“Is Silence Compliance?” Bay Area Perspectives on Modern Political Expression

• In Event: Collective Behavior and Social Movements Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 11: Framing for the 21st Century

Abstract

Public discourse surrounding contemporary social issues increasingly frames political silence as moral complicity, a narrative often summarized through the slogan, “silence is compliance.” During the 2025 No Kings demonstrations, this interpretation resurfaced prominently, framing visible participation as a moral obligation within an already polarized political climate across the United States. Drawing on diagnostic framing and social constructionist perspectives, this study examines how political silence was interpreted by witnesses and participants of the No Kings protests. Using an exploratory survey of 100 Bay Area residents, this research analyzes emotional responses to visibility and silence, along with shifts in expression across political and social contexts. Findings indicate that silence was most often understood as a protective and context-dependent response molded by perceived social risk and fear of conflict or harassment, as opposed to silence being framed as moral complicity. These results complicate simplified activist narratives and highlight how political participation is discussed through multiple interpretive frameworks in an era of intensely heightened visibility.

Author

• Mattea Gutierrez, Las Positas College