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| CITIZEN TOOLKIT | |||||||||||||
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Here are some helpful links that you can use to find out more about who your government officials are, who funded their campaigns to put them in office, and what they've done on your behalf: E-Mail Directories- The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) has information on federal campaign finance laws and campaign finance reports filed by candidates. Financial reports can be found here. Many groups (including TheRestofUs.org) use data downloaded from the FEC to analyze the role of big donors. Go here to contact Commissioners. C-SPAN -- providing cable and internet coverage of Congress The Congressional Record and Congressional Votes (THOMAS)
U.S. House U.S. Senate
Buckley v. Valeo: [424 U.S. 1 (1976)] Ruled that big money in politics is a form of free speech and struck down mandatory spending limits. Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce: [494 U.S. 652 (1990)] Ruled that corporate money corrupts politics by using immense aggregations of wealth that have little or no correlation to the public's support for the corporation's political ideas. Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC: [528 U.S. 377 (2000)] Reaffirmed that it is constitutional to set contribution limits, even very low ones. McConnell v. FEC: [(2003)] Upheld the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act's ban on unlimited "soft" money going to political parties and suggested that Congress could have gone much further than it did to limit big money used by outside electioneering groups. Voter Registration Information- Citizen Groups (we don't vouch for everything these groups say or endorse what they do, but you may find them helpful): The State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) -- public interest advocate on a host of democracy issues and provided start up funds for TheRestofUs.org. Project Vote Smart -- provides non-partisan information on the positions of candidates Texans for Public Justice -- works to expose the role of big money in the lone star state The National Voting Rights Institute -- fights to defend campaign finance laws in court The Center for Responsive Politics -- provides analysis of FEC contributor data Political MoneyLine -- provides FEC data in easier to use formats National Institute of Money in State Politics -- the name says it all Citizens In Charge -- working to establish the citizens initiative and referenda process Public Campaign -- the leading organization working to promote public financing of campaigns Alliance for Better Campaigns -- working to require broadcasters to provide free airtime to candidates through the Our Democracy Our Airwaves Campaign The Center for Public Integrity -- investigative journalism about what government's up to Reclaim Democracy -- restoring citizen authority over corporations US Term Limits -- working to defend and promote term limits for politicians
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