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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…

Supreme Court can reinforce free speech with Rod Blagojevich case
April 11, 2018   •  By Thomas Wheatley   •  , , , ,

Five years into his jail sentence for corruption, former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich is down to his last appeal, now at the U.S. Supreme ...

The Founders didn’t limit political contributions, and neither should we
April 4, 2018   •  By Brad Smith   •  , ,

When they signed the Declaration of Independence, the Founders pledged their “lives … fortunes, and … sacred honor” to the political cause they were ...

Maine’s campaign laws hurt a free press
March 26, 2018   •  By Thomas Wheatley   •  , , ,

By David Keating and Thomas Wheatley Under Maine campaign law, an independent expenditure is "any [independent] communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of ...

Campaign Finance Institute Report on 2016 Election Spending Shows that Money Isn’t Everything
March 20, 2018   •  By Joe Albanese   •  , ,

In politics, it’s easy for narratives to take hold before the facts have a chance to catch up. Political speech issues are no different. ...

West Virginians should reject a misguided call for less political speech 
February 23, 2018   •  By Thomas Wheatley   •  ,

As the saying goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” That’s especially true in politics. The most recent example of the ...

Understanding Super PACs
February 13, 2018   •  By Alex Cordell   •  , ,

You’ve probably heard the term tossed around over the past couple of years, but what exactly is a “super PAC”? These organizations have been ...

Every American’s Ability to Speak About the President is What Really Makes America Great
January 31, 2018   •  By Alex Cordell   •  , ,

No president in the history of the United States has ever had a 100% approval rating, and likely no president ever will. The Trump ...

Cato Institute Hosts Discussion on Corruption and Virtue in a Republic
January 29, 2018   •  By Joe Albanese   •  , , ,

Last week, the Cato Institute hosted a book forum on The Republic of Virtue: How We Tried to Ban Corruption, Failed, and What We ...

Looks Like Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Missed the Memo on Doing Wealthy Donors’ Bidding
January 18, 2018   •  By Alex Cordell   •  ,

The idea that politicians are only accountable to those who write the biggest checks has been peddled for years by those trying to justify ...

Decrying “Out-of-State” Spending Only Further Divides Americans
January 11, 2018   •  By Joe Albanese   •  , ,

We live in politically polarized times – that’s about the one thing most Americans can agree on. A more contentious question is what – ...

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