With his colleagues, Groulx dedicated himself to the defense of the French Language, the Catholic Church, traditional values, and agriculture; all of which seemed under threat from Quebec's industrialization and urbanization.
In Quebec, L'Action française was first the name of a periodical, but also the name of a league (1921–1927), which was supported by a group of self-styled defenders of the French language.
The league defended the idea of an independent state for French Canadians which would protect them against the threats of urban, modern life.
Some members of the league had personal contacts with the directors of the French organization Action française, and borrowed from Maurras' thought a hostility to parliamentary democracy; a distinction between 'official' countries and 'real' nations; and various ideas about art.
Esdras Minville, its new director, attempted to follow the nationalist line of Lionel-Groulx, taking for his motto "Québec d'abord!"
Today the journal's publishers define its philosophy in these terms: "L'Action nationale is published by the Ligue d'action national with the mission of being a hub for the Quebec sovereignty movement, in which the aspirations of Quebec can be debated by the French-speaking community following a tradition of critical reflection, independence, and engagement, focusing on current events that reflect the fundamental issues of our shared future."