Special Interest Groups and Lobbying Information

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The U.S. Congress: The Legislative Branch

The U.S. Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government and is responsible for making laws. The decisions of Congress affect the lives of everyone in the United States and have significant international ramifications as well. Online you’ll find the information you need on the congressional issues that have special relevance to you. These links will also help you contact your congressperson, research legislation or gain greater insight into the role of Congress.

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U.S. Congress at a Glance

The best way to find out about Congress is directly from the source: the federal government. ... read more »

Congressional News

While regular news media always covers politics (often addressing issues specific to Congress) ... read more »

Congressional Legislation

Since Congress makes laws involving everything from healthcare to education, the massive amount of ... read more »

Representative Voting Records and How to Contact A Representative

This guide shows you where to find representatives in various regions and how to contact individual ... read more »

Special Interest Groups and Lobbying Information

While much of the information about lobbying and the influence of interest groups is biased, there are some neutral sources that provide valuable insight into the political process. This section of the guide shows you where to look for lobbying resources, and how to glean information on fundraising and donations.

Dulcinea's Insight

While not technically categorized as lobbying, financial data about donations to political parties or candidates can be a revealing indicator of where political alliances may lie. A number of organizations exist to promote the disclosure of this information and are presented in this section of the guide.

For more information on lobbying you can do yourself, visit findingDulcinea's Getting Politically Active Web Guide.

Dulcinea's Picks

For lobbying …

LobbyWatch presented by the Center for Public Integrity, investigates and examines the influence of lobbying on the federal government. A variety of search methods are available. Search by state, issue, and industry, for example.

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Lobbying Ethics from the Markula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, is an informative discussion on the role of ethics in lobbying. The discussion covers themes like transparency, the common good, and fairness in lobbying.

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For fundraising and donation information …

The Center for Responsive Politics hosts opensecrets.org, dedicated to transparency in government influence. It allows you to search by “Who Gives” (industries, political action committees, etc.) and “Who Gets” (members of Congress, parties, congressional committees, etc.). There are lots of other parts worth browsing as well, and it’s a good source of political engagement.

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CQ MoneyLine allows you to search for and view political donations based on either donor or recipient. Available search parameters include zip code, name, state, employer, party, candidate, and lobbying firm. Campaign finance news is kept up to date on the homepage.

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