversy" sections would benefit from a lot more development, again with use of non-ADA sources to help flesh out statements about how the organization is perceived and the controversies it's embroiled in.

Shamira Gelbman 14:55, 2 October 2009 (UTC)

Second (peer) evaluation comments

Hello, this is your peer evaluator, Juan. I found your article full of information when writing my opinion piece and for that I thankful. Overall the general details of the organization are present in the article. That being said I think it would greatly enhance the article if their were more details present. For example: how is the organization relevant today? does it affect politics, if so, how? what about past political races? Maybe you can include information on major legislation they helped pass or kill (if that information is available.) Also, maybe include how the organization was involved in social equality movements. Maybe see my op ed piece for ideas? I hope this helps.