Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/13pdf/12-536_e1pf.pdf
Page Number: 22

16 

MCCUTCHEON v. FEDERAL ELECTION COMM’N 

Opinion of ROBERTS, C. J. 

to  choose  which  of  several  policy  concerns  he  will  ad-
vance—clear  First  Amendment  harms  that  the  dissent 
never acknowledges. 

It  is  no  answer  to  say  that  the  individual  can  simply
contribute  less  money  to  more  people.    To  require  one
person to contribute at lower levels than others because he 
wants to support more candidates or causes is to impose a
special burden on broader participation in the democratic 
process.  And  as  we  have  recently  admonished,  the  Gov-
ernment  may  not  penalize  an  individual  for  “robustly
exercis[ing]” his First Amendment rights.  Davis v. Federal 
Election Comm’n, 554 U. S. 724, 739 (2008).

The  First  Amendment  burden  is  especially  great  for 
individuals  who  do  not  have  ready  access  to  alternative 
avenues  for  supporting  their  preferred  politicians  and 
policies.  In  the  context  of  base  contribution  limits,  Buck-
ley  observed  that  a  supporter  could  vindicate  his  associa-
tional  interests  by  personally  volunteering  his  time  and 
energy on behalf of a candidate.  See 424 U. S., at 22, 28. 
Such  personal  volunteering  is  not  a  realistic  alternative
for those who wish to support a wide variety of candidates 
or causes.  Other effective methods of supporting preferred 
candidates  or  causes  without  contributing  money  are 
reserved  for  a  select  few,  such  as  entertainers  capable  of
raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single even-
ing.  Cf. Davis, supra, at 742.5 

The dissent faults this focus on “the individual’s right to
engage in political speech,” saying that it fails to take into 
account “the public’s interest” in “collective speech.”  Post, 
at  6  (opinion  of  BREYER,  J).  This  “collective”  interest  is 

—————— 

5 See,  e.g.,  Felsenthal,  Obama  Attends  Fundraiser  Hosted  by  Jay-Z, 
Beyonce,  Reuters,  Sept.  18,  2012;  Coleman,  Kid  Rock  Supports  Paul
Ryan  at  Campaign  Fundraiser,  Rolling  Stone,  Aug.  25,  2012;  Mason,
Robert Duvall to Host Romney Fundraiser, L. A. Times, July 25, 2012; 
Piazza,  Hillary  Lands  2.5M  with  Rocket  Man,  N. Y.  Daily  News,  Apr. 
10, 2008, p. 2.