The Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) decision by the U.S. Supreme Court has caused a myriad of significant problems in our elections.
The ruling allows unlimited corporate spending on elections (including unions and other entities) giving overwhelming influence to wealthy parties vs. individuals. The completely thwarts the idea of political equality. Wealth can overcome the voices of ordinary voters distorting public discourse. In addition, this can skew policies in favor of the rich at the expense of the middle and working classes, eroding trust in our government.
The rise of Super PAC’s were also the result of the CU decision. These organizations, created by established donors can collect sometimes unlimited amounts of money from hidden donors to further the agenda of a small group of individuals or entities.
Having people elected largely by the use of these funded groups causes long term erosion of our democracy and should be reversed.