The Breakdown: Do Corporations Deserve ‘Personhood’?

The Breakdown: Do Corporations Deserve ‘Personhood’?

The Breakdown: Do Corporations Deserve ‘Personhood’?

The Supreme Court recently ruled in FCC v AT&T that corporations cannot claim a right to personal privacy under the Constitution. Will that decision affect past cases that affirmed corporate personhood, like Citizens United?

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Flipboard
Pocket

The Supreme Court recently ruled in FCC v AT&T that corporations cannot claim a right to personal privacy under the Constitution. Will that decision affect past cases that affirmed corporate personhood, like Citizens United?

In their recent FCC v. AT&T decision, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the legal concept of corporate “personhood” does not mean that corporations can claim anything like a right to “personal” privacy. But if corporations now make up their own special category of “person,” how much will this ruling affect previous corporate personhood cases, such as Citizens United v. FCC?  In this week’s edition of The Breakdown, DC Editor Chris Hayes talks with Dahlia Lithwick about the Citizens United and AT&T cases and how they are shaping our conception of corporations and their protections under the law.

Resources

Dahlia Lithwick on FCC v. AT&T.
Lawrence Lessig on Democracy After Citizens United.

Subscribe to The Breakdown on iTunes to listen to fresh takes on the confusing concepts that make politics, economics and government tick. A new episode every week!

Thank you for reading The Nation!

We hope you enjoyed the story you just read. It’s just one of many examples of incisive, deeply-reported journalism we publish—journalism that shifts the needle on important issues, uncovers malfeasance and corruption, and uplifts voices and perspectives that often go unheard in mainstream media. For nearly 160 years, The Nation has spoken truth to power and shone a light on issues that would otherwise be swept under the rug.

In a critical election year as well as a time of media austerity, independent journalism needs your continued support. The best way to do this is with a recurring donation. This month, we are asking readers like you who value truth and democracy to step up and support The Nation with a monthly contribution. We call these monthly donors Sustainers, a small but mighty group of supporters who ensure our team of writers, editors, and fact-checkers have the resources they need to report on breaking news, investigative feature stories that often take weeks or months to report, and much more.

There’s a lot to talk about in the coming months, from the presidential election and Supreme Court battles to the fight for bodily autonomy. We’ll cover all these issues and more, but this is only made possible with support from sustaining donors. Donate today—any amount you can spare each month is appreciated, even just the price of a cup of coffee.

The Nation does not bow to the interests of a corporate owner or advertisers—we answer only to readers like you who make our work possible. Set up a recurring donation today and ensure we can continue to hold the powerful accountable.

Thank you for your generosity.

Ad Policy
x