Throughline Why Super PACs have more power than ever in elections
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Feb 26, 2026 Henrik Schatzinger, political science professor studying how outside money reshapes local races. Michael Kang, law professor who analyzes Supreme Court campaign finance rulings. They trace Citizens United and SpeechNow, show how super PACs and dark-money tactics exploded after 2010, and explain why unlimited outside spending is now especially potent in local and state contests.
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How Citizens United Opened The Floodgates
- Citizens United and later SpeechNow rewired campaign finance by treating spending as protected speech, enabling groups to raise unlimited money for independent political ads.
- Michael Kang explains the 2010 Supreme Court ruling opened the floodgates to corporate and wealthy spending, creating legal space for super PACs to form.
SpeechNow Turned Citizens United Into Super PACs
- SpeechNow v. FEC applied Citizens United to groups, creating super PACs that can raise and spend unlimited funds for independent expenditures.
- The D.C. Circuit cited Citizens United and cleared the path, causing nearly 80 super PACs to form before 2010 midterms.
2012 Normalized Super PACs For Both Parties
- The 2012 presidential cycle normalized super PACs when both parties used them; Priorities USA Action backed Obama while Gingrich revived via donor-funded ads.
- Henrik Schatzinger notes Obama's team green-lit a pro-Obama super PAC, making unilateral disarmament politically impossible.