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FACTS OF THE CASE/BACKGROUND

PACs raise money for candidates and causes INDIRECTLY
Donating money is protected by your 1st Amendment Right of Free Speech
Initially there were laws preventing the support.
The case revolves around Hilary: The Movie and how it was claimed to be a political influential
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QUESTION BEFORE THE COURT + (CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE)

Do corporations have a protected right to donate money to political causes/candidates under the 1st amendment like individual do?

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of Judges for- # of Judges against / DECISION WHO WINS? / In favor of who?

The court ruled 5-4. The judges decided that Citizens United won the case

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MAJORITY OPINION HOLDING Quotes/Key Arguments/Reasoning (Author)

There were 2 main reasons in the Majority Opinion:

The First Amendment extends to corporations
Political speech is important and it isn’t lessened by it coming from a corporation and not an individual. </aside>

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LONG TERM IMPACT

A new formed of PAC known as a independent expenditure only or Super PACs was formed. The Super PACs became the largest PAC spenders during election cycles,

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RELATED CASES (list name, year, and a brief description of how it relates)

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
- Limited the amount individuals can contribute. This case was referenced many times in the case and deals with the amount that one can spend which is in line with the PAC ideals
Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce (1990)
- A state law of Michigan that prohibited companies, both for-profit & non-profit, from running ads that support or oppose a candidate </aside>

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MOST IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY (one-sentence summary)

The Citizens United v FEC (2010) gave companies the ability to contribute to political elections through Super PACs and there right to do so was ruled constitutionally protected under the 1st amendment.

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Apply What you Learned:

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Level 2: In 100 words or more, What are the major campaign finance laws in the United States?

The major laws are the FEC and BRCA, they fall under the Federal Elective Campaign Act (FECA). All of which are in attempts to limit corruption. Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulates how much money can be spent and by who; Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act defines and limited soft money, money donated directly to a candidate, and hard money, money donated to a cause or company. Additonally, the way people donate is by giving to Political Action Committees or PACs to which there are 4. Connected PACs, who's members are directly connected to each other; Non-Connected PACs, who get donations from the public and share no connection; Leadership PACs, started by a candidate and cannot fund their own campaign; and Super PACs, which are the only way companies may donate to PACs

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Level 3: In 150 words or more, How do campaign finance laws affect the election process?

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Level 4: In 200 words or more, evaluate the implications of Citizens United v. FEC on campaign finance laws and future elections.

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Opener Questions

What are the major influences on a young person's political opinions? What do we call the process by which you get your political opinion?
1. The process we get our political beliefs by is “Political Socialization” and the main influences for younger people is the internet, their family, and their education.
Which political party is more likely to support government regulation in the economy?
1. The democratic party, it’s a liberal idea
What is fiscal policy? What is monetary policy?
1. Fiscal policy relates to the government spending and taxing
2. Monetary policy relates to the supplying and monitoring of the US Dollar
What government body makes fiscal policy? monetary policy?
1. The fiscal policy is set by Congress and is enforced by the IRS and monetary policy is set by the Federal Reserve Board

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