Source: https://www.demos.org/research/buckley-v-valeo-40
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 03:43:43+00:00

Document:
Buckley, a 1976 Supreme Court case, set the structure of modern campaign finance law.
Buckley v. Valeo is a January 30, 1976 Supreme Court case that struck down key pieces of Congress’ post-Watergate money in politics reforms, and set the structure of modern campaign finance law.1 Buckley and the line of cases that followed—including 2010’s Citizens United 2—eliminated many of the strongest protections against wealthy individuals and institutions translating economic might into political power, and has helped sustain a vicious cycle of political, economic, and racial inequality that endures today.
What law did the plaintiffs challenge?
Congress passed the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) in 1971, but then strengthened it significantly in the wake of Watergate in 1974.3 Plaintiffs challenged many of the provisions of these 1974 amendments, along with some of the disclosure requirements enacted in the original law.
What did this have to do with Watergate?
Watergate is best remembered for the break-in at DNC offices at the now-famous hotel and subsequent cover up; but it was also a campaign finance scandal. Twenty-two individuals and 17 corporations pleaded guilty to charges related to illegal corporate contributions to President Nixon’s re-election committee and other campaigns.4 Outrage over these abuses fueled the 1974 FECA amendments.
What did the post-Watergate law do?
How well did the law work?
Who were the plaintiffs who challenged the law?
What were their main arguments?
1. 424 U.S. 1 (1976).
2. Citizens United v. Fed. Election Com’n, 588 U.S. 310 (2010).
3. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (“FECA”), Pub. L. 92-225, 86 Stat. 3 (1972); The Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments of 1974, Pub. L. 93-443, 88 Stat.1263 (1975).
4. Brief for Appellees at 60, Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976) (Nos. 75-436, 75-437), 1975 WL 171457, at 98.
5. See Buckley, 424. U.S. at 7.
6. Brief for Appellants at 6, Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976) (Nos. 75-436, 75-437), 1975 WL 173792, at 253.
7. Experts ‖ Hon. James L. Buckley, The Federalist Society, http://www.fed-soc.org/experts/detail/james-l-buckley (last visited Nov. 25, 2015); The Historical Soc’y of the D.C. Circuit, Oral History Project, Honorable James L. Buckley 2 (1995), available at http://dcchs.org/JamesLBuckley/jameslbuckley_complete.pdf.
8. Brief for Appellants at 14, Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976) (Nos. 75-436, 75-437), 1975 WL 173792, at 256.
9. Brief for Appellees at 28-29, Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976) (Nos. 75-436, 75-437), 1975 WL 171457, at 87.
10. Brief for Appellants at 14-25, Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976) (Nos. 75-436, 75-437), 1975 WL 173792, at 256-61. Because the case was at the Supreme Court on appeal, the parties listed are technically “appellants” rather than “plaintiffs;” but we use here the term with which more readers are likely to be familiar.
11. Brief for Appellants at 27-29, Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976) (Nos. 75-436, 75-437), 1975 WL 173792, at 262-63.
12. Brief for Appellants at 28, 30, Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976) (Nos. 75-436, 75-437), 1975 WL 173792, at 263.

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