Home > Landmark Library > Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Learning Objectives

  • Describe the rights protected by the First Amendment
  • Identify the main arguments put forth in the case
  • Define corporations, Super PACs, campaign finance, and the Federal Election Commission
  • Describe the rationale behind the Supreme Court's decision
  • Identify the impact of the Supreme Court's decision on political campaigns

Overview

This mini-lesson covers the Supreme Court’s decision about limiting government restrictions on campaign contributions. Students learn about campaign finance, Super PACs, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold Act), and the First Amendment. Students compare campaign tactics, and evaluate the cost and effectiveness of reaching a large audience.  

Access engaging resources with an iCivics account!

Create your free iCivics account and discover standards aligned lessons and games that meet all of your instructional needs. Our nonpartisan classroom resources engage students with complex concepts in ways they can understand and relate to.

Tags

Pedagogy Tags
Mini-Lesson
Writing
History Connection
Vocabulary
Tech Options
No Tech Required
Web browser
Integrations
Kami
PDF
State standards icon

View state standards alignment

Search State Standards

Use the Scope & Sequence to help you plan your iCivics classroom experience!

Whether you enjoy finding opportunities within a well-structured sequence of resources or prefer looking around for pieces and bits that can be jigsawed together, our Scope & Sequence documents are a perfect reference point for planning. Scope & Sequence documents are available for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms and list all of our resources in one place.

View the Scope & Sequence