Withholding One's Political Views: When, Why, and On What?

Abstract Scholarly interest in the unwillingness of people to express their political views has ballooned of late, across the world. Still, many details of when, why, and on what people self-censor remain unknown. In this largely exploratory analysis, using 2025 survey data from the United States, I pursue four objectives. First, I document the extremely high levels of self-censorship in the contemporary United States. Then I analyze the varied contexts in which people withhold their views, followed by an analysis of why they say they are reluctant to express themselves. In the most important part of my article, I examine the issues on which people are most likely to withhold their views. Distinguishing between expressed public opinion and true public opinion, I then show that on many issues self-censorship results in no ideological bias in expressed views, but on some issues—the Israeli war with Hamas, as the best example—considerable bias exists (true opinion differs from expressed opinion). I conclude with concerns about the deleterious effects of self-censorship on political discussions and deliberations in America.