Freie Rede auf dem Campus? Einflüsse von politischer Kongruenz und Sanktionsängsten auf die Meinungsfreiheitswahrnehmung und Redebereitschaft deutscher Studierender

Freedom of speech is not only a fundamental human right but also the foundation of liberal democracies. However, there seems to be growing concern about this basic right among an increasing proportion of the population – including at universities, where free speech is of particular importance. However, despite intense debates about ‘political correctness’ and ‘cancel culture’, there is a lack of studies that empirically examine perceptions of freedom of speech and willingness to speak out in classroom discussions among students at German universities. Against this background, this article examines for the first time on a broader empirical basis (1) how students perceive freedom of expression at German universities, (2) how much they participate in discussions on controversial topics and which individual-level characteristics influence (3) their perceptions of freedom of speech and (4) their willingness to speak out in such discussions. The results of a quantitative online survey of a disciplinary and regionally heterogeneous sample of students at German universities (N = 897), conducted in summer 2023, show that students generally perceive a high degree of freedom of expression. However, controversial discussions are rare, the frequency of such debates varies between scientific disciplines, and only few students actually participate. Additionally, perception of academic freedom of speech is shaped by political attitudes, fears of sanctions from fellow students and faculty, as well as political alignment with peers. In contrast, whether students engage in controversial discussions is primarily influenced by political interest and political attitudes as well as anticipated sanctions from fellow students, although these influences are relatively weak. Potential implications and avenues for future research are discussed.