Should We Limit Political Donations From The Ultra Wealthy And Corporations?

The question of limiting political donations from the ultra-wealthy and corporations traces its roots to the early 20th century, when concerns about money's influence on democracy first gained traction. In the United States, the Tillman Act of 1907 marked one of the earliest attempts to address this issue, banning corporate contributions to federal campaigns. This was followed by additional legislation, including the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971, which introduced disclosure requirements and limits on individual contributions. The issue took a transformative turn with landmark court cases. The 1976 Buckley v. Valeo ruling equated campaign spending with free speech, complicating efforts to impose stricter limits. In 2010, Citizens United v. FEC further shifted the landscape by allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts on independent political activities, asserting that such expenditures were a form of free speech.