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…

What’s the Value of “Outside Speech” Anyway?

August 28, 2017   •  By Alex Cordell   •  ,

Far outside the boundaries of the continental United States, Alaska’s stringent campaign finance regulations go a step further in distinguishing The Last Frontier from ...

A World Without Buckley v. Valeo

Decided over forty years ago, the landmark 1976 Supreme Court decision, Buckley v. Valeo, remains at the heart of modern debates over the intersection ...

Courts should undo this dumb, unfair rule on campaign finance

April 11, 2017   •  By Brad Smith   •  ,

Campaign finance laws often raise difficult questions about the intersection of free speech and elections, but not every case is a tough one. Some ...

Money doesn’t buy elections and elections aren’t rigged. Period.

March 28, 2017   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  , ,

Searching for “rigged election” in Google News turns up “about 288,000 results.” Add “Trump” to the search and you get “about 342,000” hits. Enough ...

Constitutional and Practical Issues with Nebraska Legislative Bill 252

March 2, 2017   •  By Matt Nese   •  , , , ,

If Legislative Bill 252 becomes law as written, there is a high likelihood that the law will be found unconstitutional if challenged in court. ...

Judge Neil Gorsuch Writes Sophisticated Concurring Opinion Striking Down Colorado Contribution Limit Disparity

January 17, 2017   •  By David Keating   •  , ,

Hon. Neil Gorsuch United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2006-Present) Using our screen to find cases, Judge Gorsuch wrote or joined ...

Campaign Finance Regulations Increase the Influence of Super PACs

August 26, 2016   •  By Joe Albanese   •  , ,

Bloomberg BNA recently covered a report highlighting a developing trend in campaign finance this election cycle. The report, by the Campaign Finance Institute (CFI), ...

Do State Campaign Finance Reforms Increase Trust and Confidence in State Government?

March 30, 2016   •  By Matt Nese   •  , , ,

The political and legal battle over campaign finance reform hinges on differing views about the importance of such regulations for preserving and enhancing the integrity ...

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