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Political Spending: Civic Engagement is Not a Threat to Democracy
January 1, 2018  •  By IFS Staff  •    •  

The First Amendment guarantees every American freedom of speech. That freedom includes the right to spend money on speech. Without money, a political group cannot buy ads, print fliers, organize protests, or hire staff. Short of shouting one’s opinions on a street corner, it takes money to spread a message. Recognizing this relationship, the Supreme Court has long prohibited the…

The 2020 election could see record lows for ‘dark money’ influence
September 2, 2020   •  By Brad Smith   •  , ,

Dark money could be trending toward a record low this election cycle.

Pledges Against Corporate PACs Do Little but Confuse and Harm
August 26, 2020   •  By Nathan Maxwell   •  , , ,

Candidate pledges denouncing support from select groups tend to utilize public misunderstanding of campaign finance law to generate the facade of moral superiority, trade ...

Do Campaign Finance Reforms Insulate Incumbents from Competition? New Evidence from State Legislative Elections
July 10, 2020   •  By IFS Staff   •  , ,

Abstract: Variations in state campaign finance regulations across states and over time provide an opportunity to test the effects of reforms on the electoral ...

Voters Aren’t For Sale
March 13, 2020   •  By Brad Smith   •  , ,

This piece originally appeared in City Journal on March 12, 2020.    The political world is practically giddy at the failed campaigns of Michael ...

Bloomberg Slayed the Myth That Money Buys Elections
March 5, 2020   •  By Zac Morgan   •  , ,

This piece originally appeared in National Review on March 5, 2020.    The dragons of myth were not slain by fearless knights, but by reality. ...

Tom Steyer’s failed campaign shows money can’t buy votes
March 2, 2020   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , ,

This piece originally appeared in the Washington Examiner on March 2, 2020.    There’s a lot more to winning elections than dominating the airwaves. ...

Trump and Bloomberg Super Bowl ads are a novelty, but are they worth it?
February 2, 2020   •  By Luke Wachob   •  ,

This piece originally appeared in Washington Examiner on February 2, 2020.    Millions of people will tune in to watch the NFL’s Super Bowl ...

Celebrate the Citizens United Decade
January 21, 2020   •  By Brad Smith   •  , ,

This piece originally appeared in The Wall Street Journal on January 20, 2020.   ‘Last week,” President Obama declared a decade ago, “the Supreme Court ...

Free Speech Promotes Healthy Democracy in Virginia
July 9, 2019   •  By Mark D'Ostilio   •  , , ,

When it comes to the First Amendment, the people of Virginia should be proud of their laws, and the nation should take notice as ...

H.R. 1 Resource Guide (2019)
March 6, 2019   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , , , , , , ,

H.R. 1, better known as the “For the Politicians Act,” would institute sweeping new limitations on speech about campaigns and public affairs. In response, ...

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