From April 26 to April 28, 2024, we surveyed U.S. residents to find out their opinions and perceptions on freedom of speech in their country.
Some of the key highlights on freedom of speech in the U.S. include…
- Three-quarters of U.S. residents are comfortable expressing their personal views on government decisions (76%), on socially sensitive topics (76%), and about certain political leaders (74%). A lesser proportion (69%) mentioned being comfortable expressing their views on certain minority groups in society.
- Most U.S. residents (61%) think their opinions are mostly socially acceptable, while 20% think they are mostly socially unacceptable, and 19% don’t know. Democrat voters are more likely to think their opinions are socially acceptable (67%).
- 61% of U.S. residents think it is getting tougher to express their opinions in their country, while 30% think it is getting easier. Republican voters are more likely to think it is ‘a lot’ tougher now to voice their opinion (34% vs. 15% for Democrats).
- Seven out of ten U.S. residents (69%) feel that freedom of speech is threatened in the United States, while nearly one-quarter (24%) think the opposite. Republican voters (76%) are more likely to think freedom of speech is threatened.
- Half of U.S. residents (52%) are confident that the next election will be free and fair, while 41% are not confident. Democrat voters are more likely to be confident than Republican voters (78% vs. 39%).
