First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti
Encyclopedia
First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, 435 U.S. 765
(1978), was a case in which the United States Supreme Court
ruled 5-4 that corporations had a First Amendment
right to make contributions in order to attempt to influence political processes. In his opinion, Justice Lewis Powell
ruled that a Massachusetts
criminal statute prohibiting the expenditure of corporate funds for "influencing or affecting" voters' opinions infringed on corporations' "protected speech in a manner unjustified by a compelling state interest" as he put it.
Case citation
Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
(1978), was a case in which the United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
ruled 5-4 that corporations had a First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
right to make contributions in order to attempt to influence political processes. In his opinion, Justice Lewis Powell
Lewis Franklin Powell, Jr.
Lewis Franklin Powell, Jr. was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He developed a reputation as a judicial moderate, and was known as a master of compromise and consensus-building. He was also widely well regarded by contemporaries due to his personal good manners and...
ruled that a Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
criminal statute prohibiting the expenditure of corporate funds for "influencing or affecting" voters' opinions infringed on corporations' "protected speech in a manner unjustified by a compelling state interest" as he put it.
See also
- List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 435
- First National Bank of Boston
External links
- Justice Rehnquist's dissent against the Court's majority opinion and the creation of corporate "free speech."
- ReclaimDemocracy.org also has a large library of information on the topic of corporations and ballot questions (they oppose corporations being granted political "free speech").