The First Amendment and Campus Protests: A Conversation with Cass Sunstein

Harvard legal scholar Cass Sunstein joins Mushtaq Gunja and Sarah Spreitzer to delve into the foundational role of the First Amendment in shaping responses to campus protests and free speech issues in higher education. Drawing from his latest book, Campus Free Speech: A Pocket Guide, written in the wake of the protests of spring 2024, Sunstein offers practical insights on the complexities surrounding the issue, including the distinctions between public and private institutions, the implications of Title VI, and more. The hosts also give a quick update on the short-term funding package approved by Congress just ahead of the Sept. 30 fiscal year deadline, and a new Government Accountability Office report on the troubled 2024 FAFSA rollout.

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Here are some of the links and references from this week’s show:

Campus Free Speech: A Pocket Guide

Cass Sunstein Wants to Help Universities Navigate Free Speech Conflicts Inside Higher Ed | Sept. 3, 2024

House Set to Advance Bill Preventing Government Shutdown The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Sept. 25, 2024

Congressional Watchdog Digs Into FAFSA Fiasco, Revealing Oversights, Call-Center Failures, and Unresolved Glitches The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | Sept. 24, 2024