Democracy and Higher Education in Indonesia and the United States

Abstract

Democracies must protect academic freedom in higher education and freedom of expression in the media. Conditions of fear, threat, and conservativism create a silent acquiescence through which stagnation of expression becomes an established norm. Democratic citizens must protect persons who share unconventional perspectives in the public sphere. This paper compares experiences and perspectives within democracies and higher education of Indonesia and the United States. Balancing the value of expressing controversial opinions with the value of getting along might be a litmus test for a democracy’s future.