You cannot sign up to Kaggle from multiple accounts and therefore you cannot submit from multiple accounts.
\r\n\r\n Privately sharing code or data outside of teams is not permitted.\r\n It's okay to share code if made available to all participants on the forums.\r\n
\r\n\r\n Team mergers are allowed and can be performed by the team leader. In order to merge, the combined team must have a total submission count less than or equal to the maximum allowed as of the merge date. The maximum allowed is the number of submissions per day multiplied by the number of days the competition has been running.
\r\n
There is no maximum team size.
\r\nYou may submit a maximum of 2 entries per day.
\r\nYou may select up to 5 final submissions for judging.
\r\nStart Date: 9/14/2012 3:27 PM UTC
\r\nMerger Deadline: None
\r\nEntry Deadline: None
\r\nEnd Date: 10/15/2012 11:59 PM UTC
\r\n\t\r\nGPL license requirement does not apply to this competition, but you must be willing to present your solution techniques to the judging panel in order to be eligible for the prize.
\r\nYou are allowed to incorporate outside data in your submissions, but you will be judged primarily on the patterns, and ultimately story, that you find within the data provided.
", "isPublished": false, "hasIsPublished": false, "postTitle": "", "hasPostTitle": false, "mimeType": "", "hasMimeType": false }, { "name": "data-description", "content": "FEC Itemized campaign finance records for the 2012 election cycle
\r\nFetched on Monday, September 3rd, 2012 at approximately 02:45:25 AM
\r\nThe Federal Elections Commission itemized contributions and transactions database has been an invaluable tool for reporters wanting to "follow the money" in federal elections campaigns.
\r\nThe data we've included here covers every campaign contribution given to federal candidates so far in the 2012 election cycle (January 2011 through early September 2012). It includes data about contributions given to every federal candidate nationwide\r\n -- for president, House and Senate -- by political action committees, individuals and Super PACs. It also contains information about contributors to those committees, and assorted details about each contribution: amount, date, location and occupation of the\r\n donor, etc.
\r\nUse of outside data is allowed in this competition.
\r\nAn important disclaimer: This dataset does not include the electronic disclosure data, which is available on the FEC's Web site, and comes directly from campaigns. Disclosure data is much more complexed than the itemized set, but contains more information.
\r\n\r\n
Tables
\r\ncomm2012.csv: List of all FEC licensed campaign committees for the election cycle. This table can be used as a reference when using the tables describing money changing hands. From the FEC Web site: "The committee master file contains one\r\n record for each committee registered with the Federal Election Commission. This includes federal political action committees and party committees, campaign committees for presidential, house and senate candidates, as well as groups or organizations who are\r\n spending money for or against candidates for federal office. The file contains basic information about the committees. The ID number the Commission assigned to the committee is first, along with the name of the committee, the sponsor, where appropriate, the\r\n treasurer's name and the committee's address. The file also includes information about what type of committee is being described, along with the candidate's ID number if it is a campaign committee." Contains 13,065 records.\r\n\r\nDownload record layout.
\r\ncand2012.csv: Master list of candidates for the election cycle, providing information on the candidate, his or her campaign office, political party and office sought. In addition, the candidate's principle committee ID is listed with this\r\n record. From the FEC Web site: "The candidate master file contains one record for each candidate who has either registered with the Federal Election Commission or appeared on a ballot list prepared by a state elections office. The file contains basic information\r\n about the candidate, including name, party, whether the candidate is an incumbent, challenger, or involved in an open seat, address, state and district in which the candidate is running and the year of the election for which the candidate is registered. (Note\r\n that incumbent/challenger status is dynamic in the current election cycle and there may be delays in identifying districts that will involve open seats. The file also includes the ID number assigned to the candidate by the FEC which is used in tracking campaign\r\n finance information about the campaign, as well as the ID number of the candidate's principal campaign committee." Contains 5,343 records. Download record layout.
\r\nindiv2012.csv: Each contribution from an individual to a campaign committee, if the donation is more than $200. This is almost always the largest table in the dataset. Contains 1,988,139 records. Download\r\n record layout.
\r\npas2012.csv: The itemized committee contributions table contains each contribution from a committee to a candidate's campaign committee. From the FEC site: "You will need to use the committee master and candidate master files in conjunction\r\n with this file to set up a relational database to analyze these data". Contains 208,151 records. Download record layout.
\r\noth2012.csv: Miscellaneous transactions by committees. According to the FEC, it contains all the information in the pas table, plus transactions with committees that are not necessarily principle campaign committees for a candidate. Example\r\n include money transfers from state committees and PAC contributions to party committees. Contains 457,782 records. Download record layout.
\r\nccl2012.csv: All links between candidates and committees that are registered with the FEC. Contains 5,948 records.
\r\nFor each table, CIR and IRE have included a record layout file with the table's partial name on it (commlay.xls is the record layout for the committee table, for example).
