In the lesson 5 discussion, you chose a bill to explore and looked at how your representative or senator voted on that bill. Now, let’s follow the money that may have influenced that vote.
Go to OpenSecrets.org
For background information: Scroll down the homepage and explore the different options for tracking money in politics. For example, there is a “Recent Reports” section that provides various Scorecards on Lobbying, information on Dark Money, and Political Action Committees (PACS). Explore the Learning Center at the bottom of the page.
At the top of the page, click on the Candidates & Officeholders link and choose the Get Local option. Find one of your senators or representatives to Congress. Under their picture, click on their name in order to find their profile. You can choose different election cycles or Career details. Once on your senator or representative’s page, explore each of the links in the top navigation bar (Summary, Elections, Industries, PACs, Contributors, Geography).
Identify three clues or areas of concern that might impact your congressperson’s votes.
How much does your representative or senator receive in direct (hard money) donations, and where does that money come from?
What Political Action committees, lobbyists, or other Special Interest Groups or donors might influence your representative or Senator’s vote on your chosen bill or other bills?
Is there any evidence of soft or dark money? What about evidence of the representative or senator adding a porkbarrel project to the bill?
Example area of concern: There is a Georgia congressperson who gets more money from out-of-state donations than from in-state. Why? Why might this be of concern?
Assignment:
The goal here is for you to assess how the money influences our representatives (House of Representatives) or senators (Senate) and in turn, impacts the other branches of government. Be creative here and think outside the box. Remember to support your ideas with valid points, examples from the course readings, or other trusted sources, and to cite those sources.
The Task: Write a minimum of 800 words. APA citiations.
Introduction: Define terms key to your research, present three points of concern, and give a clearly defined thesis statement or main point of your paper. How to Write an Introduction Article by Grammarly.
First through Third Body Paragraphs: In each body paragraph, discuss one point to support your thesis statement or main point of your paper.
Conclusion Paragraph: Wrap up and summarize your points, especially as they pertain to the thesis statement or main point of your paper. In your conclusion, don’t forget to explain how an influenced congressperson might then influence other branches of government. Link the assignment to the material covered in class.
