dbq citizens united intro

8/9/2019 Dbq Citizens United Intro

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Lily Haeberle

12-9-14

Period 4

DBQ

Asses whether the Supreme Court ruled orretly i! theCitizens United

"# $#%#C#& 2'1'& i! li(hto) o!stitutio!al pri!iples i!ludi!( republia! (o"er!me!t a!d )reedom o) speeh#

Ameria has bee! built o! the !otio! that people ha"e the ri(ht to )ree speeh a!d a

ha!e to ha"e a say i! their (o"er!me!t# A! or(a!i*atio! +!ow! as Citi*e!s ,!ited wa!ted to

protet the peoples $irst Ame!dme!t ri(hts i! their Supreme Court ase a(ai!st the $ederal

%letio! Commissio!# .his ase sou(ht to o"ertur! the /Cai!-$ei!(old At& otherwise +!ow!

as the Bipartisa! Campai(! $i!a!e 0e)orm At BC0A# .his at ba!!ed a!y orporatio! or

u!io! speeh that is o!sidered to be eletio!eeri!( ommu!iatio!s withi! 3' to ' days o) a

(e!eral eletio!# Citi*e!s ,!ited sueeded i! o"ertur!i!( the BC0A# .he Supreme Court ruli!(

i! the ase o) Citi*e!s ,!ited "s# $#%#C# was o!stitutio!al as they e5erised the $irst

Ame!dme!t ri(hts a!d applied the pri!iples o) republia! (o"er!me!t#

6! the Co!stitutio!& the $irst Ame!dme!t states that& 7Co!(ress shall ma+e !o law8

abrid(i!( the )reedom o) speeh& or o) the press Do C# .his learly states that Co!(ress is !ot

allowed to depri"e people o) their )reedom o) speeh# BC0A would ha"e "iolated the $irst

Ame!dme!t by ba!!i!( speeh i) the at had !ot bee! o"ertur!ed# .he ourts ruli!( o) this ase

shows that they o!sider mo!ey e5pe!ditures to be a )orm o) )ree speeh so the BC0A would

ha"e depri"ed orporatio!s )rom their !atural ri(ht o) speeh# Aordi!( to :ustie A!tho!y

;e!!edy& 7All spea+ers& i!ludi!( i!di"iduals a!d the media& use mo!ey amassed )rom the

eo!omi mar+etplae to )u!d their speeh Do 6# .here)ore& ba!!i!( the use o) mo!ey would

be o!sidered as ba!!i!( speeh )rom i!di"iduals a!d the media& or otherwise +!ow! as the

orporatio!s that )u!d ampai(!s# .his is importa!t beause (roups suh as Politial Atio!


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Committees PACs are based o! raisi!( mo!ey )or ampai(!s a!d a!didates so ba!!i!( the use

o) mo!ey would be ba!!i!( their )orm o) speeh# .heir speeh is e5pressed by (i"i!( mo!ey to

a!didates they support but without mo!ey& they ha"e !o "oie# :ustie A!tho!y ;e!!edy is a

respeted Supreme Court :ustie who was o! the ase# He ori(i!ally wrote the o!urre!t

opi!io! )or the ruli!( but as more a!d more :usties be(a! to a(ree o! his sta!e& it beame the

ma?> sayi!(

that& 7the basis o) our (o"er!me!ts bei!( the opi!io! o) the people& the "ery )irst ob


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.he o!stitutio!ality o) the ruli!( o) this ase is also based upo! republia! (o"er!me!t#

0epublia! (o"er!me!t is a (o"er!me!t where the people (et to hoose who represe!ts them i!

o))ie# .his o!!ets to )reedom o) speeh beause people ha"e a "oie a!d they are allowed to

)reely support whom they wa!t to wi! o))ie# 6! 2''?& a PAC reated a doume!tary titled

7Hillary the /o"ie but it was ba!!ed by the BC0A 7beause it was )u!ded by a! i!orporated

(roup a!d was less tha! omplime!tary o) the!-Se!ator Hillary Cli!to! Do /# .he ourts

ruli!( o) this ase is o!stitutio!al i! this ate(ory beause people ha"e the ri(ht to "ote a!d

support someo!e they wa!t represe!ti!( them# .he (roup who reated the )ilm supported the

opposi!( a!didate a!d they should be allowed to release somethi!( o) that !ature beause that

is their "iew# 6! $ederalist Paper 1'& :ames /adiso! spea+s o) )atio!s as a mea!s o) republia!

(o"er!me!t# He wa!ts to o!trol the )atio!s i! a way so that they do !ot beome too power)ul

a!d ta+e o"er# By o!trolli!( a )atio!s e))ets 7relie) is supplied by the republia! pri!iple&

whih e!ables the ma


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was reated by a SuperPAC a!d !ot diretly aimed at the a!didate they were i! support o)# A!

additio!al doume!t that would )urther my u!dersta!di!( a!d be help)ul to my a!alysis o) this

topi ould be a pote!tial ame!dme!t bei!( put i! plae to try to ha!(e the ruli!( o) this ase#

.his doume!t would help me beause 6 ould re)er to ree!t ar(ume!ts )or a!d a(ai!st& whih

ould"e helped (uide my opi!io! i! a!other way or e"e! )urther i! the same diretio!#

dbq citizens united intro

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