Dr. Timothy Kuhner stopped by the Common Cause office to speak with us about his new book, Capitalism vs. Democracy. In this part, we discuss how the Supreme Court has reshaped our political system to work like a free market -- and what that means for our democracy.

Today, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced her plans to make the raw data behind California's lobbyists and campaign finance database available, online, on one spreadsheet available to the public and updated daily. Secretary Bowen's announcement is a reversal from a position she has long held since Common Cause began asking for this disclosure in 2011.

Julia Vaughn, Common Cause Indiana executive director, doesn't think the legislation would have a significant impact on elections or voter turnout, but said it sends a bad message in a state that already struggles with low voter turnout.

"We need to make voting more accessible and convenient to people," she said.

"We're pleased to see Governor Whitmer sign this long overdue ethics reform into law—but ultimately, the law falls short of voters' expectations," said Quentin Turner, director of Common Cause Michigan, an organization seeking to promote greater government accountability. "Despite overwhelming, bi-partisan support for greater transparency from our elected officials, lawmakers weakened the law to shield themselves from public scrutiny."

We are being silenced in Florida, with dangerous legislation making its way through the state Legislature that could stifle the ability of everyday Floridians to speak freely.

House Bill 991 and the companion bill Senate Bill 1220 would dramatically change our state’s defamation laws and allow for monetary judgments when elected officials or others think they’ve been slighted on social media or in critical press reports.

By doing away with the long-held standard of proving actual malice or ill intent in a...

Die Amerikaner erwarten und verdienen freie und faire Wahlen. Der John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act wird die Wahlfreiheit aller Amerikaner zu einer Zeit schützen, in der das Wahlrecht in vielen Teilen unseres Landes erneut angegriffen wird. Das Gesetz, das heute erneut im Repräsentantenhaus eingebracht wurde, wird einen Großteil des Schadens wiedergutmachen, den der Oberste Gerichtshof dem Voting Rights Act vor einem Jahrzehnt in seiner Entscheidung Shelby County v. Holder und nachfolgenden Urteilen zugefügt hat.

“We are finally beginning to see New York’s elections begin — just begin — to catch up with the rest of the country,” said Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York, a good-government group.