Contributions legalized by the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) are listed in the graph’s "soft/outside money" column, referring to funds not subject to federal campaign finance regulations.


Which of the following is the best explanation for the change in contributions from 2010 to 2016?







A: Soft/outside money contributions to single issue or partisan recipients decreased in relation to other sources from 2010 to 2016


B: The Supreme Court’s 2010 decision appears to have had a positive impact on soft/outside contributions to single issue or partisan recipients, leading to a significant funding increase.


C: There does not appear to be any relationship between the change in soft/outside money contributions to single issue or partisan recipients and the Court’s decision in 2010


D: There is a steady and consistent increase in soft/outside money contributions to single issue or partisan recipients that continued from 2010 to 2016.