Editing Common Cause (section)

{{Short description|Watchdog group advocating government reform}}
{{other uses|Common Cause (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox organization
| name                     = Common Cause
| formation                = {{start date and age|1970}}
| founded_date             = 
| founder                  = [[John W. Gardner]]
| logo                     = File:Common Cause logo.png
| logo_size                = 220px
| location                 = [[Washington, D.C.]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| area_served              = United States
| origins                  = 
| key_people               = 
| focus                    = 
| method                   = Advocacy
| revenue                  = 
| owner                    = 
| dissolved                = 
| type                     = 501(c)4 organization
| tax_id                   = 52-6078441
| website                  = {{Official URL}}
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''Common Cause''' is a watchdog group based in [[Washington, D.C.]], with chapters in 35 states. It was founded in 1970 by [[John W. Gardner]], a Republican, who was the [[Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare]] in the administration of President [[Lyndon Johnson]] as well as chair of the National Urban Coalition, an advocacy group for minorities and the working poor in urban areas.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XO9nBwAAQBAJ&q=%22common+cause%22+%22vietnam+war%22+%22voting+age%22&pg=PA139|title=Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints and Voices|last1=Chapman|first1=Roger|last2=Ciment|first2=James|date=2015-03-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317473510|language=en}}</ref> In its early days, Common Cause focused its efforts on ending the [[Vietnam War]] and lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.commoncause.org/about/our-impact/faq/|title=FAQ|website=Common Cause|access-date=2017-03-07|archive-date=2017-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303102208/http://www.commoncause.org/about/our-impact/faq/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Sometimes identified as liberal-leaning,<ref>Dan Eggen, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/21/AR2011032104688.html Pompeo draws liberal groups' ire], ''The Washington Post'' (March 21, 2011): "Common Cause, a liberal-leaning group"</ref><ref name="BykowiczAP2016">Julie Bykowicz, [http://bigstory.ap.org/article/3873292a17b244b8ba2471ee76ec16a0/will-washington-shout-down-voice-trump-voters Will Washington shout down the 'voice' of Trump voters?], Associated Press (November 28, 2016): "a liberal-leaning government watchdog."</ref> Common Cause has also been identified as nonpartisan and advocates government reform.<ref>Stacy Stowe, [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/19/nyregion/backburner-issues-too-hot-to-handle.html Back-Burner Issues Too Hot to Handle], ''The New York Times'' (June 19, 2005): "government-reform groups like Common Cause"</ref><ref>Mark Berman, William Wan & Sari Horwitz, [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/ Voters encounter some malfunctioning machines, other headaches on Election Day]: "Volunteers with Common Cause, a nonpartisan government reform group..."</ref><ref>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."</ref> It is identified with the reformist "[[Good Government Organizations (United States)|good government]]" movement<ref>Dan Eggen, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/09/AR2011020906679.html 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."</ref><ref>William Neuman, [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/21/nyregion/city-council-state-lawmakers.html?_r=0 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"</ref><ref>Dean E. Murphy, [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/us/ohio-critics-of-gop-start-battle-to-change-election-process.html 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."</ref> and is often described as a [[watchdog group]].<ref name="BykowiczAP2016"/><ref>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..."</ref> The organization's tagline is "holding power accountable" and its stated mission is "upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.commoncause.org/about|title=About Us|publisher=Common Cause|access-date=7 June 2019}}</ref>