Democracy Speech

A powerful debunking of First Amendment orthodoxy that critiques "reckless speech," which endangers vulnerable groups, and elevates "fearless speech," which seeks to advance equality and democracy. Freedom of speech has never been more important—or more controversial. From debates about what's...

A global history of free speech, from the ancient world to today Hailed as the “first freedom,” free speech is the bedrock of democracy. But it is a challenging principle, subject to erosion in times of upheaval. Today, in democracies and authoritarian states around the world, it is on the...

How Free Speech Saved Democracy is a revealing reminder that First Amendment rights have often been curtailed in efforts to block progress, and that current measures to reduce hurtful language and to end hate speech could backfire on those who promote them.

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A cri de coeur that takes aim at the tech industry for abandoning its history of helping America and its allies.”—The Wall Street Journal From the Palantir co-founder, one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025, and his deputy, a...

One of the most fiercely debated issues of this era is what to do about "bad" speech—hate speech, disinformation and propaganda campaigns, and incitement of violence—on the internet, and in particular speech on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. In Social Media, Freedom of Speech, and the Future of Our Democracy, Lee C. Bollinger and Geoffrey R. Stone have gathered an eminent cast—including Hillary Clinton, Sheldon Whitehouse, Mark Warner, Cass Sunstein, and others—to explore the various dimensions of this problem in the American context.

Everyone who seriously seeks workable and ethically fair answers to our current global political, economic, environmental, as well as many other equally important questions, should read this book carefully. There is a superior system to capitalism, socialism, communism and all others in existence. This treatise explains it all, step by step. In this book, Greg Oliver elucidates the practical workings of a new groundbreaking global economic and political system. Amongst other topics, this volume includes: A new global economic model Competent democracy model Anti-corruption structures An ...

It's Not Free Speech considers the ideal of academic freedom in the wake of the activism inspired by outrageous police brutality, white supremacy, and the #MeToo movement. Arguing that academic freedom must be distinguished from freedom of speech, Michael Bérubé and Jennifer Ruth take aim at explicit defenses of colonialism and theories of white supremacy that have no intellectual legitimacy. They argue that the democracy-destroying potential of social media makes it very difficult to uphold the traditional liberal view that the best remedy for hate speech is more speech.

When the United States government passed the Bill of Rights in 1791, its uncompromising protection of speech and of the press were unlike anything the world had ever seen before. But by 1798, the once-dazzling young republic of the United States was on the verge of collapse. Suddenly, the First Amendment, which protected harsh commentary of the weak government, no longer seemed as practical. So that July, President John Adams and the Federalists in control of Congress passed an extreme piece of legislation that made criticism of the government and its leaders a crime.

The last half of the twentieth century has been an era of democratic triumph. The main antidemocratic regimes - communist, fascist, Nazi - have disappeared, and new democracies are emerging vigorously or tenatively throughout the world. In this accessible and authoratative book, one of the most prominent political theorists of our time provides a primer on democracy that clarifies what it is, why it is valuable, how it works, and what challenges it confronts in the future.

Inez Victor knows that the major casualty of the political life is memory. But the people around Inez have made careers out of losing track. Her senator husband wants to forget the failure of his last bid for the presidency. Her husband's handler would like the press to forget that Inez's father is a murderer. And, in 1975, the year in which much of this bitterly funny novel is set, America is doing its best to lose track of its one-time client, the lethally hemorrhaging republic of South Vietnam.

A New York Times Book Review New & Noteworthy Book “For democracy’s weary champions, White’s time-tested prose is a shot of adrenaline.”—Madeleine Albright A collection of essays, letters, and poems from E. B. White, “one of the country’s great literary treasures” (New York...

Ancient Greece first coined the concept of democracy, yet almost every major ancient Greek thinker - from Plato and Aristotle onward - was ambivalent toward or even hostile to democracy in any form. The explanation for this is quite simple: The elite perceived majority power as tantamount to a dictatorship of the proletariat. In ancient Greece, there can be traced not only the rudiments of modern democratic society but the entire Western tradition of antidemocratic thought.

Reason, Liberty, and Progress: Exploring the Enduring Ideas of John Stuart Mill offers a clear and comprehensive journey through the life, philosophy, and legacy of one of the nineteenth century’s most influential thinkers. John Stuart Mill shaped modern ideas about liberty, individuality, democracy, women’s rights, and the balance between free markets and social responsibility. His writings, including On Liberty, Utilitarianism, and The Subjection of Women, continue to inspire debates about freedom, justice, and progress in the twenty-first century. This book introduces Mill’s ...

Can you trust what you see or hear in an election year? In a world where artificial intelligence can create perfectly faked videos, mimic anyone’s voice, and flood your feed with personalized propaganda, democracy is facing a new kind of threat. But it’s not just about the tech. It’s about how we respond to it. In this timely and accessible volume, author Carson Jennings breaks down the political impact of AI-generated disinformation, exploring how both conservatives and progressives view the risks, responsibilities, and potential solutions. With balanced insights and a conversational...

In this lively and illuminating book, historian Sophia Rosenfeld explores a long-standing and largely unspoken tension at the heart of democracy between the supposed wisdom of the crowd and the need for information to be vetted and evaluated by a learned elite made up of trusted experts.

No political concept is more used, and misused, than that of democracy. Nearly every regime today claims to be democratic, but not all "democracies" allow free politics, and free politics existed long before democratic franchises. This book is a short account of the history of the doctrine and practice of democracy, from ancient Greece and Rome through the American, French, and Russian revolutions, and of the usages and practices associated with it in the modern world.

From the former secretary of state and bestselling author -- a sweeping look at the global struggle for democracy and why America must continue to support the cause of human freedom. "This heartfelt and at times very moving book shows why democracy proponents are so committed to their work...

In the modern world, it is vitally important to comprehend how democracy functions! Decision-making is revolutionised by the strong link between interest groups and money-driven, covert influences. These days, social media, mass media, and populism are important components of this dynamic equation, where the amount of money at stake dictates the degree of influence on politicians and success prospects. With the help of this book, readers will be well-prepared to handle this high-stakes game and possibly emerge as important players in the future. Prepare yourself to explore this fascinating ...

The definitive collection of Winston Churchill quotes, featuring his wartime defiance, leadership maxims, and essential wit and philosophy. When the world teetered on the brink of a new Dark Age, one voice offered the roadmap to victory. This is the definitive, comprehensive collection of Winston Churchill's most powerful words, encapsulated by his immortal, guiding philosophy: NEVER SURRENDER. Churchill’s speeches and writings are more than just historical records; they are masterclasses in leadership, courage, and uncompromising resolve. This meticulously organized book offers a full-...

When he was 14, Joshua Wong made history. He staged the first-ever student protest in Hong Kong to oppose National Education, a "reform" which would have stifled free speech - and won. Since then, Joshua has led the Umbrella Movement, founded a political party, and rallied the international community around the anti-extradition bill protests, which have seen two million people - more than a quarter of the population - take to Hong Kong's streets. His actions have sparked worldwide attention, earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, and landed him in jail twice.