William Bryant Perry’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

1 federal appellate · 1 district ·

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 9 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “[w]hile independent expenditures for speech that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate — i.e., expenditures for “express advocacy” — may not be limited in amount, such spending may be subjected to disclosure requirements. [But][e]x-penditures for speech that does not expressly advocate the election or defeat of a candidate — i.e., expenditures for issue advocacy — may neither be limited in amount nor subjected to disclosure requirements.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. McConnell v. Federal Election Commission

2. “the distinction between discussion of issues and candidates and advocacy of election or defeat of candidates may often dissolve in practical application. Candidates, especially incumbents, are intimately tied to public issues involving legislative proposals and governmental actions.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. North Carolina Right to Life, Inc. v. Leake

3. “[b]ecause Section 12A would allow the regulation of issue advocacy... it is unconstitutionally overbroad and the State is permanently enjoined from enforcing it.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. North Carolina Right to Life, Inc. v. Leake