Knowledge Bank

I challenge the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v FEC by providing a countervailing argument that the constitutional right to republican government is not being met. I draw on republican democratic theory to define the role of the state, as well as the instutition of voting. I analyze public opinion data to reveal that the government is not responsive to the needs of the people. The data conflicts with many notions of republican theory. I juxtapose this conflict with the majority opinion to further expose flaws in the decision. Finally, I discuss deliberative principles that should have been considered to ensure that republican government ideals were being met rather than violated by the Court.