Resources for Campaign Finance Data in U.S. Politics: Follow the Money!
Are you interested in learning more about financial contributions from individuals and interest groups to politicians and hot political issues? Campaign expenditures data sheds light on how committees and candidates spend the money they raised and highlights who may benefit the most from those expenditures. Lobbyists and Super PACs are often viewed by Americans as having too much influence on members of Congress making transparency in donations critical to address reform. To learn more about money in politics, visit these non-partisan websites, OpenSecrets.org and OregonVotes.gov. Read below for more information.
Where can I find national and state data?
OpenSecrets.org – nonprofit organization based in Washington D.C.
● Tracks comprehensive data on campaign finance
● Supplies financial data on elections, politicians, ballot measures, political ads, companies, industries, organizations, and more
● Reports on federal and state political lobbying trends
Looking for additional local data?
OregonVotes.gov – provided by the Oregon Secretary of State
- Provides local campaign donation data
- Allows searching by candidate name and by year
- Contains Oregon’s campaign finance laws
Want additional information?
Feel free to contact Holly Gabriel, Open Access & Government Information Librarian, Hannon Library, at gabrielh@sou.edu.