", "isPublished": false, "hasIsPublished": false, "postTitle": "", "hasPostTitle": false, "mimeType": "", "hasMimeType": false }, { "name": "Description", "content": "The most expensive political campaign season in US history is well underway, with experts predicting that spending from both the Republican and Democratic camps will\r\n\r\nexceed $5.8 billion before races for president and Congress are decided in November.
\r\nNeedless to say, campaign finance is a big business. And where big money leads the way, big data is never too far behind.
\r\nThat's why the Center for Investigative Reporting, the nation's largest non-profit investigative reporting organization, is teaming up with\r\nInvestigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. -- the world's leading investigative and data journalism trade group -- to offer this Prospect challenge in the hopes of answering one simple question: What can some of the world's most\r\n brilliant data scientists teach us about finding hidden patterns, interesting connections and ultimately compelling stories in a treasure trove of data about federal campaign contributions?
\r\nData journalists have been examining federal campaign finance records for decades, finding patterns and trends that have forced resignations and reforms. But despite many noteworthy successes, journalists' imaginations are limited by our skills. We're not\r\n mathematicians and machine learning experts! We might learn from a source, for instance, that a particular congressman has begun receiving campaign contributions from a new and unusual donor. But a carefully tuned anomaly detection system might reveal those\r\n patterns before our sources would ever notice them.
\r\nWhat kinds of ideas are we looking for with this Prospect challenge? We want to see how sophisticated clustering algorithms can help spot donors that coordinate their operations, giving to the same candidates at the same times. We want to see how classification\r\n or anomaly detection systems can find donations that are particularly interesting or unusual. We want to know how you would mix up campaign contribution data with other sources -- lobbying records, congressional votes, federal contracts -- to find patterns\r\n that journalists are missing.
\r\nNovel approaches to analysis, ideas for useful tools, and data visualizations will all be considered.
\r\nWhat we're looking for is new ideas and approaches. To give you a sense of what journalists have done so far, we've included several\r\nexamples of some of the most interesting campaign finance reporting around, along with some\r\ntipsheets that explain how journalists approach campaign finance data and what to look for.
", "isPublished": false, "hasIsPublished": false, "postTitle": "", "hasPostTitle": false, "mimeType": "", "hasMimeType": false }, { "name": "Prizes", "content": "The winner of the contest will receive hotel, airfare, registration and speaking slot at the leading national conference on data journalism, to be held in Louisville from Feb. 28 to March 3, 2013. Here's a look at\r\nthe 2012 event, so you know what to expect.
\r\nIf the winner can't make the trip, we can work out a cash arrangement for the value of the trip (approx. $1,000). But because part of the goal of this contest is putting the data science and data journalism communities together, we would certainly appreciate\r\n participation!
\r\nThe winner and a select number of finalists will also have the opportunity to work with leading data journalists to execute their ideas. Winners will be determined by a panel of judges that includes Pulitzer Prize-winning data journalist Stephen Doig of\r\n Arizona State University.
", "isPublished": false, "hasIsPublished": false, "postTitle": "", "hasPostTitle": false, "mimeType": "", "hasMimeType": false }, { "name": "Evaluation", "content": "Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges, including:
\r\nSource: \r\nhttp://ire.org/nicar/database-library/databases/federal-campaign-contributions/
\r\nThis tipsheet is basically a list of sources for information about campaign finance. The sources are split into two camps, government and nonprofit sources, and for-profit sources.
\r\n50 Campaign Finance Stories in 50 Minutes
\r\nOverby and Salant provide tips that reporters covering campaign finance can use, along with numerous questions they should ask during the reporting process. They also provide a list of Web sites that are helpful to reporters who are tackling this subject.
Follow the money trail in politics
\r\nGrimaldi lists numerous online resources for campaign finance and lobbying stories and explains how to most successfully utilize FOIA. His tipsheet offers both strategic and tactical advise for money trail stories, from the big questions to the little details.
Covering Campaign Finance and Money in Politics
\r\nThe perfect tipsheet for anyone just getting into political finance reporting, or someone who needs a detailed reminder. This six-page tipsheet defines basic terms, shows reporters where to go for more information and provides details on how to research different\r\n groups.
Checking for illegal campaign activity
\r\nHall gives great tips on looking for illegal activities in campaigns in this handout. Some of the advice is common sense but much of it is useful for new people to the beat and experienced hands as well.
Money and politics tipsheet
\r\nHamburger provides a comprehensive list of sources for campaign finance information. With this tipsheet you can learn to track contributions to candidates and their parties, chronicle the activities of lobbyists, and find out who is buying ads and in what television\r\n market.
Ten computer-assisted campaign finance stories you can do quickly
\r\nSalant lists 10 computer-assisted campaign finance stories you can do quickly from FEC data, including how to determine the biggest givers in your community and where your lawmaker is getting her/his money from. Salant demonstrates what he preaches with the\r\n two accompanying articles -- one about U.S. Sen. Moynihan and the kinds of PAC contributions he attracts and the other about how business PACs pick their cause.
