--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Citizens United provided unprecedented…" description: "\"Citizens United provided unprecedented political weaponry to big special interests. My personal view was it was calculated to do that.\" — Sheldon White..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_big_citizens-united-provided-unprecedented-p_1341662.png" --- # Citizens United provided unprecedented political weaponry… ![“Citizens United provided unprecedented political weaponry to big special interests. My personal view was it was calculated to do that.” quote by Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_big_citizens-united-provided-unprecedented-p_1341662.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_big_citizens-united-provided-unprecedented-p_1341662.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/sheldon-whitehouse-3144_big_citizens-united-provided-unprecedented-p_1341662.png) > “Citizens United provided unprecedented political weaponry to big special interests. My personal view was it was calculated to do that.” [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Citizens United gave powerful political tools to special interests, shaping policy to favor money over public good. **In simple terms:** Big money influences politics. Key Takeaway Advocate campaign finance reform. Themes politics money influence Mood urgent concerned Type political activist When to use this quote - elections - policy advocacy - grassroots movements Key Concepts democracy regulation lobbying Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens counteract this power? - What reforms are most effective? A Different Perspective Legal challenges limit reform speed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizens united](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens-united/) [Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [Political correctness is the deadliest of political weaponry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kirk/political-correctness-is-the-deadliest-of-political-weaponry/) [Charlie Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kirk/) > [The dreadful decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission was the culmination of the Republican appointees' careful work to open American politics to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/the-dreadful-decision-in-citizens-united-vs-federal-election/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Citizens United is a disgrace of a decision, holding that corporate money is corporate speech and entitled to the same First Amendment protection as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/citizens-united-is-a-disgrace-of-a-decision-holding-that-corporate/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Millions upon millions of secret spending by the fossil fuel industry that was unleashed by the disastrous 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/millions-upon-millions-of-secret-spending-by-the-fossil-fuel-industry/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Legislation to level the playing field for working families is dead on arrival in the Citizens United Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/legislation-to-level-the-playing-field-for-working-families-is-dead/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [A lot of the Citizens United problem could be solved if we knew where the money came from for all these ads. The companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/a-lot-of-the-citizens-united-problem-could-be-solved-if-we-knew-where/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [The domestic violence policy has been given to our players. My personal view is there's no place in our society for it. I think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mccarthy/the-domestic-violence-policy-has-been-given-to-our-players-my/) [Mike McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mccarthy/) > [If the need for comprehensive campaign finance reform was not already clear, the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United permitting unlimited corporate and union…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-k-simpson/if-the-need-for-comprehensive-campaign-finance-reform-was-not-already/) [Alan K. Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-k-simpson/) > [In the last presidential election Obama and Romney raised about $1 billion each. The Koch brothers, the second wealthiest family in America, now say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/in-the-last-presidential-election-obama-and-romney-raised-about-1/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [The first case I sat on... was Citizens United. Talk about being thrown in. 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