Reluctance to Speak Your Mind: Changing Perceptions of the Costs of Speaking Out Among Black and White Americans

James L. Gibson

British Journal of Political Science, 2025, vol. 55, -

Abstract: Scholarly interest in whether ordinary people are willing to freely express their views on political matters has been piqued in recent times, owing in part to concerns about the consequences of political polarization. For instance, new evidence suggests a massive increase over the last several decades in self-censorship by both the American and German people. This article expands existing research on reluctance to speak out, with a focus on using US survey data on the stark and changing inter-racial and generational differences in perceived political freedom, and by documenting factors not related to self-censorship (such as individual-level polarization, gender, social class, etc.). I conclude with some speculation about the consequences of the loss of perceived freedom of speech for the quality of democracy.

Date: 2025
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