Citizens United Ruling

The Citizens United ruling is a 2010 Supreme Court decision that held political spending by corporations and unions is protected as free speech under the First Amendment. This means that these groups can spend unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose political candidates, as long as they do so independently of campaigns. The decision shifted the landscape of political fundraising by allowing these entities to influence elections more freely through large financial contributions, leading to the rise of independent political expenditures by corporations and other organizations.