What does “freedom of speech” mean?

“Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press”. Freedom of speech and expression is the lifeblood of any democracy. Actions such as debating and voting, assembling and protesting, and worshipping rely upon the unrestricted flow of speech and information. In contrast to authoritarian states, democratic governments do not control, dictate, or judge the content of written and verbal speech, and thus the First Amendment guarantees this basic civil liberty. A democratic nation depends upon a literate, knowledgeable citizenry whose access to the broadest possible range of information enables it to participate as fully as possible in the public life of their society, and democracy can only thrive when it is supported by citizens who enjoy a free flow of ideas and opinions.


reference: page 52, The Handy Politics Answer Book by Gina Misiroglu