AARP

(proper noun)

AARP, formally the American Association of Retired Persons, is a United States-based non-governmental organization and interest group, founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD, a retired educator from California. The organization is based in Washington, D.C. According to its mission statement, it is "a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over ... dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all as we age, [providing] a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and services for our members. "

Related Terms

Examples of AARP in the following topics:

  • The Role of Age

    • Older people are well organized by advocacy groups such as the AARP, which lobby on their behalf.
    • On the one hand, AARP pursues its mission by providing services such as tax preparation help, discounts, and insurance for its members.
    • On the other hand, AARP pursues its mission by mobilizing its immense resource base to lobby for policy change.
    • AARP claims around 38 million members, making it one of the largest membership organizations in the United States.
    • The AARP lobbies for issues that matter to older adults, such as health care and social security.

  • Voting Patterns and Inequality

    • Older people are also more organized, through organizations like the AARP and are more likely to vote as a block on issues that affect them directly.