In America, we have a system of government that is designed to be of, by, and for the people — a democracy where everyone should have an equal voice and our elected officials are held accountable to our needs. But today, wealthy special interests and their lobbyists have thrown our system out of balance. They make the rules, they set the agenda, and they do it by drowning out the voices of ordinary citizens.

That’s why we’re working to improve the actual and perceived conflicts that can arise when elected officials and some government officials become lobbyists after their stint in public service. There is no shortage of real solutions that our leaders can draw upon in enacting comprehensive change, instead of incremental reform, and in doing so give hope to the public that can trust can be restored.

Recently, Common Cause New York advocates to:

• Increase post-employment lobbying restrictions on former government employees and elected officials
• Prohibit campaign consultants from lobbying elected officials they did campaign work for immediately after an election.

Read our testimony to the New York City Council Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation from 2024.