Citizens United — Is the Gas Pedal Stuck?

From a libertarian standpoint, corporate lobbying is rent-seeking — substituting legislation for production as a source of profits the corporation couldn't earn through legitimate economic means in a free market. As Roderick Long, director of the Molinari Institute, put it: "A corporation can invest $10 million in electing politicians who will pass legislation that increases the company's profits by a billion dollars. That's a pretty good ROI."