voa英语

lytheUnited

questionwasthis:Withpoliticalspeech,docorporationshavethesame

rightsaspeople?Byavoteoffivetofour,theconrvativemajority

ies,laborunionsandotherorganizations

maynowspendastheywishonindependenteffortstoelectordefeat

ingisbadontheideaintheUnitedStatesandmany

ianJeff

SklanskysaysaslowshifttopersonhoodforAmericancompaniesbegan

statescannot

uling,

ChiefJusticeJohnMarshalldescribedacorporationasan"artificial

being"thatisa"creatureofthelaw."

asAmericansresistedbigcorporationsliketheFirstBankoftheUnited

States,atespasdlawspermitting

heCivil

Warintheeighteensixties,theFourteenthAmendmentwasaddedtothe

idesthatnostatemay"depriveanypersonoflife,

libertyorproperty,withoutdueprocessoflaw..."Ifacorporation

islegallyaperson,thenstatescannotlimitcorporaterightswithout

t,corporationswerenotfully

fSklanskyatOregonStateUniversitysays

LANSKY:"ThegeneraldirectionoftheSupremeCourt

andthefederalcourtsingeneralwastorecognizecorporationsaspersons

withthesameFourteenthAmendmentrightsasindividuals."Yet

corporationshavearightthatrealpeopledonot:limitedliability.

Forexample,acorporationcanfacecivilorcriminalfinesandindividual

itedliabilitymeanstheactionsof

Sklanskysaysthenineteenthcenturydevelopmentoflimitedliability

YSKLANSKY:"Thatisalso

crucialtoallowingcorporationsakindofindependentpersonhoodand

[theideais]Icaninvestinacorporationwithoutbecomingliableand

'tit,anythinglike

themodernstockmarket,I'dsay,isimpossible."

Andthat'stheVOASpecialEnglishEconomicsReport,writtenbyMario

ek,moreoncorporationsandthelaw.I'mSteveEmber