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Political Spending: Civic Engagement is Not a Threat to Democracy

January 1, 2018  •  By IFS Staff  •    •  

The First Amendment guarantees every American freedom of speech. That freedom includes the right to spend money on speech. Without money, a political group cannot buy ads, print fliers, organize protests, or hire staff. Short of shouting one’s opinions on a street corner, it takes money to spread a message. Recognizing this relationship, the Supreme Court has long prohibited the…

Democrats’ Bad-Faith Attacks on Neil Gorsuch and ‘Money in Politics’

March 3, 2017   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , ,

Supreme Court justices are supposed to interpret the Constitution faithfully, not make the law as they wish. Senate Democrats and President Trump’s Supreme Court ...

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. ...

Demos Study Doesn’t Prove Donors Control Politics, But it Suggests Government Should

February 21, 2017   •  By Joe Albanese   •  , , ,

The progressive advocacy group Demos released a study examining the demographics of the “elite donor” class, arguing that its makeup unfairly shapes policy formation ...

Dark money bill chills free speech

February 16, 2017   •  By Eric Wang   •  , ,

According to a recent Post and Courier editorial, a campaign finance bill before the state Senate would bring greater transparency to so-called “dark money” ...

Analysis of South Carolina S. 255: An Unconstitutional Bill Seeking to Reshuffle the Titanic’s Deck Chairs – After the Ship Has Sunk Already

February 9, 2017   •  By Eric Wang   •  , , ,

The Center for Competitive Politics (“CCP”) provides the following analysis of the bill designated as S. 255[3] to regulate certain “campaign practices,” which is ...

Obama was no one’s hero when it came to money in politics

February 8, 2017   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , ,

For eight years, left-leaning groups like Common Cause, Public Citizen, and the Brennan Center for Justice pressured President Obama to do something, anything about ...

Advocacy Groups Strategize to Deny Free Speech to Other Advocacy Groups in Leaked Memo

February 2, 2017   •  By Joe Albanese   •  ,

At the end of January, The Washington Free Beacon reported on a “private and confidential” memo obtained at a retreat hosted by progressive activist ...

Comments to FEC Regarding Notice 2016-10: Rulemaking Petition: Implementing the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015

January 30, 2017   •  By Allen Dickerson   •  , ,

The Center generally urges the Commission to enact the Petition’s suggested amendments. In implementing the Appropriations Act, however, the Commission’s regulations should carefully conform ...

Good Signs for First Amendment in Judge William Pryor’s Rulings on Tax-Financing, Political Sign Cases

January 18, 2017   •  By David Keating   •  , ,

Hon. William Pryor United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (2004-Present) Using our screen to find cases, Judge Pryor wrote or joined ...

Campaign Finance Takeaways from the 2016 Election

January 18, 2017   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , ,

2016 was a surprising year in politics. One surprise that hasn’t received much attention yet is the minimal role played by “money in politics” ...

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