Interest Group Design: The Foundation and Evolution of Common Cause by Marcie Reynolds

Author:Marcie Reynolds [Reynolds, Marcie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: International Relations, European, Political Science, World, General
ISBN: 9781000004786
Google: Zh-eDwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 44229769
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-06-07T10:13:39+00:00

Public Opinion and Cynicism

In a 2014 interview with historian Pauline Peretz, Fred Wertheimer (Common Cause President from 1981 to 1995) assessed changes in public opinion. He observed in the late 1960s and early 1970s “people were angry and upset, but they were not cynical . . . [they thought something] could be done and did do something, as opposed to today.” He added now it is more difficult to get people to think something can be done. Congress is totally dysfunctional (“you can’t pass anything”) and the Supreme Court is very hostile.

Public opinion polls (see Appendix B: Government Operations and Public Trust) empirically support Wertheimer’s assessment. Recently, the number of people who believe government operations is the most important problem rose to mid-1970s Watergate-era levels. Trust in the federal government to do what is right almost all of the time is lower than it has ever been in over fifty years of poll data.

A Common Cause leader recalled the organization’s original vision was that everyone shares an interest in government operating in its proper arena in line with governance integrity being a public quality (based on “Representing Public Qualities,” Sultan Tepe and Andrew McFarland, typescript, University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Political Science), whatever their ideological perspective. Yet in 2014 “People have a sense government is rigged by the wealthy which leads to a toxic downturn in participation.” Cynicism rose as increasing amounts of money were spent during elections, the Supreme Court undid campaign finance reforms, presidents disappointed, and Congress was viewed as a “joke.”

Congruence between Common Cause issues, public opinion, and political opportunities changed over the organization’s history. Common Cause arose in conjunction with the social movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s and quickly attracted a national following. Forty years later its name is less well known. Leaders explained Common Cause’s voice has been joined by many other groups’ voices over the years, which tended to drown them out. In the mid-2000s, Common Cause issues, public opinion, and political opportunity coalesced around congressional ethics reform. Common Cause, and other groups, worked to hold lobbyists and Members of Congress accountable.

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