***The Iowa Standard is an independent media voice. We rely on the financial support of our readers to exist. Please consider a one-time sign of support or becoming a monthly supporter at $5, $10/month - whatever you think we're worth! If you’ve ever used the phrase “Fake News” — now YOU can actually DO something about it! You can also support us on PayPal at newsdesk@theiowastandard.com or Venmo at Iowa-Standard-2018 or through the mail at:
PO Box 112
Sioux Center, IA 51250
Americans don’t need a lecture on why free speech matters right now — they’re living the argument. From campus crackdowns to daily fights over what can be said online and who gets pushed out of public life, the country is wrestling in real time with the boundaries of expression. Recent national surveys show broad, bipartisan concern that freedom of speech and press freedom are undergoing threats in the United States, with major media and platforms often amplifying inflammatory narratives faster than facts can catch up.
That’s exactly why the CPAC Freedom of Speech Ratings matter now. They show what happens when these debates stop ending in argument — and start ending in prison cells.
“Freedom of speech is not a slogan—it’s a measurable reality,” said CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp. “These ratings hold global governments accountable for the most severe violation possible: imprisoning or executing citizens for words and ideas.”
This week, CPAC Policy released “Freedom of Speech Around the World Ratings,” a first-of-its-kind comparative index measuring the real-world condition of free speech across major global powers. The ratings focus on an objective test: Does a country imprison or execute citizens for speech that would be protected by the U.S. First Amendment?
Key Findings
-
The United States receives a perfect 100% score and is the only country in the index with both no imprisonments for protected speech and a constitutional guarantee of free speech.
-
Multiple influential regimes score 0% for executing citizens over speech, including Iran, Syria, North Korea, and Russia.
-
China, Qatar, and Venezuela score 10%, reflecting imprisonment for forbidden ideas with no meaningful independent media.
-
Several Western democracies receive low or middling scores due to imprisonment related to speech:
-
Canada, France, Germany, and Indonesia: 20%
-
Brazil, Nicaragua, Nigeria: 30%
-
Australia and Sweden: 50%
-
-
Countries with strong de facto protections but no U.S.-style constitutional guarantee cluster at 90%, including Argentina, Hungary, Japan, Poland, and Taiwan.
Why This Matters Now
CPAC’s 2025 ratings arrive as Americans debate free speech at home and watch political conflict spill into institutions, courts, and public squares. The report offers a global reality check: in free societies, speech fights end in debate; in unfree societies, they end in prison. Even one imprisonment for speech creates nationwide chilling effects.
For full scorecard results and CPAC’s complete analysis, visit: cpac.org
