How the Citizens United Ruling Transformed U.S. Political Campaigns

Abstract

[Name] [Instructor Name] POS2041 6/15/2023 “How the Citizens United decision Changed U.S. Political Campaigns” “How the Citizens United Decision Changed U.S. Political Campaigns” is a great documentary by Frontline PBS. The documentary was originally aired on 30th October 2012 and later produced through Frontline PBS by Patrice Toddonio a Senior Digital Writer, Frontline on 23rd February 2023. The documentary is written, produced and directed by Rick Young while Anthony Szulc serves as its co-producer with Kai Ryssdal as its main correspondent. It is a documentary that explores the profound impact of the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling on American politics that transformed the landscape of campaign financing and political influence. While paying close attention on Montana as the surprising battleground over campaign finance among other American states, the documentary confirms that secret big money “Big Sky, Big Money” is changing the American politics state by state. One can argue that “Big Sky, Big Money” documentary aimed at analyzing how the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United vs. Federal election Commission decision changed political campaigns in America. The Citizens United decision of 2010 held that political spending is a form of protected speech thus let corporations and unions spend unlimited amounts of money in campaigns. In-order to avoid corruption, the Supreme Court argued that such monies cannot go directly to candidates’ pockets but rather to independent outside groups. However marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal uncovers startling new evidence of outside interest groups influence on campaigns as a consequence and effect of the said court ruling on American political landscape (00:46-51). While investigating how the controversial ruling was playing out in Montana which proved an epicentre of campaign finance debate, Ryssdal raised questions about how secret dark money was transforming U.S. politics citing that “Montana the surprising battleground over campaign finance, somebody is buying the state out, more ads, more spending, more negativity and citizens not seeing where the money is coming from, look who is controlling the message its these outside groups in collaboration with American public Medias and marketplace?”(0:08-38). The documentary offer a detailed history of campaign reform efforts in America as well as regulatory frameworks established to discourage influence of money in politics citing Bipartisan campaign reforms of 2002 that aimed at curtailing the role of corporate and union funding in election. Through interview presentation with key figures involved in Citizen United case Ryssdal confirmed that the ruling that aimed at upholding First Amendment rights to free speech for the involved parties created a great platform for a contrary move. While exploring on how the secret big money was changing the American politics state by state, Ryssdal confirmed interest group influence on campaigns through availability of unnecessary ads made by tax-exempt nonprofits known as 501(c) (4) s although they were not supposed to disclose their donors publicly. In such a case, the documentary reveals that there was possible coordination of such parties with campaigns which in itself is illegal. The documentary further analyzes the perceived erosion of democratic principles attributed to influence of money in politics paying attention to the need for campaign finance reform with a possibility of a constitutional amendment to...