Which case limited corporate political spending and established the framework for campaign finance?

• A. Buckley v. Valeo
• B. Kelo v. City of New London
• C. Citizens United v. FEC
• D. Lemon v. Kurtzman

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how the Supreme Court shapes money in elections and sets up the system for financing campaigns. Buckley v. Valeo (1976) is the case that established that framework. It allowed limits on direct contributions to political campaigns to prevent corruption, creating rules about how much money can go directly to a candidate. At the same time, it struck down spending limits on individuals and groups, including corporations, saying that restricting how much someone can spend on campaigns infringes free speech. This combination—restricting contributions while permitting broader spending—laid the structure that governed campaign finance for years, including disclosure requirements and the rise of political action committees.

Citizens United later changed the landscape by ruling that corporations can spend unlimited amounts on independent political broadcasts, as long as there’s no coordination with a candidate, which is the opposite of “limiting corporate political spending.” The other two cases address very different issues—Kelo about eminent domain and Lemon about the Establishment Clause.