The Institute for Free Speech (IFS), formerly called the Center for Competitive Politics, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formerly headquartered in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C. In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...

, and now in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

IFS' mission is to "promote and defend the First Amendment rights to freely speak, assemble, publish, and petition the government through strategic litigation, communication, activism, training, research, and education."

History

The Center for Competitive Politics was founded in 2005 by former

Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...

Chairman Bradley A. Smith. Smith founded the organization with the goal of "challenging the current campaign finance system in both federal court and the court of public opinion." In October 2017, the organization changed its name to the Institute for Free Speech.

Activities

The Institute for Free Speech has been particularly active in criticizing campaign finance regulations, taxpayer-financed political campaigns, and restrictions on referendums and ballot initiatives. The organization publishes various studies and reports on campaign finance and political speech matters, and provides pro bono legal counsel to parties in suits challenging the constitutionality of campaign finance statutes. It has also defended the right of independent groups to participate freely in the electoral process. The organization represented the plaintiffs in '' SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission'', the Court of Appeals decision that authorized the creation of Super PACs. In 2014, the Institute challenged California's requirement that nonprofit groups must turn over their donor lists to the state in order to receive a license to solicit contributions from residents of the state. The organization has stated its opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment that would give Congress more power to regulate political spending. It has also opposed proposed Internal Revenue Service guidelines that would redefine tax rules for social welfare organizations that engage in political advocacy as a secondary activity.

References

External links

* {{official, http://www.ifs.org
Organizational Profile
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National Center for Charitable Statistics The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is a clearing house for information about the nonprofit sector of the U.S. economy. The National Center for Charitable Statistics builds national, state, and regional databases and develops sta ...

(

Urban Institute The Urban Institute is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that carries out economic and social policy research to "open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions". The institute receives funding from government contracts, foundations and pr ...

) Non-profit organizations based in Alexandria, Virginia Charities based in Virginia 2005 establishments in Virginia