Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20001-5403

Phone (202) 842 0200
Fax (202) 842 3490
Contact Us
Support Cato

Campaign Finance

Get the latest on Campaign Finance: RSS Feed RSS   AddThis Feed Button

Books and Book Chapters

"Campaign Finance," Chapter 9, Cato Handbook for Policymakers, 7th Edition (2009).

The Fallacy Of Campaign Finance Reform, by John Samples (October 2006)

The Marketplace Of Democracy: Electoral Competition and American Politics, edited By Michael P. McDonald and John Samples (October 2006)

"Campaign Finance Reform: Searching for Corruption in All the Wrong Places," by Bradley A. Smith, Cato Supreme Court Review: 2002-2003, pp. 187-222.

"Judicial Elections and the First Amendment: Freeing Political Speech" by James L. Swanson, Cato Supreme Court Review: 2001-2002, pp. 85-114.

[View more Books and Book Chapters]

Cato Studies

"Free Speech and the 527 Prohibition," by Stephen Hoersting, Briefing Paper no. 96, April 3, 2006

"Uncompetitive Elections and the American Political System," by Patrick Basham and Dennis Polhill, Policy Analysis no. 547, June 30, 2005

"Three Myths about Voter Turnout in the United States," by John Samples, Policy Analysis no. 524, September 14, 2004

"The Failures of Taxpayer Financing of Presidential Campaigns," by John Samples, Policy Analysis no. 500, November 25, 2003

"Defining Democracy Down: Explaining the Campaign to Repeal Term Limits," by Patrick Basham, Policy Analysis no. 490, September 30, 2003

[View more Cato Studies]

Opinion and Commentary

"Challenging the Rule of Law," by Richard W. Rahn, Washington Times, February 4, 2010

"Campaign Finance Reform: A Libertarian Primer," by Robert A. Levy, FindLaw, January 28, 2010

"Free Speech for All," by John Samples and Ilya Shapiro, DC Examiner, January 21, 2010

"Who's Afraid of Political Speech?," by Jeffrey Milyo and Tim Groseclose, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 29, 2009

"Let Millionaires Spend," by John Samples and Ilya Shapiro, New York Sun, June 27, 2008

[View more Opinion and Commentary]

Legal Briefs

Independence Institute v. Buescher, October 5, 2009 (PDF, 139 KB)

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, July 31, 2009 (PDF, 155 KB)

Randall v. Sorrell, December 14, 2005 (PDF, 235 KB)

Wisconsin Right To Life v. Federal Election Commission, November 14, 2005 (PDF, 223 KB)

Events

"Campaign Finance after Citizens United: What Now?," February 2, 2010 [Capitol Hill Briefing]

"What to Do about Self-Funded Campaigns ," April 21, 2008 [Capitol Hill Briefing]

"The End of Campaign Finance Reform?," August 2, 2007 [Capitol Hill Briefing]

"The Dangers of Disclosure: The Unintended Consequences of Campaign Regulations for Free Speech and Privacy," March 27, 2007 [Policy Forum]

"A Skeptical Look at Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure," March 9, 2007 [Capitol Hill Briefing]

[View more Events]

Speeches and Congressional Testimony

"Testimony by Roger Pilon, Constitutional Issues Related to Campaign Finance Reform," Cato Congressional Testimony, July 22, 1999.

"Testimony by Roger Pilon, The Case of Campaign Finance "Reform"," Cato Congressional Testimony, May 5, 1999.

"Testimony by Roger Pilon, Federal Election Campaign Finance Reform: Constitutional Implications," Cato Congressional Testimony, September 25, 1997.

"Testimony by Edward H. Crane, Campaign Finance Reform," Cato Congressional Testimony, September 24, 1997.

"Testimony by Bradley A. Smith, The First Amendment and Restrictions on Issue Advocacy," Cato Congressional Testimony, September 18, 1997.

[View more Speeches and Congressional Testimony]




Multimedia

Daily Podcast "Right, Left and Citizens United" featuring Allison Hayward, January 28, 2010 [Flash Audio, 08:49]

Daily Podcast "Supreme Court Affirms First Amendment" featuring John Samples, January 21, 2010 [Flash Audio, 10:28]

Media Highlight Ilya Shapiro discusses the Citizens United ruling on Al Jazeera January 21, 2010 [Flash Video, 03:52]

Weekly Video Bradley A. Smith defends free political speech. September 24, 2009 [Flash Video, 09:51]

Daily Podcast "Free Speech v. FEC Redux" featuring Bradley A. Smith, September 9, 2009 [Flash Audio, 07:50]

[View more Multimedia]