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The Supreme Court’s Campaign Finance Ruling

January 22, 2010

In a significant 5-4 decision—Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission—the U.S. Supreme Court repealed federal laws and overturned previous rulings that limited the amount of money corporations can spend on political campaigns. This decision now allows firms to spend unlimited sums from their treasures to independently advocate for or against candidates. Senior Fellow Thomas Mann calls this ruling an ambitious and radical decision.