The organization's stated issue areas are "money in politics", "voting and elections", "ethics", "a fair economy", and "media and democracy".
Karen Hobert Flynn became the organization's president in June 2016. She served in this role until her death in March 2023. Virginia Kase Solomón was named as the tenth President of Common Cause on December 14, 2023.
The following are three of the most prominent individuals who have served as chairs of Common Cause's board:
Common Cause has an annual combined budget of around $18 million. This includes its sister organization, the Common Cause Educational Fund. Common Cause is organized as a 501(c)(4) organization, and its sister organization, the Common Cause Educational Fund, is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Chapman, Roger; Ciment, James (2015-03-17). Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints and Voices. Routledge. ISBN 9781317473510. 9781317473510
"FAQ". Common Cause. Archived from the original on 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2017-03-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303102208/http://www.commoncause.org/about/our-impact/faq/
Dan Eggen, Pompeo draws liberal groups' ire, The Washington Post (March 21, 2011): "Common Cause, a liberal-leaning group" https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/21/AR2011032104688.html
Julie Bykowicz, Will Washington shout down the 'voice' of Trump voters?, Associated Press (November 28, 2016): "a liberal-leaning government watchdog." http://bigstory.ap.org/article/3873292a17b244b8ba2471ee76ec16a0/will-washington-shout-down-voice-trump-voters
Stacy Stowe, Back-Burner Issues Too Hot to Handle, The New York Times (June 19, 2005): "government-reform groups like Common Cause" https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/19/nyregion/backburner-issues-too-hot-to-handle.html
Mark Berman, William Wan & Sari Horwitz, Voters encounter some malfunctioning machines, other headaches on Election Day: "Volunteers with Common Cause, a nonpartisan government reform group..." https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/11/08/election-day-voters-report-long-lines-intimidation-and-confusion-in-some-parts-of-the-country/
Jamie Pimlott, "Common Cause" in Encyclopedia of American Political Parties and Elections (updated ed.: ed. Larry J. Sabato & Howard R. Ernst). Infobase Publishing, 2007, p. 75: "established as a nonpartisan citizens' lobby, the main goal of the Soros funded organization is to make government more effective and representative of progressive interests. .... because the organization claims to be nonpartisan, it does take a progressive agenda position on issues and focuses on the process by which decisions are made or the structure of decision making, that is, the rules and procedures used by politicians and bureaucrats."
Dan Eggen, Common Cause suddenly uncommonly forceful in fighting Koch Industries, The Washington Post (February 10, 2011): "Common cause has long been something of a nerd among the jocks. ... the 40-year-old good-government group." https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/09/AR2011020906679.html
William Neuman, City Council Draws New Crop of Candidates: State Lawmakers. (Pay Doesn't Hurt.), The New York Times (February 21, 2017): "Common Cause New York, a good government advocacy group" https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/21/nyregion/city-council-state-lawmakers.html?_r=0
Dean E. Murphy, Ohio Critics of G.O.P. Start Battle to Change Election Process, The New York Times (August 10, 2005): "The Ohio group is backed by so-called good-government organizations like Common Cause." https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/us/ohio-critics-of-gop-start-battle-to-change-election-process.html
Julie Bykowicz, Will Washington shout down the 'voice' of Trump voters?, Associated Press (November 28, 2016): "a liberal-leaning government watchdog." http://bigstory.ap.org/article/3873292a17b244b8ba2471ee76ec16a0/will-washington-shout-down-voice-trump-voters
Daniel L. Feldman & David R. Eichenthal, The Art of the Watchdog: Fighting Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Corruption in Government (SUNY Press, 2013): "Common Cause: One of the largest and most influential good government watchdog groups..." /wiki/SUNY_Press
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The Dangerous Path: Big Money's Plan to Shred the Constitution, Common Cause (May 2016). http://www.commoncause.org/issues/more-democracy-reforms/constitutional-convention/dangerous-path-report.pdf
"On the Brink of a Constitutional Crisis" (Press release). Common Cause. December 2, 2015. http://www.commoncause.org/press/press-releases/on-the-brink-of-a-constitutional-crisis.html
"How Common Cause Turned on Americans Fighting Against Corruption". YouTube. 6 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHT4J7b3TCQ
"Young Turks Attack on Common Cause Ignores Danger of New Constitutional Convention: Statement by Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn" (Press release). Retrieved 10 April 2017. http://www.commoncause.org/press/press-releases/young-turks-attack-on-common.html
