{
    "slug": "gss-free-speech-2024",
    "source_label": "GSS (2024) — Civil liberties (SPK + LIB) batteries",
    "source_url": "https:\/\/gss.norc.org\/get-the-data\/",
    "license": "Public domain (NSF-funded, NORC at the University of Chicago)",
    "fielded_at": "2024-06-01",
    "methodology": "survey",
    "n_respondents": 3309,
    "disclosure": {
        "license": "Public domain (NSF-funded). Required citation: Davern, Michael; Bautista, Rene; Freese, Jeremy; Herd, Pamela; and Morgan, Stephen L. General Social Survey 1972-2024. NORC ed., Chicago, 2025.",
        "weights": "Weighted to wtssps (NORC's recommended GSS 2024 post-stratification weight, person-level). Tolerant share is the weighted proportion answering 'allowed to speak' (SPK) or 'would not favor removing' (LIB). Dichotomous → 1-5 SSR mapping via tolerant_share × 4 + 1.",
        "screener": "GSS uses an address-based national probability sample of U.S. adults 18+. The 2024 cross-section ran mixed-mode (in-person + web push). No content screener — every selected adult is invited regardless of attitudes. Sampling frame and selection probability are documented in the GSS 2024 Codebook R3 (NORC). SPK\/LIB items are split-ballot (per-item n ≈ 1,100–1,130, vs the wave's 3,309 total).",
        "fieldwork": "United States, 2024 cross-section. Fieldwork March–November 2024 per the GSS 2024 Codebook R3 (page 1). Modes: in-person and web push (push-to-web for the subsample without prior in-person contact).",
        "coding_rules": "Closed-ended forced-choice, no FGI. No moderator guide. Each respondent rates each category × battery cell independently in the same wave. SPK and LIB have run since 1972 \/ 1976 with the same stems and value labels; the 2024 wave dropped homo, militarist, and the full COL battery — only 8 of the historical 15 cells are present.",
        "likert_labels": "Dichotomous (codebook value labels, verbatim). SPK: 1 = \"allowed\", 2 = \"not allowed\" — tolerant_code = 1. LIB: 1 = \"favor removing\", 2 = \"would not remove\" — tolerant_code = 2 (reverse). Both remapped to the SSR 1-5 scale via tolerant_share × 4 + 1 so that a higher number reads as more tolerance. No 'don't know' \/ 'no answer' is included — those respondents drop from each variable's n.",
        "question_text": "SPK stem (codebook verbatim): \"If such a person wanted to make a speech in your community, should he\/she be allowed to speak, or not?\" LIB stem: \"If some people in your community suggested that a book he\/she wrote should be taken out of your public library, would you favor removing this book, or not?\" The target category (atheist \/ communist \/ racist \/ anti-American Muslim clergyman) substitutes 'such a person'."
    },
    "questions": [
        {
            "question_template_slot": "gss2024_spk_atheist",
            "prompt_text": "If a person who is against all churches and religion wanted to make a speech in your community, should he be allowed to speak, or not?",
            "ground_truth_mean": 4.182,
            "ground_truth_ci_lower": 4.088,
            "ground_truth_ci_upper": 4.276,
            "ground_truth_sd": 1.612,
            "ground_truth_skewness": -1.465,
            "ground_truth_shape": "bimodal-asymmetric",
            "ground_truth_distribution": {
                "5_tolerant_pct": 79.6,
                "1_intolerant_pct": 20.4
            },
            "n_respondents": 1133,
            "weighting_notes": "Weighted to wtssps (NORC GSS 2024 post-stratification). Tolerant_share 0.796 → SSR 4.182 via tolerant_share × 4 + 1. Split-ballot item (n ≈ 1,100–1,130 of the wave's 3,309). Distribution as weighted percentages of the two response codes."
        },
        {
            "question_template_slot": "gss2024_spk_communist",
            "prompt_text": "If an admitted Communist wanted to make a speech in your community, should he be allowed to speak, or not?",
            "ground_truth_mean": 3.603,
            "ground_truth_ci_lower": 3.49,
            "ground_truth_ci_upper": 3.715,
            "ground_truth_sd": 1.907,
            "ground_truth_skewness": -0.632,
            "ground_truth_shape": "bimodal-asymmetric",
            "ground_truth_distribution": {
                "5_tolerant_pct": 65.1,
                "1_intolerant_pct": 34.9
            },
            "n_respondents": 1107,
            "weighting_notes": "Weighted to wtssps. Tolerant_share 0.651 → SSR 3.603. Split-ballot. Distribution as weighted percentages."
