Why Do Some Americans Support the Protection of Hate Speech?

• In Event: Policy Attitudes

Abstract

Why do some Americans continue to support hate speech in the name of free speech? This research explores whether this commitment to free speech is a result of a genuine adherence to democratic norms or a cover for racial and social dominance beliefs. It explores these potential explanations using data from the 2020 Cooperative Election Survey (formerly CCES). It tests the role that core values toward democracy, autonomy and beliefs about race and social dominance have on support for different forms of hate speech and how potential conflict between these beliefs shape how constrained people’s attitudes are in this domain. The role of beliefs about race and social dominance in support for protecting hate speech is further established by comparing the impact these beliefs have in the protection of non-racial forms of contested speech with racially motivated hate speech.

Author

• Mark Daniel Ramirez, Arizona State University