The AC had subsidiaries in 36 of the 41 counties, overseen by a 27-member National Council.
Its motto was Nu putem reuşi decât împreună ("Only together can we succeed").
Founded on 6 November 1990, when a group of 216 founding members (Romanian intellectuals from all fields of public life) signed a project-statement, it was officially registered on November 29 of the same year.
During the early 1990s, the association was involved in protests against the ruling National Salvation Front (FSN), including the Golaniad public gathering that were ended by the June 1990 Mineriad.
In July 1991, a sizeable portion of its members, led by Nicolae Manolescu, split with the AC over participation in national elections, and founded the Civic Alliance Party (PAC).