WASHINGTON — There's an irony in the Internal Revenue Service's crackdown on conservative groups. The nation's tax agency has admitted to inapp...

Money in politics corruption is universally reviled by the American public. It blocks progress on most issues, squanders billions of dollars from philanthropists and stymies the most skillful public interest advocates. It even drives issues like the sizzling IRS scandal, though you wouldn't know it by watching the news. But it would be foolish to believe that a culture of corruption that developed over decades can be undone overnight. It will take time, exactly the same kind of slow and painful social change that created the corruption in the first place. We have to create the conditions where politicians representing their constituents is "normal." And even if we do, all politicians will not suddenly become enlightened. It just means we'll have a better chance that the actual needs of society will more frequently be met by the actions of its government.

After an election in which hundreds of millions of dollars were funneled through "dark money" nonprofit groups by people like Karl Rove, campaign fina...

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) unloaded about the "soul-crushing" fundraising work required to run a political campaign, speaking at ...

By the time we reach the 2014 election, almost one third of the current Senate will have resigned in the past three elections. Recent reports indicate that those formerly considered to be virtually automatic candidates are rejecting the opportunity to seek the vacated seats.

In downtown New York City on Wednesday, state Sen. Jeff Klein, the leader of the Independent Democratic Conference, launched the first of four public ...

WASHINGTON -- All five sitting commissioners at the Federal Election Commission are now serving expired terms, while the sixth seat remains unfilled s...

WASHINGTON -- Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) unveiled on Tuesday the first bipartisan campaign disclosure bill in the Senate s...

It's heartbreakingly clear that the Democrats won't act courageously. But a number of non-partisan outside groups will.

Many taxpayers are tired of supporting a government that spends enormous amounts of money but can't take the most basic steps to protect them and their children from harm.

WASHINGTON -- Before the next election cycle heats up, state lawmakers are trying to rein in the independent groups that -- thanks to the Supreme Cour...

Politicians running for office in Arizona could soon be able to raise far more money from donors if a bill passed by the state legislature is signed i...

BOSTON -- Operating with few rules and limited oversight, outside groups spent a record $1 billion to influence last year's election. Politicians of ...

WASHINGTON -- In early 2011, after Republicans swept into power in both houses of the North Carolina state legislature, the conservative John Locke Fo...

WASHINGTON -- After letting its public campaign financing system become obsolete, Hawaii is finally moving forward with a bill to bring the 30-year-ol...

A coalition of groups calling for public financing of candidates in New York is launching an advertising and grassroots push on Monday to raise awaren...

The Democratic-controlled West Virginia House of Delegates voted Thursday to call on Congress to enact a constitutional amendment overturning the Citi...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's reformatted campaign organization held a conference call with New York state supporters Wednesday night to stok...

The reorganized Obama campaign, now called Organizing for Action, is jumping into the New York state legislative effort, pushed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (...

Elections have become auctions, and nearly every issue is paralyzed by the overwhelming influence of money. But you knew that. The real challenge is how to fix what has become one of our nation's most pressing political challenges. Despite noble efforts, the public interest community has made little headway over the past 40 years. To break that losing streak, it requires that we rethink reform strategies and go big. Really big. And it requires that we replace cynicism about prospects for success with recognition that giving up is tantamount to giving up on the future of our nation. Democracy cannot and will not survive unless reformers and philanthropists rethink reform completely. The stakes are that high.

McCutcheon presents an opportunity for the Supreme Court to reaffirm the importance of contribution limits in preventing political corruption and to recognize their role in promoting electoral competition. The Court should adhere to firmly established precedent and uphold the aggregate contribution limit.

The Democratic National Committee will not have to repay the full $10 million line of credit from Duke Energy -- the country’s largest electric powe...