Regulating campus speech: Student ideology and support for free speech in a conservative university system

Abstract

ABSTRACT What are undergraduate students’ preferences and knowledge regarding free speech on college campuses? Using an original survey of college students in a conservative Upper-Midwestern state, we gather responses across six key areas of speech controversy. Student ideology predictably and significantly divides student support for speech regulation. Compared to liberals, conservative students are more supportive of free expression in the context of potential bias incidents, such as hate speech. Meanwhile, liberal students are more supportive where traditional values are potentially challenged, such as unpatriotic speech. We further find that what students believe about the legal ability to punish or prevent speech on campus mostly aligns with their preferences. However, regardless of ideology, our respondents also show broad support for hate speech regulation, and most believe incorrectly that public institutions are legally empowered to punish or prevent it. The results of this analysis are informative for the growing debate about campus life involving students, faculty, administrators, and spectators alike.