On Jan. 21, President Barack Obama signed an executive order on Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel. The order details new restrictions for political appointees that work in the Obama administration. It limits the role lobbyists can play in the executive branch and attempts to reduce the influence of powerful special interests by addressing the revolving door — when government officials move to and from private sector jobs.

Two major nonprofit associations, Independent Sector and the National Council of Nonprofits, have released detailed recommendations on how the federal government can strengthen and serve communities through nonprofit organizations, including some proposals that can be included in the upcoming economic stimulus package.

On Oct. 30, the Fourth Freedom Forum and Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame released Friend Not Foe: Civil Society and the Struggle Against Violent Extremism. The report urges countries, including the United States, to move away from counterterrorism measures (CTMs) that harm nonprofits and do not improve security. The report also calls on nonprofits to be more proactive in countering misinformation and shaping policy alternatives.

Over the past several months, support has been growing to allow voter registration efforts at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. In a reverse of policy, the VA will no longer ban voter registration drives for veterans living at federally operated nursing homes, shelters for the homeless, and rehabilitation centers across the country. A week after this change, the House passed the Veterans Voter Support Act to legislatively protect such activity and to ensure that the VA allow voter registration drives by nonpartisan groups. However, the VA told a Senate committee that it opposes the legislation in its current form.

On Aug. 6, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida denied the League of Women Voters of Florida's (LWVF) request for a preliminary injunction to prevent a harsh voter registration law from taking affect. The law levies substantial fines on organizations that register voters and that do not promptly deliver the completed voter registration forms to the Florida Division of Elections. While the law does prescribe tougher penalties for willful misconduct, it does not grant exemptions for undue hardships or for inadvertent errors.

On July 14, Grantmakers Without Borders and OMB Watch released a paper, Collateral Damage: How the War on Terror Hurts Charities, Foundations, and the People They Serve, and hosted a panel discussing the topic. Six experts all agreed that shortsighted, undemocratic policies are stifling free speech, constraining the critical activities of the charitable and philanthropic sectors, and ultimately impeding the fight against terrorism. OMB Watch and Grantmakers Without Borders were lauded by many speakers and attendees for drawing attention to this issue.

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), a nonprofit, non-partisan organization working to improve communications between citizens and members of Congress, recently released two important documents that could have significant implications for Congress and the public. One report, Communicating with Congress: How the Internet Has Changed Citizen Engagement, reveals that the Internet has revitalized citizen communication with Congress. A draft report, Communicating with Congress: Recommendations for Improving the Democratic Dialogue, seeks public comment on a new model for constituent communications and makes specific recommendations for congressional offices, citizens, and advocacy groups.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has closed two investigations into accusations of illegal partisan electioneering by two religious organizations. The IRS determined that the United Church of Christ (UCC) did not violate its tax-exempt status by inviting Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) to speak at the denomination's national meeting in 2007. The IRS also found Pastor Wiley Drake's endorsement of Mike Huckabee to be a personal endorsement and not made on behalf of his church, the First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, CA. The IRS concluded the two investigations relatively quickly, compared to cases from the previous two election cycles.

On April 25, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued Directive 2008-023, "Voting Assistance for VA Patients," allowing voter registration drives in VA hospitals, only to reverse itself on May 5 with Directive 2008-025. Without registration drives, it appears that each veteran will have to request support individually, placing the burden on veterans who are staying in hospitals, long-term care facilities, or nursing homes. Litigation on the issue is pending.