Summary
Our Impact
Common Cause believes that our government should serve all the people, not just the wealthy or partisan special interests. We are building a democracy that works for everyone.
From our founding in 1970 through today, a core principle of Common Cause is that as more eligible Americans participate, our democracy becomes stronger. In 1971, we led the campaign that won the 26th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing 18 year-olds to vote.
Our Work
Today, we are winning campaigns to modernize elections, making them more fair, secure, and accessible with automatic voter registration laws and same-day registration at polling places on Election Day. We are ensuring security and fairness at the ballot box by demanding paper back-ups and post-election risk-limiting audits to detect foul play early.
Source: Common Cause website
OnAir Post: Common Cause
About
Source: Website
Common Cause knows the ultimate power in a democracy is the people.
To be truly of, by, and for the people, government must reflect everyone it serves. We’re all better off when people from all walks of life participate in self-governance. Every American wants and deserves a voice in shaping the future for our families and communities. We believe democracy is how a free society resolves its differences. And in order to do that well, we must all agree the process is fair, produces equitable outcomes, and reflects our communities, our values, and our priorities. Nobody wins all the time, but if the process is fair, at least we can trust it.
We side with no one but the people. Working together, we are building a democracy that works for all of us. Every aspect of our elections and representative self-government must be fair, open, accessible, and set-up so we all have faith in the integrity of election outcomes and the people we elect to serve us.
Common Cause is solutions-oriented. Our network of democracy experts, working at the state and local level across the country, are winning pragmatic, common sense solutions and building a national movement that will make sure our generation secures and strengthens democracy for the next.
We work to ensure that every vote counts, that every eligible voter has an equal say, that our elections represent the will of the people, and that our government is of, by, and for the people.
Founded with 4,000 core members in 1970 to serve as a people’s lobby, Common Cause has grown into a nationwide network of more than 1 million members and supporters, with a presence in 30 states and Washington, D.C.
Mission
Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.
Common Cause has an innovative, pragmatic, and comprehensive pro-democracy agenda. We lead and define the democracy reform movement, promoting solutions already succeeding in some communities to shift power to the people.
Together with our sister organization, the Common Cause Education Fund, we employ a powerful combination of grassroots organizing, coalition building, research, policy development, public education, lobbying and litigation to win reform at all levels of government.
Contact
Locations
Common Cause National Headquarters
805 15th Street NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202.833.1200
Web Links
Videos
Power
February 13, 2019
By: Common Cause
Democracy Wire
Source: Website
Daily dispatches of news and commentary from the front lines of the democracy movement. We accept original and cross-posted essays, interviews, video, audio, cartoons and other images from people interested in strengthening democracy so it works for all of us. The views are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Common Cause. Please send submissions to Scott Blaine Swenson, Vice President for Communications, at sswenson@commoncause.org.
Our Work
Every eligible American should take the responsibility and right to vote seriously. We all want an equal voice in deciding the future for our families, our communities, and our country.
We know the ultimate power in a democracy is the people. We are more than 1 million powerful, fearless, ordinary Americans working together to build a democracy that works for us all.
Common Cause has an innovative, pragmatic, and comprehensive pro-democracy agenda. Our work leads and defines the democracy reform movement, promoting solutions already succeeding in some communities to shift power to the people and away from wealthy special interests and partisan ideologues.
Ethics & Accountability Campaigns
Source: Website
We must hold politicians accountable to strong ethical standards, so they serve the people instead of their own self interest.
What we’re doing…
Voters deserve an ethical government that works for everyone. Far too often, Americans feel like they don’t have a voice in our democracy. With the amount of big money in politics, lack of transparency in our legislatures, and disregard for the law by some politicians and wealthy special interests, creating an ethical and clean government that works in the public interest continues to be our common cause.
Money & Influence Campaigns
Source: Website
We are creating a democracy where everyone’s voice is heard and everyone plays by fair and commonsense rules.
What we’re doing…
We deserve a democracy in which each of us is represented and has a voice — and a government that works for every American, not just the wealthy few. It’s time to add much-needed balance to our democracy and enforce tougher rules to ensure politicians can’t be bought by the highest bidder.
Gerrymandering & Representation Campaigns
Source: Website
In a democracy, there’s no liberty more fundamental than the right to freely choose who represents us.
What we’re doing...
In America, elections are supposed to reflect the will of the people, not politicians. We all want our voices to be heard in determining the future of our families and communities. We are fighting for a census in which every person is counted and a process for drawing district boundaries that puts our communities, and not the needs of politicians, first.
Voting & Elections Campaigns
Source: Website
Every American voter deserves secure, fair, and accessible elections.
What we’re doing…
Our Constitution demands that every citizen have an equal voice and vote in determining the future for our families, communities, and country. We’re working to ensure that every eligible citizen has the freedom to vote and that their votes are accurately counted. Learn more about our campaigns below, or use our voting tools to register, check your registration, and more.
Media & Democracy Campaigns
Source: Website
A free and open media is essential to a healthy democracy. We must hold media accountable and check the concentration of media ownership in too few hands.
What we’re doing…
There’s nothing more important to a functioning democracy than an informed, engaged, public. That’s why we work to protect a free and open internet and an independent and constitutionally-protected free press that reports the facts so voters have the information they need.
Constitution, Courts, & Other Democracy Issues Campaigns
Source: Website
A strong democracy requires protecting everyone’s constitutional rights and ensuring our courts are fair and independent.
What we’re doing…
Our elected representatives should produce results and policies that are in the interests of everyday people. But often times gridlock, hyper-partisanship, and abuses of out-of-date legislative rules stop government from doing its job. We’re fixing that.
Common Cause Education Fund
Source: Website
Common Cause Education Fund harnesses the power of philanthropy to create a truly representative democracy that answers to the people, not the powerful. Using research, public education, citizen engagement, policy development and litigation, we aim to make the promises of the Constitution real for every American.
