Ruling On Speech Rights an Advance for Freedom ; While Some Decry Corporate and Union Ads, They Can Offer Important Viewpoints.

Summary

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The U.S. Supreme Court typically is the least visible branch of the federal government, but every so often it becomes the most visible one because one of its rulings has a wide-ranging impact. Such was the result of its decision last week to strike down parts of campaign finance laws that strictly limited advocacy advertising.

While the ruling, "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission," did not affect the McCain-Feingold ban on direct contributions to candidates, it overturned precedents going back decades placing restrictions on corporations and unions. It thus strikes a blow for freedom of speech on political issues by defending those groups' First Amendment rights.

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Extract

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Ruling On Speech Rights an Advance for Freedom ; While Some Decry Corporate and Union Ads, They Can Offer Important Viewpoints.

The ramifications of the decision, which had to do with limits imposed on a film ...

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