The Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) today released a draft working paper called “The Impact of Citizens United in the States: Independent Spending in State Elections, 2006-2010.” The paper found a substantial increase in independent spending whose timing straddles Citizens United but questions whether that decision explains the increase. After dividing the states into two groups, it found no difference between states that had regulated business or labor independent spending before the Court’s decision and those that had not. It also found no systematic increase in independent spending across states by corporations, labor unions, umbrella business organizations or ideological groups.
I look forward to reading what is sure to be an important paper from CFI.