Question

Why have corporations and unions been able to spend unlimited sums of money on campaign advertising since 2010?

A. The FEC wanted to encourage private individuals to spend more hard money on elections.
B. The Supreme Court ruled that campaign spending is a protected form of free speech.
C. The dominant political parties began to rely too much on public campaign funding.
D. The Federal Election Campaign Act loosened restrictions on soft money contributions.

Answer 1

The corporations and unions have been able to spend unlimited sums of money on campaign advertising since 2010 because the Supreme Court ruled that campaign spending is a protected form of free speech.

Answer: Option B

Explanation:

The Supreme Court in its judgement of a 2010 case fought between the parties 'Citizen United' and the 'Federal Election Commission' clarified that the expenditure made by a political party to communicate with its subjects forms an integral part of their freedom of speech and hence their spending on election campaigns cannot be capped by law.