Institute For Free Speech

H.R. 1 Would Undo Watergate-Era Protections Against Government Interference in Election Campaigns
February 13, 2019   •  By David Keating   •  , ,

This portion of the bill will further enhance the role of the federal government in election campaigns. Tax-financing will increase the risk that partisan ...

AOC Doesn’t Let the Facts Get in the Way of a Good Story
February 7, 2019   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  , ,

Presenting herself as the hypothetical “bad guy” trying to destroy democracy, Ocasio-Cortez spun a tale about how she could (among other things) “use my ...

IFS Chairman Brad Smith Corrects AOC on Campaign Finance Law (Video)
February 7, 2019   •  By IFS staff   •  , ,

IFS Chairman Bradley A. Smith corrects the record on a line of misleading questioning by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on current U.S. campaign finance laws.

H.R. 1’s Tax-Financing Program Creates New Incentives for Corruption
February 5, 2019   •  By David Keating   •  ,

Any system which promises large sums of taxpayer funding for private individuals can be ripe for abuse. And in H.R. 1’s proposal, if you ...

H.R. 1’s Tax-Financing Program Could Increase Political Polarization
January 17, 2019   •  By David Keating   •  , ,

H.R. 1, also known as the “For the People Act of 2019,” is much better understood as the “For the Politicians Act” due to ...

Evaluating Tax-Financing Programs with Outputs, Not Inputs
January 10, 2019   •  By David Keating   •  ,

Advocates of tax-financed campaign programs frequently claim success in the states and municipalities that implement them. However, these advocates set a very low bar ...

Money Doesn’t Buy Elections, “Dark Money” Keeps Falling, and Other Lessons from the 2018 Midterms
November 9, 2018   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  ,

Over the past year, many pundits and media outlets have speculated about the role of money in the 2018 midterm elections. Much of that ...

My Speech is Good. Your Speech Should be Banned.
November 6, 2018   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  , ,

Ben and Jerry share a passion for ice cream. Ben and Jerry also share a passion for progressive political advocacy. If Ben and Jerry ...

Another Reason to Simplify Campaign Laws: Allowing Free Rides to the Polls
November 6, 2018   •  By David Keating   •  , , ,

Three cheers for Uber and Lyft for offering discounted (and, in many cases, free) rides to voters on Election Day. It’s a shame that the law ...

Spooky Spending on Halloween: Pet Costumes Dwarf So-Called “Dark Money”
October 31, 2018   •  By Eric Peterson   •  ,

While the debate about what Halloween costumes are appropriate rages on, what isn’t up for debate is the greatness of the growing trend of ...

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