The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United—holding that the government may not use campaign finance laws to silence the political speech of corporations—is the most significant First Amendment decision of the past decade.  In holding that “the First Amendment confirms the freedom to think for ourselves,” the Court made it clear that the Constitution “entrust[s] the people to judge what is true and what is false.”  Freedom of speech means that everyone, including corporations, has the right to participate in the “open marketplace of ideas” that is “an essential mechanism of democracy.”

But while Citizens United marks a major victory for First Amendment rights against expansive campaign finance regulation, the war rages on.  Politicians worked to silence corporations because they have the resources to speak effectively.  Politicians feared if this speech criticized them, it could threaten the one thing they care about most:  re-election.

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