Correspondence from Citizens to Common Cause -- Sun City, 1980-1989

The Arizona Common Cause Records contain correspondence, memoranda, minutes, agendae, speeches, reports, press releases, rosters and printed material dating from 1970 to 1993. These materials record government reform campaigns carried out by a citizens' lobby. The records are divided into six series: Common Cause Administrative Records, Issue Files, State Agency Evaluations, Individual Biographical Files, Newsletters and News Releases, and Miscellaneous Materials.

The Common Cause Administrative Records contain correspondence, memoranda, minutes, speeches, reports, press releases and printed matter. These materials range in date from 1974 to 1993 and are divided into two subseries: Correspondence and Miscellaneous Records. Box 2, Folder 9 contains a press release concerning an ethics investigation of Speaker of the [U.S.] House Jim Wright. Box 2, Folder 10 includes a memorandum about national youth service. Correspondence concerning five senators who supported financier Charles Keating as he faced state and federal civil and criminal charges of fraud is housed in Box 3, Folder 12. In Box 6, memoranda on health insurance matters can be found in Folders 9 and 10, while press releases on that subject are held in Folders 15 and 16. In Box 7, Folder 11, a publication of the national organization entitled A Decade of Common Cause explains the lobbyist group's origins and goals as well as the events that its members considered to be their main achievements during their first ten years of work. Boxes 3 through 7 contain numerous folders including material on the subject of campaign finance reform.

The Issue Files contain correspondence, memoranda, speeches, reports, press releases and printed matter dating from 1970 to 1993. They are divided into eight subseries: Political Issues, Environmental Issues, Military Affairs Issues, Health Care Issues, Energy Conservation and Water Supply Issues, Governmental Reform, Miscellaneous Issues and Issue Polls. Boxes 10 through 15, as well as Box 18, Folder 1 and 4 through 4b, contain many more items that discuss campaign finance reform. Box 25, Folder 2 and Box 41, Folder 6 contain opinion surveys on various Common Cause issues that were provided to Arizona legislators as they left office. Box 44, Folder 7 has memoranda, a press release, a television transcript, and printed matter concerning Jim Wright. Box 44, Folder 8 and Boxes 45 through 48 contain numerous items that recount the Arizona governorship, impeachment and criminal prosecution of Evan Mecham. Box 56, Folder 6 houses a clipping file on the Central Arizona Project. Box 56, Folder 7 contains minutes and an article on that subject and Folder 8 houses study reports.

State Agency Evaluations are printed matter. This series comprises annual reports, performance audits, and other effectiveness measurements of Arizona government departments conducted between 1971 and 1990.

The Individual Biographical Files are preponderantly clipping files with occasional items of correspondence. The individuals concerned are Arizona congressmen, state legislators, and other persons of political prominence. Their biographies were compiled between 1975 and 1992.

Newsletters and News Releases contains newsletters from other state or regional chapters collected by Arizona Common Cause between 1975 and 1993, as well as national and state chapter press releases dating from 1978 to 1990.

The Miscellaneous Materials series contains memoranda, minutes, agendae, speeches, rosters, press releases, pre-prepared correspondence forms, and printed matter. These items vary in date from 1977 to 1986. They represent a large aggregation of unsorted, unfoldered materials that the archivist arranged by type and chronology.