Interest Group - Common Cause

The interest group I chose is Common Cause. It is one of the largest public-interest groups and was founded in 1968. Its goal is to reorder national priorities toward “the public” and to make governmental institutions more responsive to the needs of the public. Common Cause sparked a democracy reform movement that keeps growing. It drove the movement that won voting-right for 18-year-olds. It has also led campaigns that secured and now work to strengthen and defend the laws limiting the influence of money in politics. In addition, Common Cause has exposed ethical breaches that drove two House Speakers and a majority leader from Office and has also exposed the secret workings of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC); thanks to that campaign, more than 50 companies have abandoned ALEC. There were one of the many impacts they had in the political department of this country.
With offices in 35 states and members in all 50, Common Cause is a true citizen's lobby. Citizens' lobbying group with 400,000 members nationwide devoted to making government more accountable and ethical at the national, state and local level. In Washington, they're working to overturn the U.S. Senate's filibuster rule, which requires a supermajority -- 60 votes -- to conduct even routine business. They've also taken on ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council and a lobby that masquerades as a charity and enjoys an illegal tax exemption as it brings state legislators together for private meetings and law-writing sessions at posh resorts. Furthermore, Common Cause’s annual budget is about $10 million and the one who is currently chaired is Robert Reich. They have been the driving force for decades behind critical ethics legislation at the federal and state levels. In the wake of one of the biggest and most recent congressional bribery scandals, for example, they successfully championed the creation of the first-ever independent ethics offices to oversee the House of Representatives. Finally, they've challenged governors, members of Congress, even Presidents who've crossed ethical boundaries.
The main reason I chose this group to research is the huge impact they had in politics as explained above and the dedication to the proposition that a healthy democracy depends on active and engaged citizens. For the above reasons, I would suggest this group to others as it’s a non-profit organization focused on campaign finance reform, protecting and strengthening voting rights, promoting and enforcing strong ethical standards in government, and fostering strong, independent and accessible media.