When the citizens united decision was handed down, a flood of corporate cash was expected to enter the political system. the ruling did result in more corporate and union spending, but far less than anticipated

Many businesses and organizations were afraid of taking stances on hot-button topics or candidates. There was a fear that this would alienate a sector of their membership or customer base, and would therefore be seen as a risky investment. Much of the money that was raised was from individual donors, in actuality.