Institute For Free Speech

Contribution Limits: Caps on First Amendment Activity
January 1, 2018  •  By IFS Staff  •    •  

Contribution limits are monetary restrictions on the amount an individual or group can donate to a political actor – usually a candidate, political party, or political action committee. The Supreme Court first allowed limits on contributions in Buckley v. Valeo. The Court’s ruling acknowledged that contribution limits were a restriction on First Amendment activity, but allowed them on the theory…

Significant Constitutional and Practical Issues with Maine Legislative Document 1192 (S.P. 419)
May 6, 2015   •  By Eric Wang   •  , , , ,

L.D. 1192 imposes disclosure requirements that single out by name political contributors whose aggregate contributions exceed a certain threshold, but the disclosure appears to ...

Constitutional and Practical Issues with Oregon Senate Joint Resolution 5 and Senate Bill 75
April 21, 2015   •  By Matt Nese   •  , ,

On behalf of the Center for Competitive Politics, I am writing you today to respectfully submit the following comments regarding the impact of Senate ...

Significant Constitutional and Practical Issues with Connecticut Senate Bill 1126 (as Substituted)
April 16, 2015   •  By Eric Wang   •  , , ,

This legislation would treat an expansive universe of activities having absolutely nothing to do with elections as potentially being coordinated spending with a candidate, ...

Missouri House Bill 188: A Grave Threat to Nonprofits’ Speech
March 27, 2015   •  By Matt Nese   •  , , , ,

The Center for Competitive Politics writes to comment on several very serious constitutional and practical problems raised by a vaguely written provision in House ...

Increased Campaign Contribution Limits in the FY2015 Omnibus Appropriations Law: Frequently Asked Questions
March 17, 2015   •  By Matt Nese   •  ,

This report provides brief answers to frequently asked questions about increased campaign contribution limits in the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 83; P.L. ...

Corruption versus Influence

 Default Article
March 13, 2015   •  By Luke Wachob   •  ,

Tom Friedman’s latest column in The New York Times (‘Is It Sheldon Adelson’s World?’) describes how political donor Sheldon Adelson spends his money differently ...

Suggested Improvements to Kansas House Bill 2213
March 5, 2015   •  By Matt Nese   •  , ,

On behalf of the Center for Competitive Politics, I am writing you today to respectfully submit the following comments commending the Legislature for its ...

Practical Issues with Utah House Bill 60
February 23, 2015   •  By Matt Nese   •  , ,

This legislation runs contrary to prevailing academic research, which shows that contribution limits will neither decrease corruption, nor produce “good” government, nor improve public ...

Constitutional and Practical Issues with Minnesota Senate File 92
February 17, 2015   •  By Matt Nese   •  , , , ,

Depending on one’s reading of this hopelessly vague bill, it goes as far as to outright ban corporate funding of independent expenditures – in ...

Constitutional and Practical Issues with Minnesota House File 375
February 17, 2015   •  By Matt Nese   •  , , , ,

Depending on one’s reading of this hopelessly vague bill, it goes as far as to outright ban corporate funding of independent expenditures – in ...

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