What did the Citizens United v. FEC ruling establish about political spending?

The ruling in Citizens United v. FEC established that political spending is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment. This landmark decision emphasized that the government cannot impose restrictions on independent expenditures for political communication by corporations and labor unions. The Court reasoned that political spending by these entities is a way of expressing their views and participating in the democratic process. By equating money spent on political campaigns with free speech, the decision profoundly changed the landscape of campaign finance, allowing for increased spending in political contests. This interpretation has led to significant implications in how elections are financed in the United States, fostering a more permissive environment for major financial contributions from corporations and other organizations.