Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued a vastly destructive ruling in Citizens United v. FEC. It struck down laws prohibiting corporations and unions from directly spending in elections, overturning policies and doctrines that date back to Theodore Roosevelt's administration in 1907.
This decision may well have a bigger impact than Tuesday's election result. And it represents the most aggressive intervention into politics by the Court since Bush v. Gore.
Here is our first analysis , from the New York Times website. Watch for our op-ed in tomorrow's Washington Post .
Also, Brennan Center counsel Monica Youn will be discussing the opinion this evening on PBS' "Newshour." We hope you will watch.
We were deeply involved in this litigation, and now are working with others to point a way forward. It is clear that government is broken -- and this decision makes it harder to repair. But we must fix our dysfunctional politics if we are to have a chance to solve the country's problems.
Please let us know if we can answer any questions -- we are eager to hear your thoughts.
Michael Waldman
Executive Director
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law