Historic Supreme Courts--Citizens United (thread 20), Episode 2: Citizens United in 1907, and How the Fuller Court Might Have Ruled

Imagine taking Citizens United back to 1907, when the Fuller Court, Lochner-era thinking, and the new Tillman Act were all colliding over corporate clout. With Holmes skeptical of judicial interference and Congress already banning corporate contributions, the odds tip against letting corporations bankroll elections from their treasuries.

It’s a neat reminder that timing and legal context change everything — the same case can end very differently depending on the era.