AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
2min chapter
Campaign Finance in U.S. History, Part 2
Stuff You Missed in History Class
The Supreme Court's Decision in Buckley v. Vallejo
Buckley v. Vallejo challenged elements of the 1974 updates to campaign finance law. In a 6-2 vote, the court upheld the limits as set down in the 1974 law. Contribution ceilings were not in violation of the First Amendment per the Supreme Court.
00:00
Transcript
Episode notes
The second part of our campaign finance history starts with both a scandal and reform linked to Theodore Roosevelt, and carries through to more recent Supreme Court rulings.
Research:
- Bedard, Paul. “George Washington Plied Voters with Booze.” USNews and World Report. Nov. 8, 2011. https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2011/11/08/george-washington-plied-voters-with-booze
- Blakemore, Erin. “Elections in Colonial America Were Huge, Booze-Fueled Parties.” History.com. Nov. 25, 2019. https://www.history.com/news/colonial-america-election-day-parties
- R. Brunson, “Swartwout, Samuel,” Texas State Historical Association. Handbook of Texas Online. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/swartwout-samuel.
- “Buckley v. Valeo.” Federal Election Commission. https://www.fec.gov/legal-resources/court-cases/buckley-v-valeo
- “Court Decision Stirs Up Fuss.” The Spokesman Review. April 4, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/569336879/?terms=Lonnie%20E.%20Smith%20&match=1
- “Did You Know... Samuel Swartwout Skimmed Staggering Sums?” U.S. Customs and Border Protection. https://www.cbp.gov/about/history/did-you-know/samuel-swartwout
- Dunbar, John. “A Modern history of campaign finance: from Watergate to ‘Citizens United.’” The Center for Public Integrity. Nov. 15, 2017. https://publicintegrity.org/politics/a-modern-history-of-campaign-finance-from-watergate-to-citizens-united/
- “Appendix 4 -- The Federal Election Campaign Laws:A Short History.” FEC. https://transition.fec.gov/info/appfour.htm#anchor616480
- Encyclopedia of Detroit. “NEWBERRY, TRUMAN HANDY.” https://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/newberry-truman-handy
- Fair Political Practices Commission. “Use of Campaign Funds.” Campaign Manual. June 2020. https://www.fppc.ca.gov/content/dam/fppc/NS-Documents/TAD/Campaign%20Manuals/Manual_4/Manual_4_Ch_7_Use_of_Campaign_Funds.pdf
- Fuller, Jame. “From George Washington to Shaun McCutcheon: A brief-ish history of campaign finance reform.” The Washington Post. April 3, 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/04/03/a-history-of-campaign-finance-reform-from-george-washington-to-shaun-mccutcheon/
- Supreme Court of the United States. “Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.” October 2009. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4163268-Citizens-United-v-FEC-Decision.html
- “Washington City, May 19, 1840.” The Baltimore Sun. May 21, 1840. https://www.newspapers.com/image/364961740/?terms=%22bill%20to%20secure%20the%20freedom%20of%20elections%22&match=1
- Grizzard, Frank E. “George Washington: A Biographical Companion.” ABC-CLIO 2022.
- Hinnershitz, Stephanie, PhD. “The Smith–Connally Act and Labor Battles on the Home Front.” The National WWII Museum. June 22, 2023. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/smith-connally-act-and-labor-battles-home-front
- “House of Burgesses.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/house-of-burgesses/
- Lau, Tim. “Citizens United Explained.” Brennan Center for Justice. Dec. 12, 2019. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/citizens-united-explained
- “McConnell v. FEC.” Federal Election Commission United States of America. https://www.fec.gov/legal-resources/court-cases/mcconnell-v-fec/
- “Mark Hanna and the 1896 Election.” United States Senate. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Hanna_1896Election.htm#:~:text=At%20age%2015%20he%20moved,coal%2C%20iron%2C%20and%20steel.
- “Money-in-politics Timeline.” Open Secrets. https://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/timeline
- “Mr. Crittenden’s Speech.” Hartfor Courant. Feb. 14, 1839. https://www.newspapers.com/image/369520711/?terms=%22crittenden%22&match=1
- Mutch, R. (2002). “The First Federal Campaign Finance Bills.” Journal of Policy History,14(1), 30-48. doi:10.1353/jph.2002.0004
- Lewis, Charles. “Was campaign finance an issue in George Washington’s day?” Investigative Reporting Workshop. Sept. 27, 2021. https://investigativereportingworkshop.org/news/was-campaign-finance-an-issue-in-george-washingtons-day/
- “Louisville.” The Courier-Journal. Feb. 4, 1837. https://www.newspapers.com/image/118738402/?terms=%22bill%20to%20secure%20the%20freedom%20of%20elections%22&match=1
- “Mr. Bell’s Bill … “ The Natchez Weekly Courier. June 10, 1840. https://www.newspapers.com/image/248855111/?terms=%22bill%20to%20secure%20the%20freedom%20of%20elections%22&match=1
- “Naval Appropriation Bill.” The Buffalo Commercial. April 14, 1866. https://www.newspapers.com/image/282153733/?terms=%22Naval%20Appropriations%20Bill%22%20&match=1
- "NEWBERRY, Truman Handy." Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/N000062
- “Pendleton Act (1883).” National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/pendleton-act#:~:text=The%20Pendleton%20Act%20provided%20that,were%20covered%20by%20the%20law.
- Perlstein, Rick. "Watergate scandal". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Jun. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/event/Watergate-Scandal
- Roosevelt, Franklin D. “Veto of the Smith-Connally Bill.” June 25, 1943. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/veto-the-smith-connally-bill
- Roosevelt, Theodore. “December 5, 1905: Fifth Annual Message.” UVA – Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/december-5-1905-fifth-annual-message
- Scott, Kyle, and Matthew A. Kern. “Buckley v. Valeo (1976).” The First Amendment Encyclopedia. 2009. https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/126/buckley-v-valeo
- “The Election Case of Truman H. Newberry of Michigan (1922).” United States Senate. https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/electing-appointing-senators/contested-senate-elections/102Ford_Newberry.htm
- “Naval Appropriation Bill.” The Philadelphia Inquirer. April 14, 1866. https://www.newspapers.com/image/168100996/?terms=%22Naval%20Appropriations%20Bill%22%20&match=1
- Terry, Stephen C. “Major Election Reform Legislation Quietly Approved by Senate.” The Times Argus. March 24, 1976. https://www.newspapers.com/image/657291645/?terms=buckley%20valeo&match=1
- “Tursts for Roosevelt.” Freeport Bulletin. Oct. 20, 1904. https://www.newspapers.com/image/762693183/?terms=insurance%20roosevelt&match=1
- Thompson, Mary V. “Beer.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/beer/#note3
- United States. “Defalcations. Reports of majority and minority ... Report of the Committee of Investigation on the subject of the defalcations of Samuel Swartwout and others : ... also the report of the minority of the Committee.” Thomas Allen. 1839. Accessed online: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/007704602
- United States Senate. “Presidential Election Campaign Fund of 1966.” https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/SPrt301.pdf
- Victor, Jennifer Nicoll, Phd. “History of Financing of Federal Campaigns in the US.” Wondrium Daily. July 25, 2021. https://www.wondriumdaily.com/history-of-financing-of-federal-campaigns-in-the-us/
- Woodward, Bob and Brian Duffy. “Chinese Embassy Role in Contributions Probed.” Washington Post. Feb. 13, 1997. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/stories/china1.htm
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Get the Snipd
podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any
moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share
& Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode