Political Activities and Speech of Faculty Members

While institutions of higher education serve as venues for participation in the marketplace of ideas, college and university officials sometimes restrict or regulate the political activities and speech of faculty members. The legal parameters pertaining to political activities and speech of college and university faculty members typically emerge as an issue of whether individuals' expression, association, or service qualifies as their rights as citizens to engage in such activities. Because public colleges and universities represent state actors, policies or actions restricting or regulating the political speech or activities of faculty members generally implicate First Amendment issues and other constitutional rights. In order to present the legal parameters pertaining to political speech of faculty, this entry examines U.S. Supreme Court cases elaborating on the legal limits ...