Free speech and academic freedom have long been hot topics on college campuses. Free Speech: A Campus Toolkit equips students with the tools they need to make informed judgments about campus controversies for themselves.
Rather than telling them what to think about the question of free speech, prominent scholars and experts Rebecca L. Brown, Lee Epstein, Adam Liptak and Andrew D. Martin weave theoretical and historical analysis with contemporary examples to help students understand what free speech actually is — and the profound implications for democracy.
This book is a valuable tool in any classroom to prompt discussion and encourage critical thinking and engagement.
Key Features
- Chapters devoted to five essential tools for analyzing free speech conflicts in the academic setting: (1) classic theoretical justifications for free speech, (2) court doctrine relating to the First Amendment, (3) social science insights into the way society engages in expression, (4) the concept of academic freedom and its relation to campus disputes, and (5) the historical context of university speech.
- Primary sources in each chapter, including Supreme Court decision excerpts, philosophical texts, and social science literature, help students understand questions of free speech in the context of ongoing dialogue.
- You Decide sections ask students to engage with real-world topics around free speech by employing the tools in the book.
- A companion website for students contains case studies, suggested readings, videos, data and other resources to bring the concepts in the book to life.
- Instructor resources including model syllabi, lecture notes, slides and instructional videos support the creation of courses devoted to free speech on campus
About the authors
Rebecca L. Brown is The Rader Family Trustee Chair in Law at the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law.
Lee Epstein is the Ethan A.H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor at Washington University in St. Louis.
Adam Liptak is the Supreme Court correspondent of The New York Times.
Andrew D. Martin is chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis.