Political Report Cards Perspective Evidence & Facts HISTORICAL CONTEXT The United States is a representative democracy. Citizens elect representatives to national, state, and local government; those representatives create the laws that govern U.S. society. Although individual citizens are the only ones who can cast votes, special interest groups and lobbyists influence elections and law-making with… Continue reading 1. PERSPECTIVE – Historical Context
Political Report Cards Perspective Evidence & Facts BENCHMARKING & BEST PRACTICES As contrasted with the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) highly developed, democratic countries where the responsibility to register citizens falls on the elected governments. Registration to vote in U.S. is decentralized and an individual responsibility. Voter participation or turnout is defined as… Continue reading Benchmarking & Best Practices
Political Report Cards Perspective Evidence & Facts VOTING AGE POPULATION TURNOUT Notably in the United States – it’s largely up to individual voters to register themselves. U.S. is unusual in that voter registration is not the job of a single national agency, but of individual states, counties and cities. That means the rules can vary… Continue reading Voting Age Population Turnout
Political Report Cards Perspective Evidence & Facts ENGAGE TO CHANGE “OUR STATUS QUO” 1. Citizens United v. FEC – is a landmark 2010 Supreme Court case that changed the face of campaign Finance and money in politics in the United States. Most notably, Citizens United granted corporations, non profits, and unions unlimited political spending power that undermines… Continue reading Engage To Change ” Our Status Quo”
Political Report Cards Perspective Evidence & Facts WORLDWIDE VOTER TURNOUT According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), 27 countries (and one Swiss canton, or member state of the Swiss Confederation) have laws making voting compulsory. Overall, 14 of those 27 countries actively enforce their laws, with penalties including fines, inability to… Continue reading Worldwide Voter Turnout
Political Report Cards Funding Sources Evidence & Facts POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS DONATIONS $$ & DONORS A January 2010 Supreme Court decision (Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission) permits corporations and unions to make political expenditures from their treasuries directly and through other organizations, as long as the spending (often in the form of TV ads), is… Continue reading 2. FUNDING SOURCES – Political Campaigns Donations $$ & Donors
Political Report Cards Funding Sources Evidence & Facts THE FUNDING BEHIND CAMPAIGN SPENDING Since Citizens United, spending by super PACs and dark money groups, along with non-party independent groups, has accounted for a larger proportion of total election-related spending with each midterm and presidential election. Candidate and party spending, as a result, has declined as… Continue reading The Funding Behind Campaign Spending
Political Report Cards Funding Sources Evidence & Facts TOP SPENDING PAC’S AND DARK MONEY GROUPS Some super PACs are created for the purpose of bypassing parties and backing candidates who might not normally get party support. Amid the 2010 Tea Party movement in conservative politics, super PACs such as Club for Growth Action and Ending… Continue reading Top Spending Pac’s & Dark Money Groups
Political Report Cards Funding Sources Evidence & Facts GENDER SPLIT BY NUMBER OF DONORS Just 0.52% of the United State population contributed more than two hundred dollars to federal candidates, PACs, parties and outside groups.These 1,721,974donors gave a hefty 74.53% of all contributions. Compared to the population at large, men are heavily overrepresented among top political… Continue reading Gender Split By Number Of Donors
Political Report Cards Funding Sources Evidence & Facts OUTSIDE SPENDING DISCLOSURES The decade after Citizens United ushered in the rise of “grey money” groups that disclose only some of their donors. Partially-disclosing political groups were practically nonexistent before 2010 and have increased most cycles since. Nonprofits and secretive shell companies began to funnel money to… Continue reading Outside Spending Disclosures
