Common Blog

In 1978, the Supreme Court decision in First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti struck down a Massachusetts state law barring corporations from spending money to influence ballot question votes. The decision set the stage for corporations to spend millions advocating for or against ballot questions across the country. The consequences of this decision and the [...]

Before starting the internship, I honestly did not know what to expect. Until two days ago, I never stepped foot in Sacramento and I felt entirely oblivious to the ins and outs of California politics other than what I saw on the news and read on political blogs. I was jumping in with both feet into the world of California policy and lobbying.

Nothing shines a light on problems quite like a scandal. If we’re lucky, it means that we take a closer look at not only the issue that makes the headlines, but the issue ecosystem. The recent back and forth about IRS incompetence regarding screening 501 (c)4 groups has prompted a secondary discussion about the very [...]

A new report by Common Cause Massachusetts shows that limiting outside spending in last year’s U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts helped to increased electoral transparency, accountability, and fairness, and calls on the current Senate candidates Ed Markey and Gabriel Gomez to agree to limit outside spending in the current election. Since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. FEC (2010) [...]

News from Capitol Hill. A Senate subcommittee is hearing testimony this morning on the woeful state for enforcement of our campaign finance laws. The Federal Election Commission is one of the most important and arguably the most dysfunctional agency in the federal government. At the end of this month, all of its members will be [...]