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…

James L. Buckley: The Man and His Principles

January 28, 2026   •  By Roger Pilon   •  , , ,

A friend profiles Buckley himself, a public servant who spent his life defending constitutional first principles.

Celebrating Buckley v. Valeo: A Landmark of Political Freedom

January 27, 2026   •  By Joel Gora   •  , , ,

An original Buckley litigator shares the inside story of one of America’s most important political speech victories.

Express Advocacy at 50

January 26, 2026   •  By Allison Hayward   •  , , ,

Do you believe in magic words?

Life without Buckley v. Valeo

January 26, 2026   •  By John Samples   •  , , ,

How the decision did and did not change the world.

Buckley and the Appearance of Corruption Standard

January 23, 2026   •  By David Primo   •  , , ,

What social science can tell us.

American Democracy and the Actuality of Corruption

January 23, 2026   •  By Jeff Milyo   •  , , ,

Buckley v. Valeo confines campaign finance regulation to actual corruption, rather than amorphous claims about “undue influence.”

Buckley v. Valeo is Not What Ails American Democracy

January 22, 2026   •  By Ilya Somin   •  , , ,

Those who blame Buckley for our current problems are wrong to do so. A contrary decision would have made things worse.

Expert Panel: A Discussion of the Historic Buckley v. Valeo Decision

January 22, 2026   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , ,

The Institute for Free Speech held a virtual panel with Bradley A. Smith, Joel Gora, and Eugene Volokh to reflect on the history of ...

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.

Load more