New Book Explores Global Decline of Free Speech and Paths to Restoration

Guest Bloggers to Explore Free Speech Decline and Solutions

Professors Jacob Mchangama of Vanderbilt University and Jeff Kosseff of the U.S. Naval Academy (relocating to the University of Minnesota this year) will guest-blog from Monday to Wednesday about their new book, The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy's Most Essential Freedom.

Book Overview: A Global Examination of Free Speech Erosion

The Future of Free Speech provides an incisive analysis of the worldwide decline of free expression and offers a framework for preserving this fundamental right in democratic societies. The authors argue that the right to speak freely, once a celebrated cornerstone of democracy, now faces unprecedented challenges across the globe.

Key Themes in the Book

• Historical Expansion and Recent Decline: Speech rights expanded dramatically in the 20th century, including postwar democratic revolutions and strong protections under the First Amendment, only to face unraveling due to new political, technological, and cultural pressures.
• Global Backlash: The book examines backlash against free speech from multiple fronts:
  • Governments criminalizing dissent under the guise of national security;
  • Lawmakers and activists pushing for stricter controls on misinformation, hate speech, and offensive content;
  • Digital platforms removing speech at an unprecedented scale and speed.
• Waning Faith in Free Speech: Even in societies that once championed free expression, public trust in this principle is declining.

Authors' Argument for Reinvigoration

Mchangama and Kosseff advocate for a reinvigorated, global commitment to open dialogue. They propose nonpartisan, civic-minded solutions that balance resistance to government overreach with opposition to corporate silencing. The book makes a compelling case for how free speech can adapt to modern challenges without abandoning its foundational role in sustaining democracy, human rights, and shared understanding.

Endorsements from Leading Voices

Tyler Cowen, George Mason University: "Free speech is under increasing siege in today's world. In their new and important The Future of Free Speech, Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff advocate for freedom of speech and make a compelling case for optimism."

Nadine Strossen, Former President, American Civil Liberties Union: "A rigorous and inspiring defense of the freedom that safeguards all others. Mchangama and Kosseff powerfully refute alluring but misguided calls for censoring even the most controversial speech, such as disinformation and hate speech. They demonstrate that open debate is essential for protecting human rights and democracy, and resisting authoritarianism."

Greg Lukianoff, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE): "In The Future of Free Speech, Mchangama and Kosseff take readers on a bracing global tour of the free-speech recession, documenting how governments are dusting off old tools to police expression in new ways. Clear, principled, and empirically grounded, this book offers realistic strategies for keeping open societies genuinely open."

Eugene Volokh, Stanford University: "A broad-ranging and powerful analysis of the recent wave of speech restrictions all over the world, coupled with thoughtful and promising proposals for the future. Very much worth reading."

About the Authors

• Jacob Mchangama: Legal scholar and founder of the think tank Justitia; currently a visiting scholar at Vanderbilt University.
• Jeff Kosseff: Cybersecurity law expert and associate professor at the U.S. Naval Academy; will join the faculty of the University of Minnesota in 2024.