COMMON CAUSE/MINNESOTA:

An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society

Manuscripts Collection

OVERVIEW


	Creator:	Common Cause/Minnesota, creator.
	Title:	Organizational records.
	Dates:	1970-2000.
	Language:	Materials in English.
	Abstract:	Records of a local branch of Common Cause (U.S.) which lobbies for government accountability, ethics, and open records.
	Quantity:	5.75 cubic feet (6 boxes).
	Location:	See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

Common Cause/Minnesota, a local branch of the national organization Common Cause (U.S.), acts as a citizen lobby group and a watch dog on issues of government responsibility, accountability and disclosure. The group advocates for "Sunshine laws" intended to "open up the system" to public scrutiny and "Sunset legislation" that "instigates mechanisms for periodic review and assessment to determine that current legislation is serving its intended public purpose."

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SCOPE AND CONTENTS

The collection is divided into three sections. The first section is the Organizational Files, which consist of correspondence, miscellaneous papers, bylaws, membership information, financial records, newsletters, printed materials, and minutes of the Executive Committee, the Board of Governors, and the Project Action Committee (PAC). The second section is the Political Action Files, which contain correspondence, miscellaneous papers, and reports by congressional district and state legislative district. The third section is the Subject Files, which include files on issues such as: conflicts of interest, the Equal Rights Amendment, ethics in government, monitoring political campaigns, and public financing of campaigns.

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ARRANGEMENT

These records are divided into the following three sections:


		Organizational Files
		Political Action Files
		Subject Files

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Common Cause/Minnesota Organizational records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 12,404; 12,539; 16,825

Processing Information:

Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, April 1980; additions by David B. Peterson, November 2013

Catalog ID number: 990017353400104294

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

ORGANIZATIONAL FILES, 1970-2000

Location

Box

152.F.16.2F

Action Club, 1989.

Annual report to Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, 1991-1999.

Background/brochures, etc. undated and 1992.

Budget, 1997-1998.

Bylaws, lists of officers, 1973-1988.

Check register, 1993-2000.

Communications Committee, 1976-1977.

Correspondence, 1989-1995. 10 folders.

Governing Board:

Job descriptions, undated.

Meetings, 1993-1995. 2 folders.

Nominating Committee, circa 1992-1995.

Member applications, circa 1987-1999.

Past board member applications, 1996-1998.

Potential members, circa 1997-1998.

Rosters, 1987-1999.

Index to board resolutions, circa 1974-1982.

Guidelines and organizational structure, 1973-1975.

Location

Box

152.F.16.3B

Position statements, 1974-1975.

Heinz C. Iwen presentations:

1. Representation ideas, undated. 1 videocassette (VHS).

2. Return on investment, undated. 1 videocasssette (VHS).

3. Lobbying reform, undated. 1 videocassette (VHS).

4. Studies, undated. 1 videocassette (VHS).

Membership information and statistics, 1972-1976, 1982-1995. 3 folders.

Includes information abut the Calling project.

Financial records:

Monthly financial statements, 1973-1977.

Contribution and membership transmittals, 1974-1975. 3 folders.

Fund raising, 1974-1976. 2 folders.

Reports, surveys, and similar papers:

Miscellaneous reports, 1974-1976.

Task Force on State Review, 1976.

National Issues Update-Summary, 1975-1976.

Lobbyist: Reports and other papers, 1975-1976.

Lobbyist disbursement reports, 1980-1999. 2 folders.

Location

Box

152.F.16.4F

Manuals and notebooks, 1974-1976. 4 folders.

Minutes:

Executive Committee, April 1974-December 1976.

Board of Governors, April 1975-November 1976.

Project Action Committee (PAC), October 1973-September 1976.

Other committee conferences, reports and papers, 1974-1976.

Correspondence and miscellaneous papers, 1973-1977.

News column, 1978.

Newsletters:

Common Cause in Minnesota, 1973-1976, 1979-1981.

Scattered issues.

Frontline, 1975-1976.

In Common, 1973-1976.

Legislative Report, 1973-1974.

Report from Washington, 1970-1975.

Office lease, 1999.

Organizational changes, 1995.

Personnel policies, 1988.

Press clippings, 1978-1979.

Press releases, 1977-1978, 1980-1992.

Printed materials, undated and 1973-1975.

Speech material, 1980-1984.

Speeches: Archibald Cox address at Central Presbyterian Church, April 7, 1984. 1 sound cassette.

Tenth anniversary celebration, 1980.

Twentieth anniversary celebration:

September 1990. 1 videocassette (VHS).

Speech of Archibald Cox, 1990. 1 videocassette (VHS).

Speech of Fred Wertheimer, 1990. 1 videocassette (VHS).

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POLITICAL ACTION FILES, 1973-1976

Location

Box

153.I.6.12F

Congressional districts:

Correspondence and miscellaneous papers, 1973-1976.

Reports by district, 1975-1976.

Legislature:

Correspondence and miscellaneous papers, 1974-1976.

Reports by district, 1-8, 1974-1976. 8 folders.

The material is related to state legislative districts, although the main organization of the files is by Congressional district.

Phase III and Phase IV files:

Phase IV miscellaneous papers, 1975.

Phase III and IV funding states, undated. 2 folders.

Phase IV budgets, personnel, funding proposals, and similar papers, 1974-1975. 3 folders.

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SUBJECT FILES, 1972-1998

Location

Box

153.I.6.12F

Anderson, Irvin, 1996.

Bertram, Jeff, 1996.

Campaign files, 1974, 1976. 6 folders.

Questionnaires and similar papers on state and national elections.

Location

Box

153.I.6.13B

Campaign files, 1976.

Campaign finance, 1980-1987, 1989, 1991, 1996. 3 folders.

Carter: National issues, 1976.

Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREP) suit, 1973-1974.

Conflicts of interest, 1975-1977. 2 folders.

Includes the Robert Sikes case.

Congressional reform, 1975-1976.

Duluth issues/visits, 1986-1989, 1992.

Energy conference, 1975.

Equal Rights Amendment (Minnesota and national), 1975-1977.

Ethics in government:

Ethics and financial disclosure, 1975-1976.

State Ethics Commission, 1974-1976.

Includes the case of Buckley vs. Valeo and legislative reform briefing.

Federal tax check-off, 1974-1975.

Gardner visit, 1974.

Gun control, 1976.

Issues conference, 1984. 3 folders.

Karth, Joseph E.: Financial disclosures, 1972.

Legislative agenda, 1977, 1988, 1995, 1998. 2 folders.

Legislative study, 1984-1992.

Monitoring: Financing state and national campaigns, 1975-1976.

Omnibus reforms, 1986-1992.

Location

Box

153.I.6.14F

Public financing of Congressional and Presidential campaigns, 1975-1976. 2 folders.

Reapportionment, 1977-1978.

State activities (non-Minnesota), 1974-1975.

State issues, 1995-1996.

State issues committee, 1986-1987.

St. Paul Ethics Board, 1992-1993.

Sunshine laws (open meetings), 1975-1976.

Tobacco issues, 1990s-1998. 4 folders.

Voter efficacy survey, 1998.

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CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Campaign funds -- Law and legislation.; Conflict of interests.; Equal rights amendments.; Government liability.; Lobbying.; Political ethics.

Organizations:: United States. Congress.

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