Eleanor Finch
It is understandable that some people may not trust politicians when their personal fortunes might conflict with their duties as elected representatives. To address this, transparency guidelines in the US require Congressmen and Senators to publish details of their trades in company shares globally. This allows the public to follow what members of the House and Senate are doing with their investments. There are several websites that allow users to search for individual Members of Congress or the Senate, or to search by stock, to see what politicians are investing in.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Searchability | Search by politician name, stock, client, firm, industry, or issue |
| Data Sources | Official government sources, company insiders |
| Data Presentation | Tables, charts, flipcharts, widgets |
| Data Frequency | Twice daily, 4am CT and 4pm CT |
| Data Range | Last 60 days, option to select a different date range |
| Data Access | Free, membership, premium membership |
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What You'll Learn
Search by politician name
To find out what stocks politicians are buying, selling, or investing in, you can use dedicated websites that track and provide this information. These include Barchart.com, Smart Insider, and Capitol Trades.
Barchart.com's Politician Insider Trading Activity page allows you to search by politician name. You must enter the last name, and you have the option to include the first name. The site will then display data from one year ago through the current date. The data includes a breakdown of trades, with the option to select different transaction sizes and date ranges. The page initially shows all insider trading recorded by politicians for the last 60 days, with transactions recorded for that day updated twice daily.
Smart Insider also allows you to search individual members of Congress or the Senate by name.
Capitol Trades also allows you to track politicians' trades by name, although it is unclear if this is a feature of their free solution.
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Track trades and transactions
Transparency guidelines in the US require Congressmen and Senators to publish details of their trades in company shares globally. This allows the public to follow what members of the House and Senate are doing with their investments. There are several ways to track the trades and transactions of politicians:
Search by Name
On Barchart.com, you can search for a specific politician's name in the database. The last name is required, while the first name is optional. The data will be displayed for the period from one year ago through the current date.
Search by Stock
On Smart Insider, you can search individual Members of Congress or the Senate, or you can search by stock. This data shows which politicians have a vested interest in certain stocks and provides insight into where positions have increased or reduced.
Search by Donor
On OpenSecrets, you can search a politician's donor database to see a full list of contributors. You can also search for a specific company or organization to understand their contributions and lobbying history. This allows you to see which industries and organizations are supporting your elected representatives in the House and Senate.
Track Trades
On Barchart.com, you can track politicians' insider trading activity, including Buy, Sell, and Exercise transactions. The data is updated twice daily and shows all insider trading recorded by politicians for the last 60 days. You can view different transaction sizes and date ranges, as well as download the data as a Barchart member.
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Understand political spending
Understanding political spending is an important aspect of democracy. It can shed light on potential conflicts of interest and help voters make informed decisions. Here are some ways to gain insight into the investments and financial activities of politicians:
Public Disclosure and Transparency:
Disclosure rules and transparency guidelines play a crucial role in making political spending more transparent. In the United States, members of Congress and the Senate are required to disclose their trades in company shares. This information is often made publicly available on websites and databases. These disclosures can provide insights into politicians' investments and potential conflicts of interest.
Online Databases and Tools:
Several online resources offer valuable insights into political spending. Websites like Smart Insider provide a free database that allows users to search for individual members of Congress or the Senate and their trades in company shares. Barchart.com's Politician Insider Trading Activity page offers detailed information on trading activities by US Congressmen and Senators, including transaction types such as buys, sells, and exercises. It also provides widgets and charts for a more comprehensive overview.
Research Groups:
Organizations like OpenSecrets are dedicated to tracking money in politics and its impact on elections and public policy. They offer searchable databases that allow users to explore disclosures and contributions for politicians at various levels of government. OpenSecrets also provides insights into lobbying activities, connections between committee members and industries, and the influence of money on policy decisions.
Media and News Sources:
Financial reporters and journalists often cover stories related to political spending and investments. Publications like The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Investor's Business Daily may provide insights and analyses of politicians' financial activities. Following these sources can help stay informed about political spending and its potential implications.
Tracking Capitol Hill Trades:
Capitol Hill politicians' trades can provide valuable insights into investment research. Websites like Capitol Trades offer solutions to track these trades and understand the investments made by those in political power.
By utilizing these resources and staying informed, citizens can better understand political spending and hold their representatives accountable. It empowers voters to make informed decisions and ensures that politicians' financial activities align with the interests of the people they represent.
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Explore donor databases
One way to see what politicians are investing in is to explore donor databases. These databases track money in politics and provide insights into how politicians are spending their money. One such database is OpenSecrets, which offers in-depth analyses on money and politics. You can explore disclosures and contributions for politicians at every level of government, from state to federal. Their donor database allows you to search for a specific politician and see a full list of their contributors. Additionally, you can explore lobbying information and search for specific companies or organizations to understand their contributions and lobbying history.
Another resource is Barchart, which provides a Politician Insider Trading Activity page. This page offers details on trading activity by US politicians, including Congressmen and Senators. It shows all insider trading recorded in the last 60 days, with transactions being disclosed within 45 days of the transaction. The page is updated twice daily and provides a breakdown of Buy and Sell transactions, with dollar values plotted by date. Barchart also offers additional features for its members, such as the ability to view flipcharts and download data. You can also search by politician name to find specific information about their trades.
Smart Insider also provides a free database of US politician stock trades. You can search for individual members of Congress or the Senate, or search by stock. Transparency guidelines in the US require politicians to publish details of their trades in company shares globally, and this data can provide insight into which politicians have a vested interest in certain stocks.
These donor databases offer valuable information on the financial activities of politicians and can help shed light on any potential conflicts of interest or influences on their decision-making. They provide a way to hold politicians accountable and ensure transparency in their investments and spending.
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Review financial reports
Transparency guidelines in the US require Congressmen and Senators to publish details of their trades in company shares globally. This means that the public can access information on what politicians are investing in.
One way to review financial reports related to politician investments is through websites such as Barchart.com, which provides a Politician Insider Trading Activity page. This page offers detailed information on trading activity by US Congressmen and Senators, including a breakdown of trades, transaction types, and dollar values. The page is updated twice daily and provides data for the last 60 days, with the option to select different date ranges and transaction types.
Another resource is OpenSecrets.org, which offers a searchable database of officials' personal financial reports. This website allows users to explore connections between committee members, industries, and interests they regulate, as well as providing information on donations and lobbying activities.
Additionally, Smart Insider offers a free database of US politician stock trades, where you can search for individual Members of Congress or the Senate, or search by specific stocks. This can provide insights into which politicians have a vested interest in certain stocks and how their positions have changed over time.
Reviewing these financial reports can help citizens, journalists, and researchers hold politicians accountable and identify potential conflicts of interest between their personal investments and their duties as elected representatives.
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Frequently asked questions
You can search for individual politicians and their investments on sites like Smart Insider, Barchart, and OpenSecrets. These sites provide information on the trading activities of US politicians, including members of the House and Senate.
These websites offer insights into politicians' trades, including buying and selling activities, transaction sizes, and the industries and organizations supporting them. They also allow you to search by politician name, stock, client, firm, industry, or issue to see who is spending money to shape policies.
The information on these websites is updated regularly. For example, Barchart's Politician Insider Trading Activity page is updated twice daily with new transactions, while Smart Insider provides real-time updates on US politician stock trades.
