Poll: 62% of Americans Say They Have Political Views They’re Afraid to Share

Created on 2020-08-20T00:20:12.806081

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Nearly two-thirds—62%—of Americans say the political climate these days prevents them from saying things they believe because others might find them offensive.
The share of Americans who self‐​censor has risen several points since 2017 when 58% of Americans agreed with this statement.
In 2017 most centrist liberals felt confident (54%) they could express their views. However today, slightly less than half (48%) feel the same.
Although strong liberals are the only group who feel they can say what they believe, the share who feel pressured to self‐​censor rose 12 points from 30% in 2017 to 42% in 2020.
The share of moderates who self‐​censor increased 7 points from 57% to 64%
the share of conservatives rose 70% to 77%, also a 7‐​point increase.