What 2010 US Supreme Court case held that corporations have free speech rights in political campaign spending?

What 2010 US Supreme Court case held that corporations have free speech rights in political campaign spending? The answer is Citizens United v. FEC.

Decided on January 21, 2010, the case concerned whether federal law could restrict a corporation’s independent spending on political communications. The Court held, in a 5–4 decision, that the First Amendment generally bars the government from suppressing independent political expenditures by corporations, unions, and other associations based on the speaker’s corporate identity.

The ruling overruled Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and rejected part of McConnell v. Federal Election Commission. It also treated political spending as a form of protected speech, while stressing that independent expenditures are different from direct contributions to candidates. Citizens United therefore did not eliminate all campaign-finance rules, disclosure requirements, or contribution limits.

Another common mix-up is Buckley v. Valeo, the 1976 decision that addressed spending and contribution limits for individuals and campaigns. Hobby Lobby involved religious-liberty protections under federal law, not corporate campaign expenditures. The phrase “corporate free speech” describes the constitutional principle at issue, but the case’s full name is the canonical quiz answer.