Follow the filings and the votes

What does a politics and policy reporter cover?

A politics and policy reporter covers elections, campaigns, legislatures and the executive branch, plus the laws and budgets they produce. The beat also covers the money, polls and interest groups that shape those decisions.

Go to the filing, the bill text, the budget score or the poll's full results before you repeat a claim. Parties, campaigns, think tanks and advocacy groups are sources with a stake, so label them and check their numbers.

Start here

Elections and campaign finance

Cite the filing or the official record, and note the reporting period it covers.

• Federal Election Commission: Search contributions and spending by candidates, parties and PACs. Also has campaign finance law and guidance for committees.
• The Electoral College (National Archives): Explains the presidential election process, with contacts for state officials and answers to common questions.

Congress, budgets and the states

• Congressional Budget Office: Nonpartisan cost estimates, budget projections and economic analysis for Congress.
• Roll Call: News outlet covering Capitol Hill, campaigns, the White House and policy areas from defense to health care.
• Stateline: State policy news on health, democracy, the economy, the environment and criminal justice. Now part of States Newsroom.

Polling and statistics

Report who ran the poll, who paid for it, when it was in the field, the sample and the margin of error.

• PollingReport.com: Collects poll results on elections, issues and the economy, with trend graphics and state poll information.
• Gallup: Polling and analytics firm. The home page now leads with workplace consulting, so search the site for the public opinion survey you need.
• STATS check (Sense About Science USA): Free help for journalists from volunteer statisticians, run with the American Statistical Association. Successor to the Statistical Assessment Service.

Policy research and think tanks

Think tanks produce useful research, but many argue for a result. Read the methods and note who funds the work.

• RAND: Nonprofit research institution. Studies on national security, health, education, the environment and other policy areas.
• Urban Institute: Social and economic policy research, with data and analysis on issues that affect households and communities.
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Research on federal and state budget and tax policy. States that its goal is to reduce poverty and inequality.
• Ethics and Public Policy Center: Washington institute that states it applies the Judeo-Christian moral tradition to public policy questions.

Parties and advocacy groups

These sources speak for a party, a cause or a political view. Quote them as interested parties and check their claims against the record.

• Republican National Committee (Party): National committee of the Republican Party. Statements, positions and party news.
• Democratic National Committee (Party): National committee of the Democratic Party. Statements, positions and party news.
• Common Cause (Advocacy): Advocacy on voting, ethics and government accountability, with state chapters and court work.
• Taxpayers for Common Sense (Advocacy): Self-described nonpartisan group that tracks federal spending it considers wasteful.
• League of Conservation Voters (Advocacy): Environmental political group. Publishes a scorecard of congressional votes on climate and environment.
• NAACP (Advocacy): Civil rights organization working on voting, racial justice and Black political power.

Press freedom and archives

• Freedom Forum (Advocacy): Self-described nonpartisan foundation focused on the First Amendment. Explainers on free speech and press rights, plus Today's Front Pages.
• Vanderbilt Television News Archive: Indexed archive of national television newscasts. Use it to check what a network aired and when.

Reporting checks for this beat

• Does the campaign finance figure come from the filing itself, and which reporting period does it cover?
• Have you read the bill text or the CBO score, not just a party's summary of it?
• Who sponsored the poll, when was it in the field, how large was the sample and what is the margin of error?
• Is the think tank or advocacy group you quote labeled for readers, and do you know who funds it?
• Did you give the candidate or official a real chance to respond to the claim?
• Is the quote or video clip in full context, and can you confirm when and where it was said?

Links were checked in September 2026 for a live page from the same organization. Advocacy groups, trade groups and party sites are labeled and should be treated as interested parties. Verify ownership, date and context before publication.