Citizens United: The Decision That Changed Everything
The 2010 Supreme Court ruling that opened the floodgates for unlimited political spending — and the fierce debate it ignited.
The Case
In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the government cannot restrict independent political expenditures by corporations, labor unions, and other associations. The majority held that political spending is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment, and that the identity of the speaker — individual or corporate — does not diminish that protection.
The case began narrowly, involving a conservative nonprofit that wanted to air a documentary critical of Hillary Clinton during the 2008 primary season. But the Court used it to overturn decades of campaign finance law, including key provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold) and overruling its own precedent in Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce (1990).