Buckley

Buckley refers to the legal principle established by the Supreme Court case *Buckley v. Valeo* (1976). It distinguishes between two types of election-related activities: contributions, which are direct donations to candidates, and independent expenditures, which are spending on campaigns without direct coordination. The ruling upheld limits on individual contributions to candidates to prevent corruption, but struck down limits on overall political spending and independent expenditures, recognizing the importance of free speech. This decision shapes campaign finance laws by balancing the government's interest in preventing corruption with First Amendment protections of political expression.