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How the Buckley v. Valeo Decision Still Impacts Us Today


Earlier this month marked the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United v. FEC ruling, which opened the floodgates to unlimited money in politics. However, the roots of our present democratic malaise predate this ruling by more than three decades.

Fifty years ago today, on January 30, 1976, the Supreme Court issued its Buckley v. Valeo opinion and declared that independent spending could not corrupt our federal elections. The justices reasoned that a transparent campaign finance system would hold corruption at bay; yet, 50 years later, the political landscape is now dominated by wealthy special interests whose massive election spending can earn them influence, favors and sometimes even tangible government benefits. 

The past five decades under Buckley have clearly shown that our campaign finance system allows wealthy special interests to dominate the political process, drowning out the voices of everyday Americans. Congress and the courts must act now to pass reforms that restore transparency in our elections and restore voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence their vote. 

Read More.
CLC Explains
Want to dive deeper into the Buckley v. Valeo decision? In this video, Campaign Legal Center’s Senior Counsel of Campaign Finance, David Kolker, explains the impact of the Supreme Court decision that laid the foundation for the dysfunction plaguing our campaign finance system today.
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