Good Government Groups

Good government groups, often called "good-government" or "goo-goo" organizations, are nonpartisan civic nonprofits that work to improve the transparency, fairness and efficiency of public institutions. In Philadelphia the tradition runs from reform movements of the early twentieth century that challenged machine politics. They have no governmental powers; their influence comes from research, public information, litigation threats, endorsements of reforms and the credibility of their reports. ^[1]

1 Committee of Seventy

The Committee of Seventy was established in 1904 to combat corruption in Philadelphia and describes itself as nonpartisan. Lauren Cristella, its president and CEO since 2023, is the first woman to lead the organization; she was previously its chief program officer, and has overseen a statewide expansion, according to the organization. Previous leaders included David Thornburgh, Zack Stalberg and Al Schmidt, who resigned as a City Commissioner to head the group. Seventy runs voter-education programs and an election-protection effort; according to its website, its WeVote initiative has reached more than one million Pennsylvanians, WeVote Next has involved 48,000 students, and its Election Academy has prepared 8,500 poll workers, with a related Election Academy for voters launched in 2026. It also supports Philadelphia Documenters, a program that trains community members to document government meetings, and it can be reached at 215-557-3600 (123 S. Broad Street, Suite 2830). Seventy publishes research on election administration and campaign finance, and advocates for changes such as open primaries, ranked-choice voting, redistricting reform and judicial-selection reform. ^[2]

2 Other organizations

The League of Women Voters of Philadelphia hosts candidate forums and publishes voter guides. Common Cause Pennsylvania works on redistricting, ethics and voting access. The Philadelphia Citizen is a nonprofit news and civic-action outlet. Spotlight PA, a statewide nonprofit newsroom, covers Harrisburg. Organizations such as the Fairmount Park Conservancy, Philadelphia Parks Alliance and neighborhood watchdogs play a related accountability role for specific services. Civil-liberties and civil-rights organizations such as the ACLU of Pennsylvania engage in oversight of policing and elections. For labor, tenants and other advocacy groups, see Progressive and Grassroots Politics.

3 What these groups do

Typical functions include monitoring polling places on Election Day and explaining voter registration and mail voting; analyzing campaign finance data; reviewing City budgets and testifying at City Council hearings; recommending charter amendments (see Ballot Questions and Charter Changes); and supporting the work of the Board of Ethics and Inspector General. They also train residents to use public-records and open-meetings laws.

4 Influence and limits

Good-government groups are generally listened to on process issues, and several Philadelphia reforms trace to their campaigns, including changes to the City's campaign-finance law and election administration. Limits: they depend on foundation and donor support (see Philanthropy in Philadelphia), their boards often include business and professional leaders, and critics from the left and from neighborhoods have argued that their agenda tends to emphasize process over distributional issues such as housing and wages. Proponents reply that fair rules benefit all residents. Party organizations sometimes disagree with their proposals (see Democratic City Committee).

5 Using their resources

Most publish nonpartisan voter guides, how-to pages and election-day hotlines; see How to Report Corruption or Misconduct for official channels, which these groups do not replace.

See also: Political Corruption Cases in Philadelphia, Conflicts of Interest and Pay-to-Play, City Commissioners.

References

1. Committee of Seventy, "Our History: An Overview" (seventy.org).
2. Committee of Seventy leadership announcements; Pennsylvania Capital-Star, "It's been an honor: Al Schmidt to resign as Philadelphia commissioner to head good govt group"; WHYY profile of Zack Stalberg.
3. Committee of Seventy, home page (seventy.org, accessed October 2026); Philadelphia Magazine, "Lauren Cristella Becomes First Woman to Lead Committee of Seventy," June 6, 2023.
4. League of Women Voters of Philadelphia and Common Cause Pennsylvania organizational websites.