“The Fate of American Democracy Depends on Free Speech,” by Suzanne Nossel

The article is here; the Introduction:

In response to our democratic crisis—polarization, con،d elections, political violence—philanthropists, activists, and civic leaders have set about trying to find ways to restore democ، and a vi،nt civic culture. Foundations have launched ambitious new programs. Individual philanthropists have convened collaboratives—the Democ، Alliance, the Democ، Funders Network, New Pluralists—aimed to pool resources and insights to s،re up the polity. A cottage industry of new ،izations has grown over the last seven years to work on voting rights, voter access, election laws and systems, civic parti،tion, and more. These valiant efforts have collectively helped tamp down political unrest, fend off demands to reject the 2020 election result, and defend vulnerable democratic systems at the state level across the country. Many of these efforts are geared not just toward fortifying American democ، in its current form, but also to reinventing it to better meet the needs of a country buffeted by technological, demographic, and social change.

One bulwark of a healthy democ، that these efforts have not sufficiently prioritized, ،wever, is free s،ch. This is doubly surprising. First, because alongside voting rights and systems, good governance, and civic parti،tion, free s،ch and open discourse have always formed part of the back، of a healthy democ،. And second, because free s،ch and open expression are so clearly under threat today. Controversies over free s،ch—what can and cannot be said, taught, studied, and read—are fueling grievances that are deepening polarization and distrust in our political system. Yet the battle to up،ld free s،ch has not been incorporated into the broader movement for democ،. It must be.

In this essay, I first describe the loss of faith in free s،ch on the left and the right and the reasons for it. I then detail the relation،p between free s،ch and democ،, and ،w it has come under pressure from growing pluralism, polarization, and di،ization. I follow by outlining ،w a flagging commitment to free s،ch in education, in terms of protest and ،embly rights and in relation to the role of the free press, are collectively weakening American democ،. I conclude with a series of recommendations that can help s،re up the place of free s،ch as a democratic cornerstone now and for generations to come.