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Common Cause Records
Notifications
Held at: Princeton University Library: Public Policy Papers [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Public Policy Papers. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Common Cause is a non-profit advocacy organization committed to honest, open and accountable government and participation in the democratic process. The group was founded in 1970 by John Gardner, who served as the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Lyndon B. Johnson and later as chairman of the National Urban Coalition. Originally created with the intention of representing citizens' interests in Washington, the group soon became a vehicle for protesting the Vietnam War. Since its inception, Common Cause has remained committed to the ideals of democracy and fair government, leading fights for campaign finance reforms, ethics and accountability, and open government at all levels, as well as civil rights legislation, wasteful weapons programs, and voting process reforms.
Consists of the records of Common Cause, a non-partisan citizens' lobby. Included are files of various staff members, such as John W. Gardner, Robert E. Gallamore, David Cohen, Georgia Rathbun, and Nan Waterman; general correspondence; reports of projects and studies; recordings of meetings and testimonies of staff, including Archibald Cox (elected chairman in 1980), before congressional committees; copies of "Letters to the Hill" (1971-1981); state files; and other corporate papers. Also present are the files (1968-1970) of a predecessor organization, the Urban Coalition Action Council. Material is added to the archives as it becomes currently available.
This is an unprocessed collection and remains in its original arrangement.
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
This is an unprocessed collection. The contents list provided is a preliminary inventory.
Biography written by Jessica Marati, '08.
Portions of the inventory created by Tal Eisenzweig in August 2008.
No information about appraisal is available for this collection.
People
- Cohen, David (1932)
- Cox, Archibald (1912-2004)
- Gallamore, Robert E.
- Gardner, John W. (John William) (1912-2002)
- Rathbun, Georgia.
- Waterman, Nan
Organization
Subject
- Corporations, Nonprofit -- United States. -- 20th century
- Campaign funds -- United States. -- 20th century
- Elections -- United States -- Campaign funds. -- 20th century
- Lobbyists -- United States. -- 20th century
- Lobbying -- United States. -- 20th century
- Political conventions -- United States. -- 20th century
- Political letter-writing -- United States. -- 20th century
- Presidents -- United States -- Election. -- 20th century
- Public interest -- United States. -- 20th century
- Publisher
- Public Policy Papers
- Finding Aid Author
- Tal Eisenzweig
- Finding Aid Date
- 2001
- Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
Collection Inventory
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Includes working drafts and promotional materials of speeches, press statements, direct mail membership solicitations, etc.
Physical Description3 boxes
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Physical Description6 boxes
Includes: Articles of Incorporation and By-laws (with amendments); Governing Board Minutes and other Governing Board papers [Common Cause was established in Aug. 1970], April 8, 1968 - Nov. 4, 1970
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Note on the "Washington Connection":
In 1973 Common Cause abandoned a system of regional offices which had been responsible for local organizing and relaying requests for action from the national office to the local organizations in the Congressional Districts, because the extra organizational layer turned out to slow down transmission of information and requests for action. Instead, an operation known ever since as the "Washington Connection" was instituted, made up of volunteers in the national office who are responsible for communication with the volunteers in one or more Congressional Districts or an entire state. These volunteers work closely with staff members who oversee operations in their states and are in touch by telephone at least weekly with key Common Cause volunteers in each Congressional District. This system makes possible quick relaying of information on how a Senator or Representative has voted and on action needed at the grassroots level. It also gathers information from the local volunteers on what the legislator has said at home about Common Cause issues, for prompt relay to the appropriate lobbyists in the national office.
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Folders in box detail Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, 2 folders of California
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Physical Description8 boxes
Information on each state about how to become a delegate to the Democratic and Republican national conventions was made available to Common Cause members.
Physical Description1 box
Includes a statement by John W. Gardner, Chairman, Common Cause, before the Democratic Platform Committee, June 25, 1972, as well as lists of delegates/alternates, Common Cause members, members of the Credentials, Platform and Rules Committees, "Advocates", etc.
Physical Description1 box
Includes lists of delegates, Common Cause members, members of the Credential, Platform and Rules Committees, "Advocates, as well as other items.
Physical Description1 box
Note on the campaign:
Because Common Cause is a nonpartisan organization that does not support or oppose candidates for public office, it has had to devise its own special way of participating in election campaigns. In every Congressional campaign year, beginning in 1972, Common Cause has developed questionnaires on key Common Cause issues, which are submitted to all candidates in every Congressional race.
Candidates are asked to respond and told that their responses will be made public prior to the election. Then, in the next Congress, favorable responses by winning candidates are used ads lobbying tools to hold the Senators and Representatives to their campaign commitments.
In 1972 an "Open Up The System (OUTS) coordinator was recruited to coordinate the program in each Congressional District. The Materials in this box are those prepared to assist these coordinators during the first part of the program and then to report to them the progress being made in Congress on the key issues of open meetings, seniority system and other reforms.
