Presentation Abstract

Student's Name: David Evers

Co-registrant Names:

Type of Presentation: Poster

Presentation Title: "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) through the Lens of Conflict Theory"

Abstract:

This presentation examines the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case through the lens of Karl Marx’s Conflict theory, exploring its impact on wealth inequality and the balance of political power in the United States. This 2010 Supreme Court case allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts on what they call 'electioneering communications', radically altering the landscape of political campaigning. By analyzing the case through a lens of Marxist Conflict theory, which focuses on the struggles between economic classes for limited resources, the presentation highlights how the ruling reinforces the power of wealthy corporations and deepens the divide between the elite and the working class. Inspired heavily by Marxist theory, as well as later conflict theorists like Austin Turk, the presentation demonstrates how the case exemplifies the legal system's role in preserving class-based inequalities.

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