Final answer:
The Supreme Court's ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission helped establish the current wide-open campaign-finance system in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Supreme Court's ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission helped establish the current wide-open campaign-finance system in the United States.
This landmark case, decided in 2010, allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money on independent political expenditures. Prior to this ruling, there were restrictions on how much money these entities could contribute to political campaigns. The decision was based on the Court's interpretation of the First Amendment right to free speech.
Learn more about Supreme Court's ruling on campaign-finance system