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Americans Reject Campaign Financing Decision
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in the United States reject a recent Supreme Court decision that allows corporations to spend freely to support candidates in federal elections, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion. 65 per cent of respondents disagree with the ruling.
On Jan. 21, the Supreme Court issued its ruling on the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case, and voted 5-4 to allow corporations to spend freely to support or oppose candidates in federal elections.
In the majority opinion, Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy wrote: "If the First Amendment has any force, it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens, or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in political speech."
On Jan. 27, during his State of the Union address, U.S. president Barack Obama criticized the ruling, saying, "I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, and 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."
Polling Data
From what you have seen, read or heard, do you agree or disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision to allow corporations to spend freely to support candidates in federal elections?
|
Agree |
17% |
|
Disagree |
65% |
|
Not sure |
18% |
Source: Angus Reid Public Opinion
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,003 American adults, conducted on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28, 2010. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
