Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (FEC)

A Supreme Court case that ruled political spending is protected speech under the First Amendment.

First Amendment

Constitutional provision that guarantees the freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

Independent Expenditure

Money spent on political ads or advocacy not coordinated with any candidate's campaign.

Super PAC

An independent-expenditure-only committee that can raise and spend unlimited amounts from individuals, corporations, and unions.

Hard Money

Direct contributions to a candidate's official campaign, subject to strict federal limits and disclosures.

Dark Money

Political spending by non-profit organizations that do not have to disclose their donors.

Political Speech

Speech that expresses political views and opinions, considered vital for democracy.

Corruption

The act of giving or receiving something of value in exchange for influence over a political decision.

Direct Contributions

Giving money directly to a candidate's campaign, which is heavily restricted to prevent corruption.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

Legislation aimed at regulating campaign financing, particularly restrictions on corporate spending.

Majority Opinion

The official statement of the court expressing the decision of the majority of justices.

Dissenting Opinion

An opinion expressing disagreement with the majority opinion of the court.

Censorship

The suppression of speech, public communication, or other information.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

A committee that raises funds and makes contributions to candidates, subject to limits.

Campaign Finance

The raising and spending of money for political campaigns.

Corporate Personhood

The legal notion that a corporation has some of the same legal rights as an individual.

Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce (1990)

Supreme Court case that previously allowed states to restrict corporate independent expenditures in elections to prevent political corruption; explicitly overruled by Citizens United v. FEC (2010).

McConnell v. FEC (2003)

Supreme Court case that previously upheld key provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) restricting corporate-funded electioneering communications; partially overruled by Citizens United regarding independent expenditures.

Wisconsin Right to Life v. FEC (2007)

Supreme Court ruling that genuine issue-advocacy ads (advertisements that discuss political topics rather than explicitly telling people how to vote) cannot be banned prior to elections.

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

Foundational Supreme Court case establishing that spending money is equivalent to speech under the First Amendment; upheld limits on direct candidate contributions to prevent corruption, but struck down limits on independent expenditures and overall campaign spending.