How the Citizens United Decision Changed U.S. Political Campaigns (full documentary) | FRONTLINE



How did the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision change political campaigns in America? In 2012, FRONTLINE and APM’s Marketplace investigated how the controversial ruling was playing out in Montana, an epicenter of the campaign finance debate. (Aired 2012)

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As this documentary, “Big Sky, Big Money,” explored, the Citizens United decision held that political spending is a form of protected speech, and let corporations and unions spend unlimited amounts of money in campaigns. But to avoid corruption, the court said the money can’t go directly to candidates; it has to go to independent outside groups.

What did that mean in reality? As the 2012 election loomed, correspondent Kai Ryssdal traveled to Montana, then a battleground over campaign finance, and uncovered startling new evidence of outside interest groups’ influence on local campaigns. The documentary raised questions about how secret “dark money” was transforming U.S. politics, looked at a boom in ads made by tax-exempt nonprofits known as 501(c)(4)s — which generally weren’t required to disclose their donors publicly — and probed evidence that appeared to show possible coordination with campaigns.

“Big Sky, Big Money” is a FRONTLINE production with American Public Media’s Marketplace in association with American University’s School of Communications Investigative Reporting Workshop. The writer, producer and director is Rick Young. The correspondent is Kai Ryssdal.

Explore additional reporting on “Big Sky, Big Money” on our website: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/big-sky-big-money/

#Documentary #CitizensUnited #CampaignFinance

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FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional support for FRONTLINE is provided by the Abrams Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Park Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund, with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.

CHAPTERS:
Prologue – 00:00
After Citizens United, a Boom in Campaign Spending by Outside Groups – 1:20
A Rare Look Inside a Super PAC – 08:57
‘The Father of Citizens United’ on Secrecy in Campaign Spending – 19:43
Montana Takes on the Supreme Court Over Citizens United – 27:56
Did a 501(c)(4) Group Break the Law? – 39:41
Credits – 51:58

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21 thoughts on “How the Citizens United Decision Changed U.S. Political Campaigns (full documentary) | FRONTLINE”

  1. Everything about American politics is completely corrupt, and everybody involved in any part of the system needs to spend the rest of their lives in a military prison camp doing hard labor.

    Reply
  2. Why do we allow the Democrats and liberal pigs to get away with all the laws of the break all the crimes to commit and all the corruption that they do?
    They break laws and nobody does anything about it?

    I'm facing jail time for forgetting to pay for a ticket that's literally three years old they want to put me in jail for six months because I forgot to pay a ticket.

    It is so unfair and our justice system is so corrupt.
    How is it that American citizens face jail time for not paying a fine these bastards get away with all the crimes they commit and nobody does anything about it?

    Reply
  3. Lmao these people ''what does that tell you about democracy!''
    Well think of it like this, Think of all the stuff that just goes through without anyone even voting for it 🙂
    Like mass immigration for example, you have to let them in because muh democracy, yet nobody voted for it 🙂

    Reply
  4. We don't hear as everyone who will listen at Frontline.

    First thing is talk face to face. That's the necessary here. Live contact at a table helps cut the screening in here. Thanks for your understanding the situation out here. We don't hide where we stand, if we have our state's Government.l in tow. I've seen at least 1 sick or hurt in our government body and I know how to sort files and keep up appearances. That's all kinds of appearances we are at our softball fields.

    Reply
  5. Step 1 …exit your vehicle
    Step 2 …draw your gun
    Step 3 …order him to drop the pipe
    Strep 4 …pick up his pipe
    Step 5 …hit him in the throat until your arm is too fatigued to swing
    Step 6 …empty your gun into HIS Tesla (hope you brought extra ammunition)
    Step 7 …call 911 and let them know you …a’hem… “Found that Road Rage Guy,” and they can come “Scoop Him Up” whenever they’re ready.

    Reply

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