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…

The Enduring Legacy of Buckley v. Valeo

January 21, 2026   •  By Floyd Abrams   •  , , ,

Despite sustained criticism from all sides, Buckley's core principle persists: government cannot ration political speech.

The Buckley Principles

January 20, 2026   •  By Lee Goodman   •  , , ,

The core First Amendment principles of Buckley v. Valeo endure after fifty years.

Buckley v. Valeo: A Retrospective Series

January 20, 2026   •  By David Keating   •  , , ,

Experts and scholars reflect on Buckley’s legacy on the decision’s fiftieth anniversary

Free Speech Arguments – Oral Arguments in the Landmark Case That Saved Democracy (Buckley v. Valeo, 1976)

January 20, 2026   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , ,

James L. Buckley, et al. v. Francis R. Valeo, Secretary of the United States Senate, et al. argued before the Supreme Court of the United ...

Institute for Free Speech Encouraged by Supreme Court’s Skeptical Reception of Restrictions on Free Political Speech

December 9, 2025   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , ,

Today’s Supreme Court oral argument in NRSC v. FEC ably illustrated that limits on coordinated political party expenditures violate the First Amendment

Free Speech Arguments – Can Congress Limit Coordination Between a Party and Its Candidates? (National Republican Senatorial Committee, et al. v. Federal Election Commission, et al.)

December 9, 2025   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , ,

National Republican Senatorial Committee, et al. v. Federal Election Commission, et al. argued before the Supreme Court of the United States on December 9, 2025.

Safe Affordable Georgia, Inc. v. James D. Kreyenbuhl, et al.

December 8, 2025   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , ,

Because political spending is considered a form of political speech, the complaint argues that Georgia’s current system gives one candidate more speech rights than ...

Free Jamie Dimon (and His Employees)

November 24, 2025   •  By Brad Smith   •  , ,

The SEC’s ‘pay to play’ rule is an unconstitutional infringement on the right to participate in politics.

Free Speech Arguments – Can a California City Silence a Critic Through Targeted Campaign Finance Laws? (Moving Oxnard Forward, Inc. v. Lourdes Lopez)

September 9, 2025   •  By IFS Staff   •  , ,

Moving Oxnard Forward, Inc. v. Lourdes Lopez, argued en banc before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on September 9, 2025.

Free Speech Arguments – Can a California City Silence a Critic Through Targeted Campaign Finance Laws? (Moving Oxnard Forward, Inc. v. Lourdes Lopez)

September 9, 2025   •  By IFS Staff   •  ,

Moving Oxnard Forward, Inc. v. Lourdes Lopez, argued en banc before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on September 9, 2025.

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