jan 1, 1978 - 1978 First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti

Description:

The Supreme Court ruled, in a tight 5-4 vote, that corporations possess First Amendment rights, overturning several earlier rulings. It has been called by Linda Greenhouse "the most important Supreme Court case no one's ever heard of."

Although it did not immediately lead to radical changes in corporate financing of elections, as the case was restricted to ballot initiatives, it set an important precedent.

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