Money Bomb: How Citizens United Shaped Political Campaigns

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Money Bomb: How Citizens United Shaped Political Campaigns In 2010, the Supreme Court case Citizens United vs Federal Election Commission revolutionized modern American politics. The emergence of the so-called “superPAC”, which can be seen funding every politician in the presidential race, are a direct result of this case. The Citizens United case brought the idea of corporate personhood into the forefront of American news and politics. Citizens United has created an unprecedented rush of interest money into the realm of political campaigns. The superPAC has created a ecosystem where corporations and unions can give an unlimited amount of money to a candidate with the expectation of a return on their investment in the form of political influence (Eggan). Some believe that this is a fair application of the First Amendment and some believe that it is a gross misstep on the part of the Supreme Court. Either way, it can be stated with certainty that the Citizens United v Federal Election Commission case has vastly altered the battleground of political campaigns in America. In 2007 the conservative non-profit called Citizens United made a documentary called Hilary: The Movie which highlighted reasons why Hilary Clinton, who was running for president at the time, was not fit for office. Citizens United had wanted to make Hilary: The Movie available on pay-per-view television following other airings of the film. However, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), also known as the McCain-Fiengold act, stated that “Electioneering Communication” ads could not be broadcasted within 30 days of a primary election (“Major provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act”). This law made a potential pay-per-view release of Hilary: The Movie illegal because the release was going to occur within 30 days of a primary election. When Citizens United initially brought forward

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