Abstract

The recent Citizens United vs. FEC (2010) and SpeechNow.org vs. FEC (2010) Supreme Court decisions have fundamentally changed the landscape of American campaign finance. While these decisions have undoubtedly affected many industries, this paper examines the extent to which these court cases have affected the balance between corporations and unions. The initial scholarship on this topic establishes the legal context of these decisions, the theories utilized to explain the political behavior of these organizations, and their preferred vessels for taking advantage of the new campaign laws. As this paper transitions to studying the scholarly consensus on the issue, it examines the methods in which authors such as Dr. Nour-Adul Razzak, Dr. Tillman Klumpp, and Dr. Joseph DiGrazia have pointed to the corporate domination of campaigns by corporations. With these works in mind, this research then embarks on a method of difference case study of Nevada, Minnesota, and New Hampshire to examine the quantitative and qualitative effects of the new campaign finance regulations on the balance of power between corporations and unions across America. From these case studies, the research concludes that corporations have gained a distinct financial advantage over unions in state electoral spending that has directly translated into more numerous and severe anti-labor policies. Examination of these results then leads to a discussion on the future of political activity for organized labor.

Advisor

Kim, Sekwen

Department

Political Science

Disciplines

American Politics | Labor and Employment Law | Law and Politics | Political Science | Public Policy | State and Local Government Law | Supreme Court of the United States | Workers' Compensation Law

Keywords

Citizens United, SpeechNow, Labor law, Campaign Finance, Employment Law, American Politics, Comparative Case Study, State and Local Politics

Publication Date

2025

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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