Students Say Constitution, Back Speech Codes

A growing share of undergraduates profess abstract reverence for the Constitution and the First Amendment while simultaneously supporting institutional speech codes, criminal penalties for certain 'offensive' speech, and disruptive or violent responses to campus speakers. This disconnect suggests opinion surveys of abstract values can mask real‑world support for limits on expression among the next generation of civic actors. — If widespread, this attitude gap affects campus governance, hiring and tenure debates, free‑speech litigation, and the political socialization of future leaders.