Nearly ten months since the Supreme Court drastically expanded the ability of corporations to influence the political process, the public is still greatly troubled by the Court’s ruling in Citizens United. The majority Americans do not buy the absurd arguments of Congressional Republicans that Citizens United was as significant a step forward as the Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, as most people believe that corporations should not be allowed to spend unlimited sums from their general treasuries to fund political efforts. A Hart Research poll conducted on behalf of People For the American Way found that 77% of Americans want Citizens United to be overturned, and that corporations already have too much political power.

A recent “Constitutional Attitudes Survey” by Harvard and Columbia University professors found that while self-described liberals and conservatives all found Court decisions they agree with, Citizens United stands out as the most unpopular among all respondents:

One notable decision that stuck in respondents’ respective craw, however, was Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the January 2010 opinion that struck down a federal law prohibiting corporations from airing advertisements endorsing a political candidate.

Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents disagreed with the statement, “Corporations ought to be able to spend their profits on TV advertisements urging voters to vote for or against candidates.” Only 40 percent agreed with the statement.

Additionally, an overwhelming 85 percent of respondents answered yes to the question, “Should corporations be required to get approval from their shareholders for expenditures related to political campaigns?” Indeed, Persily told the Spokane, Washington-based Spokesman Review that the Citizens United opinion is “very out of step with public opinion.”

The survey’s results are consistent with those of a Washington Post-ABC News poll taken in February, shortly after the case was decided. A full 80 percent of respondents in that poll disagreed with the court’s holding, and 65 percent labeled themselves “strongly” opposed. Surprisingly, that poll found that views of the decision did not split along party lines — fully 76 percent of Republicans and 81 percent of independents, along with 85 percent of Democrats, disagreed with the decision.