Five years ago this month, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Citizens United v. FEC, sweeping away longstanding precedent barring corporate money in our elections and leading to an explosion of outside spending in our political process. The ruling also sparked a new movement for a constitutional amendment to end the big money dominance of our elections and to reclaim our democracy. Last September, the US Senate held an historic vote on the Democracy For All Amendment, which would allow Congress and the States to set overall limits on campaign spending in our elections. Fifty-four Senators supported the proposed amendment, a vote that reflects the power of this growing grassroots movement.

As this movement continues to gain strength, conventional claims made by opponents deserve renewed scrutiny.