Source: http://ire.org/nicar/database-library/databases/federal-campaign-contributions/
\r\nHobson provides energy to get money flowing
\r\nThis story deals with campaign contributions for Republican Congressman David Hobson. In the first nine months of the last two year election cycle, he raised more than two and a half times the campaign cash he received during the same period in 2001. Numbers\r\n grew when he accepted a new chair for Energy and Water appropriations subcommittee. Hobson's appropriations clout grew 2.7 times with his new chair, meanwhile his campaign contributions increased by 2.6 times in the early going of this election cycle.
State Secrets: An investigation of political party money in the states
\r\nAn campaign finance investigation by the Center for Public Integrity revealed, among other things, that the Democratic and Republican state party committees raised $570 million in the 2000 election cycle and that nearly half -- 46 percent -- of that money came\r\n in the form of "soft money" transfers from national party organizations.
Freshmen-Fund Raising
\r\nJonathan Salant of the Associated Press performed a computer-assisted analysis of PAC contributions to House freshmen, and found that the first-year lawmakers received more money from special interests under the jurisdiction of their committees than they received\r\n prior to their election. Using campaign finance disclosure reports filed with the Federal Election Commission and analyses done by the Center for Responsive Politics, the reporter built a database of 37 freshmen House members. It revealed that "all but two\r\n of the lawmakers got a larger percentage of their PAC money from the industries and unions under their panel's jurisdiction than they had received before getting their committee assignments." Said one source: "Committees are often where the action is."
Lobby Watch
\r\nThe Center for Public Integrity's Lobbywatch project revealed many important and litte-known facts. Among them are: news organizations report on campaign contributions about ten times more often than they do on federal lobbying even though money from lobbyists\r\n to candidates is roughly double what candidates receive from campaign contributions; "almost 20 percent of all lobbying forms are filed late"; nearly 300 lobbyists or lobbying organizations did not register themselves as required by law; foreign companies\r\n and governments spent millions to win $15 billion in Defense Department contracts, more than a third of which were no-bid. And there's much, much more!
Money and Politics
\r\nA year-long investigation into the role of Tennessee campaign contributions in Tennessee politics, and how candidates used these contribution funds. The Times found that candidates filed inaccurate disclosure reports and that there was little to no examination\r\n of the documents. They also took a look at Tennessee money in federal elections, and found that local races were not competitive, and that Republicans in particular were funneling contributions to out-of-state candidates.
Dodd Uses Wall Street 'Juice' to Outraise His Rivals
\r\n"Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd, D-Conn., used his position to raise millions of dollars from the banking industry for his presidential campaign."
The McConnell Machine
\r\nThe Herald-Leader investigates U.S. Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, whose campaign fundraising has reached impressive levels to the tune of $220 million, largely on behalf of fellow Republican senators. As the 2006 mid-term elections approached,\r\n McConnell was seen as a likely contender for Senate Majority leader, should the Republicans retain control (they did not, and he is now Senate Minority Leader). Anticipating this news, the Herald-Leader "examined McConnell's 22-year record of aggressive fundraising,\r\n cozy ties with top donors and related actions in the Senate." The newspaper found that McConnell benefited from his "influence over a little-known foreign aid committee; his marriage to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, who regulates his corporate donors; and a\r\n former McConnell chief of staff turned Washington "gatekeeper lobbyist," whose clients tend to receive appropriations earmarks and helpful legislation from McConnell." McConnell has gained a reputation as an opponent of campaign-finance reform.
Uncovering 'Coingate': From State of Turmoil to State of Change
\r\nIn the second year of investigations into corruption in the State of Ohio, a Toledo Blade investigation into investment and corruption scandals takes down a former COP county chairman who channeled illegal contributions through more than 20 conduits into the\r\n 2004 Bush/Cheney campaign.
", "isPublished": false, "hasIsPublished": false, "postTitle": "", "hasPostTitle": false, "mimeType": "", "hasMimeType": false }, { "name": "About The Sponsors", "content": "
Center for Investigative Reporting
\r\nIn today's media landscape, many news organizations no longer report – they merely repost. The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) is different. We arm the public with thoroughly\r\n reported stories that offer deep explanations of complex issues – from the environment to immigration, government accountability, education, health, campaign\r\n finance and more. And we cover those stories locally, nationally and internationally. Founded in 1977, CIR is the nation's oldest nonprofit investigative reporting organization – producing multimedia reporting\r\n that enables people to demand accountability from government, corporations and others in power. CIR has grown dramatically during the last several years, adding its California Watch project in 2009\r\n and merging with The Bay Citizen in May 2012.
\r\n\r\n
Investigative Reporters and Editors
\r\nInvestigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting. IRE was formed in 1975 to create a forum in which journalists throughout the world could help each other by sharing\r\n story ideas, newsgathering techniques and news sources.
\r\nIRE provides members access to thousands of reporting tip sheets and other materials through its resource center and hosts conferences\r\n and specialized training throughout the country. Programs of IRE include the National Institute for Computer Assisted Reporting (NICAR), DocumentCloud and the Campus\r\n Coverage Project.
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