Citizens United v. FEC

Citizens United v. FEC is a 2010 Supreme Court decision that ruled the government cannot restrict independent political expenditures by corporations and unions. The case arose from a nonprofit group's efforts to air a film critical of a political candidate. The Court held that such spending is a form of protected free speech under the First Amendment. This decision significantly changed campaign finance by permitting larger financial contributions to political campaigns and led to the rise of Super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on elections, influencing American politics considerably.