Dissent

Abstract

This chapter considers a concept that connects all of the previous chapters to one another: dissent. Dissent is itself a central First Amendment concern. As the book’s chapters show, the Trump Era has been marked or marred by various efforts to challenge or suppress dissent. After briefly discussing the meaning of dissent, the chapter examines the democratic and social values of dissent and current challenges to participating in active dissent. It considers the steps necessary to preserving a culture of dissent in the United States. The positive and potentially uplifting lesson of the book is that time and again, dissent and dissenters have ultimately defeated the worst authoritarian impulses. However, this process has generally taken long stretches of time, during which the American people have considered and recalculated the costs and benefits of allowing dissenting voices to be heard.