Hirschfeld, Peter (April 4, 2017). "Vt. Senate Rescinds Effort To Repeal Citizens United Through A Constitutional Convention". Vermont Public Radio. http://digital.vpr.net/post/vt-senate-rescinds-effort-repeal-citizens-united-through-constitutional-convention#stream/0
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Haberman & Rappeport (13 May 2016). "Donald Trump on His Tax Rate: 'It's None of Your Business'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 February 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/05/13/donald-trump-on-his-tax-rate-its-none-of-your-business/
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Cassidy, John. "Trump's Businesses Represent an Impossible Conflict of Interest". The New Yorker. Retrieved 3 February 2017. http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/trumps-businesses-represent-an-impossible-conflict-of-interest
"Common Cause resumes Nixon finance lawsuit". Lodi News-Setinenl. United Press International. March 24, 1973. Retrieved 7 December 2015. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19730314&id=nxozAAAAIBAJ&pg=7085,1356642&hl=en
Tuttle, Ian (May 7, 2015). "Common Cause's Georgia Purge". National Review. Retrieved 7 December 2015. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/418021/common-causes-georgia-purge-ian-tuttle
"Common Cause's uncommon role". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 3 February 2017. http://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0905/090512.html
Smothers, Ronald (6 October 1999). "Taking on Campaign Finance Laws, Locally". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 February 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/06/nyregion/taking-on-campaign-finance-laws-locally.html
"Montgomery County Passes Small Donor Campaign Finance Reform Bill Provides Model for Other Counties, State". Common Cause. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2017. http://www.commoncause.org/press/press-releases/montgomery-county-passes-small-donor-campaign-finance-reform.html
Baker, Gavin. "Ban on citizen-funded elections means more special-interest money in politics". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 3 February 2017. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article125713889.html
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Robertson, Gary D. (5 August 2016). "Lawsuit: Too much party bias in North Carolina Congress map". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved 14 February 2018. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-lawsuit-too-much-party-bias-in-north-carolina-2016aug05-story.html
"NC House members file redistricting bill to ban 'irregularly shaped' boundaries". News Observer. Retrieved 14 February 2018. http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/under-the-dome/article10873580.html
Savage, David. "Is it constitutional to draw a congressional district that only one party can win?". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 3 February 2017. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-scotus-gerrymander-maryland-20160815-story.html
Plumer, Brad (November 6, 2012). "A quarter of Americans will vote by electronic machine. Is that a problem?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 December 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2012/11/06/thirty-percent-of-americans-will-vote-by-electronic-machine-is-that-a-problem/
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VoteRiders Partner Organizations https://www.voteriders.org/partners/
"Common Cause Taps Former Connecticut Director As National President". Hartford Courant. June 13, 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016. http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-karen-hobert-flynn-common-cause-president-20160613-story.html
Pazniokas, Mark (2023-03-03). "Karen Hobert Flynn, Common Cause leader and CT reformer, dies". CT Mirror. Retrieved 2023-03-05. http://ctmirror.org/2023/03/03/karen-hobert-flynn-common-cause-leader-and-ct-reformer-dies/
Virginia Kase Solomón Named Tenth President of Common Cause, Common Cause (December 14, 2023). https://www.commoncause.org/press-release/virginiakasesolomon/
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Ex-Massachusetts Official New Common Cause Leader, Associated Press (July 31, 1999). https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-31-mn-61340-story.html
Ex-Massachusetts Official New Common Cause Leader, Associated Press (July 31, 1999). https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-31-mn-61340-story.html
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About Chellie Archived 2016-09-07 at the Wayback Machine, Office of Chellie Pingree, U.S. Representative, First District of Maine. https://pingree.house.gov/about-chellie
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Pazniokas, Mark (2023-03-03). "Karen Hobert Flynn, Common Cause leader and CT reformer, dies". CT Mirror. Retrieved 2023-03-05. http://ctmirror.org/2023/03/03/karen-hobert-flynn-common-cause-leader-and-ct-reformer-dies/
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"Financials". Common Cause Education Fund. Retrieved 2018-05-06. https://www.commoncause.org/education-fund/about-us/financials/