February, 18 2010, 12:57pm EDT
New Poll Shows Broad Support for 'Fixing' Citizens United
Americans Want Limits on Corporate Cash in Elections, Would Support a Constitutional Amendment
WASHINGTON
A national poll of 1,200 Americans commissioned
by People For the American Way shows that the Roberts Court is far out of
step with the American public over corporate money in elections. It also shows
broad support for a wide range of proposals to "fix" the Citizens United ruling, including
legislation being introduced in Congress and a proposed constitutional
amendment.
"Americans of all political stripes
believe that corporations have too much influence in elections," said
Michael B. Keegan, President of People For the American Way. "Unlike the Roberts Court, the
American people believe that Congress should be able to place limits on how
much companies like ExxonMobil can spend to support
or defeat candidates for public office. That's not a liberal or
Democratic position - it's the American position."
"In the days and weeks following the
Citizens United ruling, many
Republican leaders rejoiced at the prospect of more corporate money in
elections," said Keegan. "But our poll shows broad disagreement
with the ruling and support for reform among Republicans and conservatives.
This should be a wake-up call to Republican leadership. They have fallen out of
touch with their base on this issue and should work with Democrats to restore
reasonable limits."
The results of the poll include the following:
- 78%
believe that corporations should be limited in how much they can spend to
influence elections, and 70% believe they already have too much influence
over elections - 73%
believe Congress should be able to impose such limits, and 61% believe
Congress has done too little in the past to limit corporate influence over
elections - Of the
over 60% of Americans who have an opinion on a constitutional amendment to
fix Citizens United,
supports runs greater than 2 to 1 - 82%
support limits on electioneering by government contractors, and 87%
support limits on bailout recipients - 85%
support a complete ban on electioneering by foreign corporations - 75%
believe that a publicly traded company should get shareholder approval
before spending money in an election - 69% think
that the President, in the event of a Supreme Court vacancy, should
nominate a Justice who supports limits on corporate spending in elections
"Democrats in Congress should take
heed of public opinion and implement meaningful reforms well before the fall
election," said Keegan. "But it will take more than a legislative
patch to fully mend the damage done by the Roberts Court. That is why People For the American Way has launched an ongoing campaign
to amend the
constitution. As our poll demonstrates - the more that
Americans learn about an amendment to undo Citizens
United, the more they support it."
The full results of the poll, which was
conducted by SurveyUSA, are available here: https://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=05cabb5f-599f-47a8-98fb-e3e254e425e4&c=161
People For the American Way works to build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. We fight against right-wing extremism and the injustice it fosters.
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