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Even before Green New Deal, advocates were getting minimal energy industry support

Opponents of the Green New Deal have on average received 24 times more campaign cash from big oil and gas interests than sponsors of the proposal, which aims to slow the American contribution to climate change by remaking the domestic economy and launching an enormous federal public works effort.

An analysis for Fast Company by MapLight, which researches the consequences of the current campaign finance system, found the 90 Democratic sponsors of a non-binding House measure sketching out the idea have received just $37,175 in campaign donations – an average of $413 each – from the 10 largest publicly traded U.S. oil and gas companies since 2017. Meanwhile, the 344 other members cumulatively received 91 times more money. Those 197 Republicans and 145 Democrats took almost $3.4 million from the energy companies, an average of $9,876 per lawmaker.


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Voting Booths set up in rows on Election Day

Faith leaders can help renew America's social and civil contracts by protecting every eligible vote and honoring lawful results. Here's how to get involved.

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Dignity, Democracy, and the Courage to Stay Engaged

Crises are arriving faster than we can absorb them: climate, loneliness, artificial intelligence, housing, addiction, debt. In communities across Washington state, what I see is not mainly anger. It is a sense of being overwhelmed.

When everything feels urgent, people are tempted to withdraw. And when enough of us quietly withdraw, we can begin to believe that nothing works anymore and the rules no longer apply.

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United States Capitol building with US flag

United States Capitol building shows classical architecture and an American flag waving against a clear blue sky.

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Our Democracy Is a Beast, When It Should Be a Buffalo

The Fulcrum is committed to nurturing the next generation of journalists.

We asked Alejo Cruz, a Fall Fulcrum Fellow, to share what democracy means to him and how he sees its current health.

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Hand with "VOTE" stickers

Hand with "VOTE" stickers

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California’s 22nd District and the Myth of the Predictable Voter

For years, I thought California’s Central Valley presented one of the more puzzling electorates I encountered as a public-opinion researcher.

I conducted dozens of surveys throughout the Valley, including communities that would eventually become parts of David Valadao’s congressional districts. One pattern was difficult to miss. Democratic registration, particularly among Latino voters, often suggested a considerably more Democratic electorate than appeared on Election Day. Participation was uneven, and Latino Democratic registration did not translate into equivalent electoral strength.

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