The general purpose of the American Institute of Parliamentarians is to work for the improvement of parliamentary procedure to the end that decisions are made by parliamentary means rather than by violence or by dictatorial actions, and that mankind will learn to live in peace through effective implementation of sound democratic principles. The objectives of AIP are:

A.  Promote use of effective, democratic, parliamentary practices

  1. Remove unneeded complications, confusing ambiguities, and archaic terminology from parliamentary usage:
  2. Emphasize parliamentary law; sound democratic principles and skillful, ethical tactics;
  3. Provide a clearing house for parliamentary problems;
  4. Research parliamentary practices in various times and places, and in all types of organizations, and experiment with numerous techniques;
  5. Study assemblies and committees of ordinary associates and of legislatures, city councils, business corporations;
  6. Develop techniques for obtaining better understanding of parliamentary procedure and for building leadership;
  7. Help and encourage sponsors of student organizations in the study and practice of proper parliamentary procedure;
  8. Cooperate with all groups interested in the improvement of parliamentary procedure, to maintain friendly relationships, to share its knowledge and results of its research to the end that democracy will function better through procedure;

B.  Promote preparation and use of parliamentary literature

  1. Publish a quarterly Parliamentary Journal, a scholarly, practical, interesting aid to AIP members;
  2. Publish regular editions of a Parliamentary Directory as an aid to AIP members; and as a guide to organizations and individuals needing expert parliamentary service;
  3. Maintain a parliamentary library of literature for reference, sale, circulation, and free distribution;
  4. Publish a Parliamentary bibliography, parliamentary opinions, and other parliamentary materials;
  5. Encourage various organizations and individuals to prepare and have published literature;
  6. Provide editorial assistance to prospective authors of parliamentary material;

C.  Promote teaching of Parliamentary procedure

  1. Encourage credit-bearing courses in parliamentary procedure in universities, colleges and law schools;
  2. Encourage credit-bearing work in parliamentary procedure as part of other courses, at the elementary, secondary, and college levels;
  3. Encourage non-credit courses in parliamentary procedure in public and private schools as part of their adult education programs;
  4. Organize high school pupils, college students, and adults for the purpose of studying parliamentary procedure;
  5. Encourage organizations to develop educational programs which include the study of parliamentary procedure;
  6. Promote radio and television programs, articles and news items in newspapers and magazines, and discussion groups, workshops, and symposia;
  7. Train and supply competent teachers of parliamentary procedure;

D.  Promote the training and certification of Parliamentarians

  1. Develop advanced courses in parliamentary procedure to include methods of teaching and of serving as parliamentarians;
  2. Maintain facilities for accrediting qualified members as Certified Parliamentarians (CPs) and as Certified Professional Parliamentarians (CPPs);

E.  Promote wider use of Parliamentarians

  1. Distribute the parliamentary directory so that organizations and individuals may easily locate qualified parliamentarians;
  2. Distribute information concerning the various services which parliamentarians are prepared to render, and the value of such expert services;

F. Maintain a representative, democratic organization

  1. Maintain a membership of parliamentarians, educators, lawyers, legislators, and members of business, civic, labor, professional, trade, veteran, religious, service, and fraternal organizations, and welcome to membership interested persons regardless of age, color, creed, financial status, nationality, race, or sex;
  2. Develop a sound system of representation in AIP's board, committees, and conventions;
  3. Stimulate general membership participation, thus involving more persons in policy formation, and in activities that tend to develop leadership;
  4. Promote effective techniques for the prevention of steamroller tactics, filibustering, and other undemocratic practices;
  5. Emphasize procedures which protect the rights of the individual without hampering the proper interest of the majority;
  6. Emphasize re-evaluation or practices to the end that there will be perennial development of our concepts and continuous strengthening of our FAITH in true democracy.