While nine in ten Americans see freedom of speech as extremely or very important, they differ on what constitutes a legitimate expression of First Amendment rights, a report from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation finds.

Based on a Knight-Ipsos survey of 4,366 U.S. adults, including a thousand college students, the report, Free Expression in America Post-2020 (41 pages, PDF), found that 91 percent of respondents said that freedom of speech was “extremely important” (63 percent) or “very important” (28 percent) to them. While 91 percent of Republicans, 88 percent of Democrats, and 84 percent of Independents said that citizens’ free speech rights were extremely or very important to U.S. democracy, Democrats were more likely than Independents and Republicans to say that it was extremely or very important to prevent people from inciting others to violence (86 percent vs. 71 percent and 68 percent), to prevent the spread of misinformation (89 percent vs. 73 percent and 63 percent), and to create an inclusive society that is welcoming to diverse groups (85 percent vs. 73 percent and 63 percent).

According to the report, respondents were divided over what constitutes a legitimate expression of First Amendment rights, with Republicans more likely to say that “taking part in protests against certifying the 2020 election results” (73 percent) and “entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to disrupt the election certification” (33 percent) were legitimate than Independents (60 percent and 23 percent) and Democrats (39 percent and 12 percent). Republicans also were more likely than Independents and Democrats to say that “spreading misinformation about the 2020 election results online” (57 percent vs. 30 percent and 20 percent) and “spreading misinformation online about the COVID-19 vaccine” (44 percent vs. 29 percent and 20 percent) were legitimate expressions of free speech. Democrats were more likely than Independents and Republicans to say that “taking part in the protests around racial injustice during the summer” of 2020 (85 percent vs. 75 percent and 56 percent) and “kneeling or turning away during the national anthem” (73 percent vs. 59 percent and 35 percent) were legitimate expressions of First Amendment rights.

The survey also found that 45 percent of all respondents believed that the right to free speech was “secure,” with Democrats more likely to say so than Independents and Republicans (61 percent vs. 43 percent and 28 percent). Republicans were more likely than Independents and Democrats to say that “diversity and inclusion frequently/occasionally conflicts with free speech rights (75 percent vs. 68 percent and 64 percent). And Black respondents (61 percent) were least likely to feel that “people like [them]” were protected by the First Amendment, followed by Hispanic/Latinx (81 percent), Asian American/Pacific Islander (85 percent), and white (89 percent) respondents.

“This should concern anyone who wants to promote speech and expression for all — even as thorny questions remain about how to advance free speech principles while supporting an inclusive society,” Knight Foundation director of learning and impact Evette Alexander wrote in a blog post. “The First Amendment is central to building engaged communities with diverse points of view that a healthy democracy demands.”

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