The purpose and political influence of the lobby has shifted over time, but has included advocacy for Armenian genocide recognition and military support for Armenia.
The key founding members were contributors to the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the largest remaining non-ARF organization.
[12] This high population concentration allows the Armenian community to greatly sway votes, especially in a time of low voter turnout.
One case study of this is when Democratic challenger and current Congressman Adam Schiff won against Republican incumbent Jim Rogan.
The Armenian community can also draw on its power of partial assimilation—it is not too assimilated like ethnic groups such as German Americans but it has had a presence in the U.S. since the early 1900s.
[16] Because the Republic of Turkey cannot legally finance campaigns, it relies on contracting Washington lobbying firms and contacting members of congress and their staff.
Utilizing top lobbying firms such as the Livingston Group, which has represented other Middle Eastern clients such as Egypt and Libya, the Turkish government gained invaluable Washington resources.