Citizens Union is a New York City-based good government group founded in 1897 to combat the influences of the Tammany Hall political machine. J. Pierpont Morgan, Benjamin Altman, Elihu Root, and Carl Schurz numbered among its 165 founders. In 1987, on the 90th anniversary of the organization's founding, The New York Times called Citizens Union "one of the most venerated 'good government' groups in New York City."[1]
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| Formation | 1897 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Good government |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Location |
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Region served | New York State |
Executive Director | Betsy Gotbaum |
| Subsidiaries | Citizens Union of the City of New York is a 501(c)(4) membership organization Citizens Union Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization |
| Website | citizensunion |
In 1902, Citizens Union supported Columbia University president Seth Low in his successful campaign to become the second mayor of New York. Six years later, in 1908, Citizens Union transitioned from a political party to a nonpartisan government watchdog organization. It has published a voter directory every year since 1910, and in 1948 began publishing reports on city politics and reporting on issues of political transparency.[2] In 1999, Citizens Union Foundation launched the Gotham Gazette, a New York newspaper known for its reporting on city and state government activities.
Its current executive director is former New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum.
Former executive directors of Citizens Union: William Jay Schieffelin (president, 1908–1941).[3]