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The Secret of Chief Justice Roberts: How He Manipulates His Judgments to Rewrite the Rules of Elections?
Changes to election rules have often sparked heated discussions throughout U.S. history. Especially in 2010, the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission completely overturned long-standing election finance rules. This decision not only had a profound impact on the electoral system, but also put the role of Chief Justice Roberts at the center of heated discussions, with many questioning his manipulation and intentions in the process.
Case background
Citizens United is a political activist group that used the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) passed in 2002 to challenge the validity of the law. The law prevents companies and unions from advertising during elections and even imposes strict restrictions on movies or other media that could influence election results. And in 2004, when Citizens United attempted to screen a film critical of then-President George W. Bush, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) investigated and found that the ads violated the act.
"It is a basic electoral rule that a company cannot use its money to influence a political movement."
Legal Arguments
As the 2008 election approaches, Citizens United is again seeking to challenge the legal distribution of its political film, Hillary: The Movie. They argue that restrictions on corporate spending on political advertising are an infringement of free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The case reached the Supreme Court in 2009 and instantly became a national focus.
Supreme Court ruling
In January 2010, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Citizens United, overturning the BCRA's limits on independent corporate and union spending. The ruling sparked nationwide controversy and raised important challenges to future election finance transparency and fairness.
"If the First Amendment has any force, it prohibits Congress from fining or imprisoning citizens or associations of citizens for engaging in political speech."
Roberts’ role
As chief justice, Roberts played an important role in the case. His original attempt to adopt a narrower interpretation ended up steering the court toward a broader ruling. The development of this matter is a bad news for the independence of the judicial system. Many legal commentators pointed out that this ruling reflects Roberts's own intention to focus on protecting the freedom of speech of enterprises.
The impact of public debate
The ruling has sparked heated debate, with supporters arguing it enhances free speech and opponents accusing it of creating an environment where corporations and the super-rich can influence politics at will. Former US President Obama once said that the sanctions "give special interests and their lobbyists greater power in Washington."
"A democratic system cannot function effectively when its members believe that the law is being bought and sold."
Subsequent Impact
Since then, the ruling’s impact on U.S. elections has grown. As all sectors of society have deepened their doubts about the sources and transparency of election funding, the political rights of corporations remain a hot topic in today’s political debates. Many opinions seek to balance free speech with the need to protect the public interest, and there remains much disagreement over the interpretation of the two in the Constitution.
Conclusion
As the electoral landscape changes, many voices continue to debate the historical assessment of the Citizens United case. In the future, how can we improve the transparency of elections and avoid excessive interference of money in politics while protecting freedom of speech? Is it necessary to reconsider current laws?
