Ralph Nader has been called everything from Muckraker to Consumer Crusader to Public Defender. His documented criticism of government and industry has had widespread effect on public awareness and bureaucratic power. He is the "U.S.'s toughest customer" as Time magazine noted.
His inspiration and example have galvanized a whole population of consumer advocates, citizen activists, and public interest lawyers who in turn have established their own organizations throughout the country.
Since 1966, Nader has been a major force in the United States and responsible for: at least eight major federal consumer protection laws such as the motor vehicle safety laws, Safe Drinking Water Act; the launching of federal regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environment Protection Agency (EPA), and Consumer Product Safety Administration; the recall of millions of defective motor vehicles; access to government through the Freedom of Information Act of 1974; and for many lives saved. Nader has been a critic of unchecked multinational corporations and of a dangerous convergence of corporate and government power.
A magazine founded by Nader in 1980, the Multinational Monitor, tracks multinational corporations and their impact on developing nations, labor, and the environment.
Nader's overriding concern and vision is presently focused on empowering citizens to create a responsive government sensitive to citizens' needs. When asked to define himself, he always responds, "Full-time citizen, the most important office in America for anyone to achieve."
In his 2000 and 2004 presidential bids Nader earned over 3 million votes and continues to be one of the most enduring figures in national politics. Nader's impact on the American political spectrum is enduring.
As former U.S. Senator James Abourezk observed, "For the first time in U.S. history, a movement exists whose sole purpose is to keep large corporations and the government honest" - Oxonian Society