        },
        {
            "question_template_slot": "gss2024_spk_racist",
            "prompt_text": "If a person who believes that Blacks are genetically inferior wanted to make a speech in your community, should he be allowed to speak, or not?",
            "ground_truth_mean": 2.839,
            "ground_truth_ci_lower": 2.722,
            "ground_truth_ci_upper": 2.955,
            "ground_truth_sd": 1.994,
            "ground_truth_skewness": 0.162,
            "ground_truth_shape": "multimodal-symmetric",
            "ground_truth_distribution": {
                "5_tolerant_pct": 46,
                "1_intolerant_pct": 54
            },
            "n_respondents": 1128,
            "weighting_notes": "Weighted to wtssps. Tolerant_share 0.460 → SSR 2.839. Split-ballot. Distribution as weighted percentages."
        },
        {
            "question_template_slot": "gss2024_spk_muslim",
            "prompt_text": "If a Muslim clergyman who preaches hatred of the United States wanted to make a speech in your community, should he be allowed to speak, or not?",
            "ground_truth_mean": 2.648,
            "ground_truth_ci_lower": 2.532,
            "ground_truth_ci_upper": 2.763,
            "ground_truth_sd": 1.969,
            "ground_truth_skewness": 0.358,
            "ground_truth_shape": "multimodal-symmetric",
            "ground_truth_distribution": {
                "5_tolerant_pct": 41.2,
                "1_intolerant_pct": 58.8
            },
            "n_respondents": 1118,
            "weighting_notes": "Weighted to wtssps. Tolerant_share 0.412 → SSR 2.648 (the lowest-tolerance cell in the 2024 wave). Split-ballot. Distribution as weighted percentages."
        },
        {
            "question_template_slot": "gss2024_lib_atheist",
            "prompt_text": "If some people in your community suggested that a book written by an anti-religion atheist should be taken out of your public library, would you favor removing this book, or not?",
            "ground_truth_mean": 4.12,
            "ground_truth_ci_lower": 4.023,
            "ground_truth_ci_upper": 4.217,
            "ground_truth_sd": 1.657,
            "ground_truth_skewness": -1.352,
            "ground_truth_shape": "bimodal-asymmetric",
            "ground_truth_distribution": {
                "5_tolerant_pct": 78,
                "1_intolerant_pct": 22
            },
            "n_respondents": 1120,
            "weighting_notes": "Weighted to wtssps. Reverse-coded (LIB tolerant = code 2 = 'would not remove'). Tolerant_share 0.780 → SSR 4.120. Split-ballot. Distribution as weighted percentages."
        },
        {
            "question_template_slot": "gss2024_lib_communist",
            "prompt_text": "If some people in your community suggested that a book written by an admitted Communist should be taken out of your public library, would you favor removing this book, or not?",
            "ground_truth_mean": 3.78,
            "ground_truth_ci_lower": 3.672,
            "ground_truth_ci_upper": 3.889,
            "ground_truth_sd": 1.842,
            "ground_truth_skewness": -0.847,
            "ground_truth_shape": "bimodal-asymmetric",
            "ground_truth_distribution": {
                "5_tolerant_pct": 69.5,
                "1_intolerant_pct": 30.5
            },
            "n_respondents": 1113,
            "weighting_notes": "Weighted to wtssps. Reverse-coded. Tolerant_share 0.695 → SSR 3.780. LIB > SPK for the same category — pulling a book is a higher bar than blocking a speech. Distribution as weighted percentages."
        },
        {
            "question_template_slot": "gss2024_lib_racist",
            "prompt_text": "If some people in your community suggested that a book written by a racist (who believes Blacks are genetically inferior) should be taken out of your public library, would you favor removing this book, or not?",
            "ground_truth_mean": 3.227,
            "ground_truth_ci_lower": 3.111,
            "ground_truth_ci_upper": 3.344,
            "ground_truth_sd": 1.987,
            "ground_truth_skewness": -0.228,
            "ground_truth_shape": "multimodal-symmetric",
            "ground_truth_distribution": {
                "5_tolerant_pct": 55.7,
                "1_intolerant_pct": 44.3
            },
            "n_respondents": 1123,
            "weighting_notes": "Weighted to wtssps. Reverse-coded. Tolerant_share 0.557 → SSR 3.227. LIB > SPK (vs spkrac 2.839) — same gradient as the other categories. Distribution as weighted percentages."
        },
        {
            "question_template_slot": "gss2024_lib_muslim",
            "prompt_text": "If some people in your community suggested that a book written by a Muslim clergyman who preaches hatred of the United States should be taken out of your public library, would you favor removing this book, or not?",
            "ground_truth_mean": 3.085,
            "ground_truth_ci_lower": 2.968,
            "ground_truth_ci_upper": 3.201,
            "ground_truth_sd": 1.998,
            "ground_truth_skewness": -0.086,
            "ground_truth_shape": "multimodal-symmetric",
            "ground_truth_distribution": {
                "5_tolerant_pct": 52.1,
                "1_intolerant_pct": 47.9
            },
            "n_respondents": 1126,
            "weighting_notes": "Weighted to wtssps. Reverse-coded. Tolerant_share 0.521 → SSR 3.085. LIB > SPK (vs spkmslm 2.648). Distribution as weighted percentages."
        }
    ]
}