Follow the Money Running Your State

If you haven't already been to the Institute's Web site, www.followthemoney.org, I would urge you to do so. They have the most comprehensive set of state-level campaign-finance data in the country, and offer it all for free via the site. They added a custom search query, under 'more search options, that lets users build their own SQL queries of any subset of data.

The Institute uses its multi state, multiyear databases to research trends in political giving, examine how contributions drive public policy debates in the states and the nation, and see how special interests give across state lines.

Poke around with the data for your state. Dig into the state giving of donors to your opposition and find out why legislation gets stuck in committee.