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…
January 30, 2026, marked the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Buckley v. Valeo. To commemorate the anniversary, the Institute for Free Speech convened a panel to reflect on the ...
Before Buckley v. Valeo, American citizens faced criminal charges for urging Nixon’s impeachment.
The Court's defense of political speech remains essential to American democracy five decades later.
The landmark decision recognized that effective political speech requires the ability to pool resources and communicate at scale.
A friend profiles Buckley himself, a public servant who spent his life defending constitutional first principles.
An original Buckley litigator shares the inside story of one of America’s most important political speech victories.
Buckley v. Valeo confines campaign finance regulation to actual corruption, rather than amorphous claims about “undue influence.”