Citizens United remakes the political subject as an economic one

Evidence

In one of the most analytically astute critical commentaries on Citizens United, legal scholar Timothy Kuhner terms the decision “neoliberal jurisprudence” insofar as it applies neoclassical economic theory to the political sphere, analogizes that sphere to the market, and ultimately undoes what he calls the boundary between democracy and capitalism, “two different systems that belong to two different spheres.” Kuhner is certainly correct, yet still understates the accomplishment of the decision. The reasoning in Citizens United exceeds analogizing democracy to the market and applying neoclassical economic principles to First Amendment cases. Rather, in what Foucault identified as the signature move of neoliberal rationality, the decision recasts formerly noneconomic spheres as markets at the level of principles, norms, and subjects. It remakes the political sphere as a market and remakes homo politicus as homo oeconomicus—in the political sphere, individuals, corporations, and other associations are all operating to enhance their competitive positioning and capital value. — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 306

Categorization

• DEFINE: Crystallizes Brown’s central definition of economization as distinct from mere market analogy or application of economic principles — the remaking of noneconomic spheres at the level of principles, norms, and subjects.
• XREF: Connects to Foucault’s lectures on biopolitics/neoliberal governmentality, the theoretical backbone of the whole book. — connects to: Citizens United’s logical strain reveals a new set of meanings being crafted — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 345; Citizens United redefines influence as following the money and super PACS as independent speech — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 345; Citizens United turns neoliberal rationality into a constitutional hermeneutic governing law. — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 328 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Citizens United’s logical strain reveals a new set of meanings being crafted #expands (0.85) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 345
• Citizens United redefines influence as following the money and super PACS as independent speech #expands (0.80) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 345
• Citizens United turns neoliberal rationality into a constitutional hermeneutic governing law. #expands (0.80) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 328
• Individuality is a product of market political economy, not its opposite #qualifies (0.70) — Theodor W. Adorno, Minima Moralia, 169