Our founding fathers envisioned American elected Representatives who were citizen legislators. Unfortunately, modern Washington is a far cry from that vision with rampant corruption and unethical deal making commonplace.

The fundamental cause of this corruption is that government is too big and there is too much for sale. Lobbyists, corporations, unions, and other interest groups wouldn't spend millions of dollars trying to influence (legally and illegally) policymakers if policymakers didn't have such enormous power to give out favors. The real key to rooting out corruption is restoring government to its intended limits.

In the meantime, our elected Representatives must be held accountable for their conduct. The policy-making process should be transparent and contracts and grants awarded best on merit, not on political connections. IWV is committed to scrutinizing Members conduct while fighting for a limited government.