United V. Fec The Rise Of The Super Pac - 1049 Words

Citizens United v. FEC Arthur, 1 Citizens United v. FEC: The Rise of the Super PAC Grayson Arthur Liberty High School AP Government 4A Citizens United v. FEC Arthur, 2 Citizens United v. FEC was a landmark court case that dealt with regulations on campaign financing from corporations, labor unions, and other associations. It started when Citizens United, a conservative non-profit organization, attempted to broadcast a film criticizing Hillary Clinton shortly before the Democratic primaries in which she was running for†¦show more content†¦The United Citizens United v. FEC Arthur, 3 States District Court denied the injunction, stating that Citizens United’s movie qualified as an electioneering communication under the BCRA, which was held constitutional in McConnell v. FEC (Oyez, 2009). Citizens United appealed their case, and in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Section 203 of the BCRA was unconstitutional, citing the First Amendment as precedent. The majority wrote, If the First Amendment has any force, it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens, or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in political speech (Roberts, 2009). The majority wrote that the Freedom of the Press Clause in the 1st Amendment protects associations of individuals, not just individual speakers; therefore, corporations gain 1st amendment rights as an association of individuals (Roberts, 2009). This means that corporations have effectively the same 1st amendment rights guaranteed to individuals. In Buckley v. Valeo, it’s established that money is detrimental to disseminating speech. For that reason, limiting a corporation’s ability to spend money is deemed unconstitutional because it limits their ability to speak on political issues., The majority opinion also wrote that because the BCRA doesn’t distinguish between corporations and media,Show MoreRelatedGlobal Economy And The American Dream1286 Words   |  6 Pagesthat the whole global economy is in a recession; pushing super powers such as the United States, China, and the European union to take action. All across the world the wealth gap is widening. It seems like for every new billionaire there are another million people in poverty dying of disease. Our one saving grave is democracy and the American dream. As citizens, we have the power to vote for our representatives who we see fit to run the United States. We elect representatives, senators, and the PresidentRead MoreThe First Step Towards Lasting Campaign Finance Reform2697 Words   |  11 PagesCitizens United v. Federal Election Commission case, for which The Supreme Court heard oral argument on March 24, 2009 and the subsequent 9-0 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in the Speechnow.org v. Federal Election Commission in March 26, 2010 case. Together these two precedent-setting cases are credited with establishing the legal framework that allowed for the recent creation of â€Å"Super PACs† – independent expenditure-only political action committees (PAC). AccordingRead MoreAmerican Politics And The United States Congress Essay952 Words   |  4 PagesOver the last several decades, American politics scholars have sought to understand the causes of increasing partisanship and po larization in the United States Congress. Since the 1970s, the ideological positions of the two major U.S. parties, the Democratic and Republican parties, have widened (Abramowitz and Saunders, 2008; Levendusky; 2010). 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This controversial court case brought the issue of non-voter influence on elected officials to the political stageRead MoreA Speech On National Convention1403 Words   |  6 Pagescampaign platform National commitee A committee of delegats from state and territory tat runs party affairs between national conventions National chairman A paid, full-time manager of a party s day-to-day work who is elected by the national committe Super-delegates Party leaders and elected officias who become delegates to the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses. Party rulesdetermine the percntage of delegate seats reserved for party officials Winer take all system a systemRead MoreSpeech : Is Money Speech?919 Words   |  4 Pagesa series of court cases that culminated in Citizens United v. FEC have destroyed the ability of the American people to properly regulate election spending. As a result of this, the government has become massively corrupt, the government is now even less accountable to the American people, and the country has been greatly destabilized. Of course, these problems all can be fixed in order to create a better America. When ruling in Citizens United, Anthony Kennedy stated that, â€Å"independent expendituresRead MoreIs Money A Corrupt?977 Words   |  4 Pagesa series of court cases that culminated in Citizens United v. FEC have destroyed the ability of the American people to properly regulate election spending. As a result of this, the government has become massively corrupt, the government is now even less accountable to the American people, and the country has been greatly destabilized. Of course, these problems all can be fixed in order to create a better America. When ruling in Citizens United, Anthony Kennedy stated that, â€Å"independent expendituresRead MoreAmerican Politics : A Growing Problem For The Political Process969 Words   |  4 PagesCohen hit upon, that I think is very important, is money in politics. The rise of Super PAC and the Citizens United decision are two of the biggest reasons why money in politics is such a hotbed issue. Super PAC receives money from many difference sources and uses them for political purposes. They cannot attach themselves directly to politicians, but they can influence voters via attack ads and other media. Citizens’ United v FEC was a recent landmark case that set the initiative that money is speechRead MoreEssay about America: A Class Divided2707 Words   |  11 Pages This is not our ancestors’ America. Over the last 100 years American has been beseeched by a seemingly benign transformation that has led us astray from our national values and has led us to ignore our individual senses of right and wrong. 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