Common Cause
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| Founded | 1970 |
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| Location | |
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Area served
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United States |
| Method | Advocacy |
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Key people
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Karen Hobert Flynn |
| Website | www |
Common Cause is a nonpartisan public interest group based in Washington, D.C. with chapters in 35 states. It was founded in 1970 by John W. Gardner, a Republican, who was the former Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the administration of President Lyndon Johnson.
The organization’s tagline is “holding power accountable” and its stated mission is to “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 bills itself as the “original citizens lobby” and has also been described as a "nonpartisan political advocacy and watchdog group." Their work includes grassroots organizing, coalition building, research, policy development, public education, lobbying and litigation.
The organization’s primary issues are campaign finance reform/money in politics, voting and elections, ethics, a fair economy, and media and democracy.
Common Cause is in favor of reining in political spending, toughening exposure laws, exposing corporate power in government and giving shareholders control of corporate political spending.
In 1972, Common Cause sued President Richard Nixon's re-election campaign, the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, under the Federal Corrupt Practices Act in an attempt to force Nixon's campaign to report early campaign contributions. The lawsuit forced the disclosure of the names of several Nixon donors. In 1974, Common Cause supported passage of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), encompassing public financing of presidential campaigns and oversight of campaign ethics through the Federal Election Commission.
Common Cause has advocated for public financing of elections in order to reject or lessen the impact of special interest contributions and to rely more on small gifts from individuals. Their most successful efforts have been in New York City in 1999, Connecticut in 2005, Montgomery County, Maryland in 2014 and California.
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