Free speech a top concern for Americans in 2024

Published on 24 October 2024 at 14:58


- A recent FIRE/NORC poll shows that 66% of Americans consider free speech crucial for their 2024 voting decisions, just behind inflation.

- Republicans prioritize free speech more than Democrats, but 90% from both sides see it as at least somewhat important.

- Both parties lack confidence that the other will uphold free speech, and Independents feel distrust towards both.


   A recent survey conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression reveals that free speech is a paramount concern for many Americans in the context of the 2024 presidential election, surpassing other significant issues such as health care, immigration, crime, and gun control. The poll, executed by NORC at the University of Chicago, engaged 1,022 participants to assess the importance of various topics related to the upcoming election.

   While inflation emerged as the primary concern, with 68% of respondents deeming it "very important" and 91% considering it at least "somewhat important," free speech closely followed. Specifically, 63% rated free speech as "very important," and 90% acknowledged its significance to some degree. Nathan Honeycutt, a Research Fellow at FIRE, emphasized that although rising prices are a major worry, the protection of free speech rights is equally vital to Americans.


63% of Americans indicate that free speech is "very important"

Question: How important, if at all, are each of the following issues in making your decision about who to vote for in the 2024 Presidential election"? Notes: Percents are those who selected "very important." Poll fielded October 11-14, 2024. N=1022.


   Americans across both political parties regard free speech as a crucial issue, with 91% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats considering it at least "somewhat important." Nevertheless, Republicans are more inclined to categorize it as "very important" (70% compared to 60%) and express greater concern about their freedom of speech in the current U.S. context (63% versus 42%). Additionally, a higher percentage of Republicans believe they are less able to speak freely now than they were four years ago (46% against 21%).

Evaluations of the free speech commitments of the two major political parties are generally mixed but lean slightly positive. A majority of Americans express confidence that both Republicans (51%) and Democrats (56%) will uphold free speech rights while in office. Nearly half (45%) believe Democrats support free speech either "a great deal" or "quite a lot," while 28% feel they support it "very little" or "not at all," in contrast to 42% and 31% for Republicans, respectively. However, perceptions of the two parties are sharply divided along political lines.


- 77% of Democrats believe their party strongly supports free speech, with 91% expressing at least some confidence in the protection of their rights.

- 75% of Republicans feel similarly about their party's commitment to free speech, with 85% showing high confidence in safeguarding their rights.

- However, 53% of Republicans perceive Democrats as offering minimal support for free speech, while 50% of Democrats hold the same view about Republicans; additionally, 77% of Republicans and 72% of Democrats lack confidence in the opposing party's commitment to protecting free speech.


   Self-identified Independents rated both political parties similarly poorly. A significant majority expressed low or no confidence in the ability of Democrats (62%) and Republicans (61%) to safeguard their free speech. Merely 23% indicated that Democrats support free speech "a great deal" or "quite a lot," while only 28% felt the same about Republicans.


Question: "How confident, if at all, are you that each of the following groups and individuals will protect your free speech rights?" Notes: Percents are those who selected "very confident" or "somewhat confident." Poll fielded October 11-14, 2024. N=1022.



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