Tallying support is one tactic that several associations have employed to win friends and influence people on Capitol Hill. New York City Mayor Ed Koch famously asked his voters, “How’m I doing?” Today, elected representatives routinely ask the same question of organizations that keep congressional vote scorecards. And such checklists aren’t just for litmus-test ideological groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union or the American Conservative Union. Nor are they just for giant trade groups such as $195-million-revenue U.S. Chamber of Commerce or $92-million-revenue National Federation of Independent Business. Many smaller associations also use voting record… Read More