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Super PACs: Expanding Freedom of Speech

January 1, 2018  •  By IFS Staff  •    •  

Super PACs are simply groups of like-minded citizens pooling their resources to support or oppose political candidates independently of those candidates’ campaigns. The product of a unanimous U.S. Court of Appeals decision in SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission, super PACs have ensured that Americans do not lose their First Amendment rights when they join together in groups. Super PACs are…

What do people really know about super PACs?

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August 3, 2012   •  By Sarah Lee   •  

It’s always interesting to note how polls — depending on how they’re conducted and who their target audience is — can vary and influence ...

David Keating on the Parameters of the Super PAC

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July 31, 2012   •  By Joe Trotter   •  

Americans aren’t the victims of a vast conspiracy run by wealthy elites; they’re the beneficiaries of a robust democracy fueled by competition, with winners ...

Media Watch: Independent Expenditure Committees vs. Social Welfare Organizations

July 26, 2012   •  By Joe Trotter   •  ,

Campaign finance is a nuanced, complicated topic.  As a result, there are often mischaracterizations about the laws and and non-profits present in the media.  ...

Response to Politico article on Super PACs

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June 1, 2012   •  By Jason Farrell   •  

Politico recently published an article bashing super PACs in the presidential race, so it might be helpful to offer some counterpoints to the assault. ...

The Ricketts Plan and the Spin Machine

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May 22, 2012   •  By Sarah Lee   •  

Much has been made of the conflicting reports regarding the so-called “Ricketts Plan,” a purported commissioning by billionaire Joe Ricketts, founder of brokerage firm TD ...

Poll: Voters, Fueled by Media Reports, Show Misunderstanding of Citizens United

March 23, 2012   •  By Sarah Lee   •  , ,

Two years and two election cycles into the Super PAC era, the media firestorm against free speech and association has been palpable. A Google search ...

Do Voters Understand Super PACs?

March 23, 2012   •  By Matt Nese   •  , ,

Two years and two election cycles into the Super PAC era, the media firestorm against free speech and association has been palpable. A Google search ...

CCP Legal Director Debates the Validity of super PACs live Wed., Feb 22, on Wisconsin Public Radio

February 21, 2012   •  By Sarah Lee   •  ,

CCP’s Legal Director Allen Dickerson will appear on Wisconsin Public Radio tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, to debate on-air the usefulness of super PACs in the ...

This weekend in campaign finance

January 17, 2012   •  By Joe Trotter   •  , ,

With the second anniversary of the Citizens United decision coming up this Saturday, reform groups are  pulling out all the stops to protest the decision. ...

Not a “loophole” anymore

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November 30, 2006   •  By IFS staff   •  ,

In the past, articles in the online magazine Salon.com have referred to 527 groups as "shadowy", "stealth PACs", that "clearly enjoy a loophole ...

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