Question

Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests - including foreign corporations - to spend without limit in our elections. Well, I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that's why I'm urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong. President Barack Obama, 2010 State of the Union Address

In his 2010 State of the Union Address, President Obama addressed a Supreme Court decision that opened the door for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in elections. Which Supreme Court case is the subject of President Obama's comments in the passage above?

Answer 1

President Obama is referring to the Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in his 2010 State of the Union address, which allowed corporations, including foreign corporations, to make unlimited campaign expenditures. This decision has been widely criticized for giving special interests too much influence in elections.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Supreme Court case that President Obama referred to in his 2010 State of the Union address is Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations have a First Amendment right to make unlimited expenditures in candidate elections, including foreign corporations. The decision opened the door for a substantial increase in campaign spending by special interests, which President Obama criticized as a threat to the American people's ability to decide elections.