1976 decision

The 1976 decision often refers to the U.S. Supreme Court case *Buckley v. Valeo*, which addressed campaign finance. The Court ruled that while limits on individual contributions to political campaigns were constitutional, restrictions on personal spending by candidates were not. This decision emphasized free speech, asserting that spending money to influence elections is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment. Consequently, it significantly changed the landscape of political financing, allowing candidates to spend unlimited personal funds, which has contributed to the rise of big-money influence in politics.