Discuss the consequences of the Supreme Court rulings on the role of money in American politics and make an argument for whether those consequences have been, on the whole, positive or negative. Provide examples to support your argument

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should:
a. Explain the decision of Citizens United v. FEC (2010 ) that eliminated most campaign finance restrictions on corporate donations and the decision in McCutcheon v. FEC that struck down aggregate individual donation limits.
b.Discuss the contribution of Citizens United to the rise of super PACs that are allowed to raise unlimited sums of money from individuals, corporations, and associations and spend as much of that as they would like, as long as they are not coordinated with or directly giving it to a candidate's campaign, using examples from the 2012 Republican primary such as the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson.
c. Analyze how the decisions have had unintended consequences, including an increase in negative advertising, a shift in the timing of advertising, and a disincentive for candidates to solicit independent donations.
d. Argue in favor or against the rulings by either drawing on the majority opinions in the cases or by arguing that the decisions drowned out ordinary voices.