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The Voter’s Speakeasy featuring unbiased reporting and insight into life at Vote Smart from our staff, interns, and volunteers.

Get Smart on Defense

2012 July 18

At the beginning of this week, 67 years ago, the United States completed the first ever test of a nuclear weapon. A landmark moment in the history of this country's defense – and defense spending. By some estimates, the entire project cost over $2 billion (over $21 billion in today's dollars), which, considering the already tight defense budget for the ongoing war effort, was no small sum.
 
Today defense, and defense spending, are still major issues. The ongoing conflict in Syria, and the U.S. response, has elicited strong reactions from congressmen, while President Obama has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the issue (among many other things).
 
And news from Syria can be set against the back drop of a possible vote this week in the house regarding “the sequester” – a variety of automatic cuts, some in our defense spending, that will take effect next January, as a result of S 365, the Budget Control Act of 2011 (you've probably heard it called “The Debt Ceiling Debate”).
 
At votesmart.org you can find out how your representatives feel about defense and defense spending in a few different ways:
 
You can see how they've been rated by special interests groups that fall under our Defense, National Security, Military Issues, or Foreign Aid and Policies issues category.
 
You can see if they've responded to the defense-related questions we asked on our Political Courage Test regarding spending cuts and our involvement in Afghanistan.
 
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July Common Ground E-Newsletter

2012 July 13

 Sign up for our monthly E-Newsletter here.

236 Years Later - Get the Facts you Deserve!

2012 July 05

We celebrate the 4th of July with parades, barbecues and fireworks and sometimes forget about the 14th of January, “Ratification Day”, which commemorates the ratification of the Treaty of Paris in 1784; 8 hard fought years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. And it wasn't just 8 years of suffering and sacrifice that secured the promise laid down in that original document. In many ways we're still fighting for it today. 

June Common Ground E-Newsletter

2012 June 12

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March Common Ground E-Newsletter

2012 March 15

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Common Ground E-Newsletter, February

2012 February 07

Oregon major party candidates lacking political courage

2012 January 09

We released the 2012 Political Courage Test results today for Oregon's special election showing neither major party congressional candidate running for the state's 1st Congressional District seat was willing to answer even the most basic issue-related questions addressed inside the Test.

Why I volunteer

2011 November 17

Voters aren’t stupid; they know that political ads are emotionally deceptive, and they hunger for real facts. Project Vote Smart can help. Why do I volunteer here? Because it matters.

Find your Political Soulmate with VoteEasy

2011 November 04

With the presidential election exactly one year away, Project Vote Smart has launched VoteEasy (winner of the best there is at the 2011 Webvisionary Awards), the interactive tool for voters to instantly see which presidential candidate they are most compatible with. To use VoteEasy now visit www.votesmart.org.

Vote Easy for the Win

2011 August 30

The 2011 Webvisonary Awards (Web Academy Awards) selects VoteEasy as the best there is.  

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