[10][11][12][2][13] IFS' stated 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.
"[14] The Center for Competitive Politics was founded in 2005 by former Federal Election Commission Chairman Bradley A. Smith, a 2000 Clinton appointee who had been selected by congressional Republican leaders.
"[10] The organization represented the plaintiffs in SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission, Court of Appeals decision that authorized the creation of Super PACs in 2010.
[17] 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.
[19][2][3] Allen Dickerson, legal director of the institute, became a member of the Federal Election Commission in 2020, after being nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by a vote of 49 to 47 in the U.S.