AARP (outline) - Research Paper Example

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) The America Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is a nonprofit group that was founded in the US by a retiree who was a teacher by profession. The founder Ethel Percy Andrus formed the group in order to assist the elderly population in the US to remain active both physically and intellectually, in order to improve the quality of elderly people’s lives (Bouchard, Blair and Haskell 2012). The idea of the founder became popular, leading to a merger between the organization and the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA).

This enabled the body to provide health insurance services for retired educators. The organization targets members of the society that are 50 years and above, since this is the segment of the population that is retired active participation in the professional field. According to Bouchard, Blair and Haskell (2012), this age bracket is also the most vulnerable to the effects of health, and poverty. Therefore, it is essential that their welfare is taken care of, and this is where AARP intervenes.

It also advocates for the welfare of its members and has significant influence among the lobbyists in the US. The organization boasts of a membership of 38 million individuals, making it one of the largest organizations based on membership numbers in the US. The status of the organization came under scrutiny with the senate discussing whether it should be classified as a business or if it should be given the status of a nonprofit. Eventually AARP was cleared though some doubts over its operations still lingered.

Political InfluenceAccording to Schmidt et al. (2012), AARP is a non-partisan organization in that it takes a neutral stand in matters of politics. This means that the organization does not openly endorse political candidates or takes part in fundraising activities for aiding a political candidate to be elected. They take this stand in order to avoid a clash of interest when carrying out their mandate (Schmidt et al, 2012).Organization MandatesAccording to information posted on the organization’s website, the organization is aiming to ensure that the elderly realize their rights in order for them to remain an integral part of the society.

This can only be achieved when the elderly can access the basic needs, and have financial independence. This will make the elderly feel secure, hence improving the quality of life of their members (AARP, 2012).The organization is famous for the mandate that it carries out among the American population. The organization has taken up the task of addressing the issue affecting the elderly population. This is achieved through the organization being proactive in policy formulation and legislation adoption to ensure that the needs of the society are addressed.

The AARP has put efforts in ensuring that the governments allocate adequate funds to ensure that medical care is improved. It pushes the government to come up with a social security policy that will make it attainable for people to retire. The organization has also played a crucial role in ensuring that the government reviews its tax policies, to make them friendlier for the retirees. They aimed to level out the playing field in taxation (Schmidt et al, 2012). Immigrants who work in the US have been denied some rights since they are regarded as foreigners.

The AARP throws its weight behind the immigrant workers to ensure that their needs are addressed, especially the vulnerable who include the elderly and the disabled (AARP, 2012). The organization carries out charitable activities and affiliates itself with other likeminded organizations to do charitable activities that influence the lives of the elderly positively.References Encyclopedia Britannica. (2012). American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Encyclopedia Brittanica, P1.Bouchard, C.

, Blair, S. N., & Haskell, W. L. (2012). Physical activity and health. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Schmidt, S. W., Shelley, M. C., Bardes, B. A., & Ford, L. E. (2012). American government and politics today, 2011-2012. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.