How did Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission relate to McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission?

The relationship between Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) and McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (2014) is primarily found in their shared impact on the landscape of American campaign finance law and their interpretation of the First Amendment.1

Both rulings were issued by the U.S. Supreme Court with a 5–4 majority and were viewed by critics as decisions that would increase the influence of money in politics. While Citizens United focused on invalidating restrictions on corporate and union independent expenditures for electioneering communications, McCutcheon addressed aggregate limits on individual contributions to candidates and political committees.12

Proponents of campaign finance reform often group these cases together, arguing that both rulings dismantled long-standing regulatory frameworks—such as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act—that were intended to prevent corruption or the appearance of corruption. By striking down these respective limits, the Court consistently prioritized the protection of political spending as a form of freedom of speech and association.12