Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce

United States Supreme Court

494 U.S. 652 (1990)

Constitutional Law Business Associations

Relevant factsFree

Michigan (defendant) enacted a statute barring corporations from using corporate treasury funds for contributions or independent expenditures to support or oppose candidates for state office. The law was challenged on First Amendment grounds by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce (plaintiff), a nonprofit corporation.

IssueFree

Whether states can constitutionally restrict corporations' independent expenditures to support or oppose political candidates.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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