15 Years of Citizens United: How Big Money Dominated the 2024 Election

It’s been 15 years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (FEC) decision fundamentally transformed how U.S. elections are funded. In every election since, wealthy special interests have been able to spend unlimited amounts of money to gain influence.  

Big money is becoming an inextricable part of elections, more important to campaigns than the will of everyday voters. From the creation of super PACs, which can accept and spend unlimited amounts of money for their candidates, to an FEC that seems determined to facilitate even more spending, deep-pocketed interests have more ways to sway elections in their interest than ever before.

Reflecting on the 2024 presidential election — the most expensive one to date — the massive influence of money is clear. Billionaire donors like Elon Musk have secured political appointments for the next administration, and President-elect Donald Trump is already championing looser regulations that would serve the personal and business interests of his wealthy loyalists.

This transactional approach to securing the presidency is a dangerous reflection of how federal campaigns may look in the years to come.  

In this conversation, leading experts traced the impact of Citizens United over the last 15 years and on the 2024 race, posed critical questions and offered solutions to make future elections more representative of all voters.