Physical Description1 box
Note on the project:
In 1973 Common Cause lobbied Congress to open up the Highway Trust Fund for other uses, including Mass transit. The material was the working file of the Washington Connection supervisor and consists primarily of items prepared for the use of members in their Congressional districts.
Physical Description1 box
Note on the project:
After the so-called "Saturday Night Massacre" in Oct. 1973 when Archibald Cox was fired as the Watergate Special Prosecutor and Elliot Richardson and William Ruckelshaus resigned as Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, Common Cause staff and volunteers telephoned Common Cause activists across the country to get their reactions and their views about an appropriate role for Common Cause. The results were compiled for consideration at a special meeting of the Governing Board in Nov. 1973.
Physical Description1 box
Includes Special Prosecutor Bills and analyses, briefings and lobby reports, press releases, etc.
Physical Description1 box
The materials were prepared for the use of Common Cause 'members in the Congressional District organizations in lobbying for campaign finance reform.
Physical Description1 box
Note on the project:
After significant Congressional actions on Common Cause issues, the entire office staff and volunteers are briefed by the legislative staff on the action taken, including which Representatives and senators were leading supporters or opponents of Common Cause position. These briefings are tape recorded so that volunteers from the Washington Connection (responsible for telephone liaison with active volunteers in each Congressional District) could listen to the briefing if they were not present in the office the day it took place. Information gained from the briefings is transmitted by the Washington Connection volunteers to the activists in the Congressional District, giving them a prompt and vivid report on how their Representative performed and whether he/she should be publicly thanked or criticized. Briefings are also held on significant internal Common Cause events.
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Physical Description22 boxes
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Includes the following:
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Includes the following:
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9 boxes
[Terminated]
Physical Description1 box
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[Terminated and replaced by Common Cause Magazine in Oct. 1980]
Physical Description1 box
In 1975, the publication was sent only to about 12,000 Common Cause activists but starting in 1976, it was sent to all Common Cause members until it was terminated and replaced by Common Cause Magazine in Oct. 1980.
Physical Description1 box
The first-issue appeared in Oct. 1980 but it was published as Vol. 6, No. 4 because the series of volume numbers of its predecessor, FrontLine, were continued in the new publication.
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An informal information sheet which is distributed weekly to the staff and volunteers provides a. glimpse into the week-to-week operations at Common Cause headquarters, a record of contacts by Common Cause members with government officials, etc.
Physical Description1 box
Inventories listing the subject matter of the press releases are filed in Boxes 1 116-122 in the front of the folders which are arranged in chronological order by the months of each of the following years:
Physical Description7 boxes
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No arrangement action taken or arrangement information not recorded at the time of processing.
[John W. Gardner's letters, speeches, etc. are filed in Boxes 10-25.]
Physical Description7 boxes
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Inventories similar to the following lists are filed in Boxes 131-132 in the front of each folder by year.
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Physical Description30 boxes
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Includes "In the Public Interest Broadcast, 1977
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Physical Description103 boxes
Representative correspondence between Headquarters and the Field concerning development of Field Organizations.
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(a subject list is filed in-the box)
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(An inventory listing the subject matter of the press releases is filed in the front of the boxes)
Physical Description3 boxes
An interesting collection of incoming citizen mail and CC replies thereto for 1974 for the States of Maryland through Wisconsin, plus a small group from overseas. These are arranged chronologically, by States, and cover a wide range of issues and concerns.
Physical Description9 boxes
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These outgoing letters, are in reply to citizens' inquiries (which are not available). There are field chronologically only. Robert Meier was the corresponding Secretary for CC during this period.
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Other memos too.
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(Representative Issues, Aug & Nov. '83; Mar&July '84)
Physical Description1 folder
E.R.A. Various Communications & C.C. Media Issuances
Physical Description1 folder
Misc. CC. Policy Statements and Communications with the Hill.
Physical Description1 folder
Arms Control (SALT II Misc.)
Physical Description1 folder
Ethics in Government: Campaign Standards for Presidential Candidates.
Physical Description1 folder
Campaign for Political Reform. (Includes C.C. commentary on the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 and various CC documents relating to the proposed Clean Elections Act of 1973.)
Physical Description1 folder
Tax Reform (Representative CC Papers in the 1974-1977 period concerning tax reform)
Physical Description1 folder
Free Flow of Information (Various Representative CC Issuances relating to the Free Flow of Information Act of 1973. NOTE: See also Files on "OPEN-UP-THE-SYSTEM")
Physical Description1 folder
"American Voices". This set is complete covering the period from 1 Feb. through 23 July 1982, for Radio Broadcast. These cover issues of interest to CC. Also included is a listing of "Cleared" stations, as of March 1982.
Physical Description1 folder
Published articles by John W. Gardner (1970-) "Public Interest & Citizens Views," editorials by John W. Gardner, undated but appearing in the late 1970's (Representative set)
Physical Description1 folder
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