Federal Election Commission v. National Conservative Political Action Committee

470 U.S. 480 · Decided March 18, 1985 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Federal Election Commission v. National Conservative Political Action Committee was decided on March 18, 1985 by a vote of 7–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Campaign spending” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

Federal Election Commission v. National Conservative Political Action Committee et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1984-047, docket 1984-047-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Campaign spending”

• Federal Election Commission v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  479 U.S. 238Decided December 15, 19865–4William J. Brennan Jr.
• Federal Election Commission v. National Right to Work Committee
  459 U.S. 197Decided December 13, 19829–0William H. Rehnquist
• Brown v. Socialist Workers '74 Campaign CommitteeLaw held unconstitutional
  459 U.S. 87Decided December 8, 19826–3Thurgood Marshall
• Bread Political Action Committee v. Federal Election Commission
  455 U.S. 577Decided March 8, 19829–0Sandra Day O'Connor
• Citizens Against Rent Control/coalition for Fair Housing v. City of BerkeleyLaw held unconstitutional
  454 U.S. 290Decided December 14, 19818–1Warren E. Burger
• Federal Election Commission v. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
  454 U.S. 27Decided November 10, 19819–0Byron R. White

See all

Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)

• Wayte v. United States
  470 U.S. 598Decided March 19, 19857–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Zauderer v. Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the Supreme Court of OhioLaw held unconstitutional
  471 U.S. 626Decided May 28, 19855–3Byron R. White
• Brockett v. Spokane Arcades, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  472 U.S. 491Decided June 19, 19856–2Byron R. White
• Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc.
  472 U.S. 749Decided June 26, 19855–4Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Cornelius v. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
  473 U.S. 788Decided July 2, 19854–3Sandra Day O'Connor
• Regan v. Time, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
  468 U.S. 641Decided July 3, 19845–4Byron R. White

Same Term, same area (First Amendment)

• Wayte v. United States
  470 U.S. 598Decided March 19, 19857–2Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Board of Education of Oklahoma City v. National Gay Task ForceLaw held unconstitutional
  470 U.S. 903Decided March 26, 19854–4
• Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale v. Kathleen S. McCreary
  471 U.S. 83Decided March 27, 19854–4
• Wallace v. JaffreeLaw held unconstitutional
  472 U.S. 38Decided June 4, 19856–3John Paul Stevens
• Jensen v. QuaringLaw held unconstitutional
  472 U.S. 478Decided June 17, 19854–4
• McDonald v. Smith
  472 U.S. 479Decided June 19, 19858–0Warren E. Burger

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error