Two-thirds of Americans believe US is on wrong track when it comes to free speech: poll

March 1, 2024

A majority of Americans believe the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction when it comes to free speech according to a new study by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Express (FIRE), formerly the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

The survey, which was conducted by FIRE, in conjunction with Dartmouth College, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania, surveyed 1,000 Americans earlier this year. The Christian Post reports that 69% of those surveyed said the U.S. is “heading in the wrong direction” regarding “whether people are able to freely express their views.”

Only 31% of respondents said that the free speech climate was “heading in the right direction,” while 47% described the right to freedom of speech as “somewhat secure.” 29% of those surveyed said freedom of speech in the U.S. was “not at all secure,” while just 7% maintained that free speech was “completely secure.”

The survey also revealed that a sizeable portion of Americans appear to favor censoring viewpoints they deem offensive. Only 19% of those surveyed said that a person with offensive views probably should be able to teach at a local college while just 26% believe that person should be allowed to make a public speech.

The Chief Research advisor for FIRE Sean Stevens characterized the results as “disappointing but not exactly surprising.” Stevens added:

“Here at FIRE, we’ve long observed that many people who say they’re concerned about free speech waver when it comes to beliefs they personally find offensive. But the best way to protect your speech in the future is to defend the right to controversial and offensive speech today.” 

The poll was the first installment of the National Speech Index, part of a new quarterly series that seeks to track shifting free speech sentiment in America over time.

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