Eight Values of Free Expression

I think that the most important speech theory is participation in self-government. This is the founding concept of our democracy that dates back to the New England Colonies. The colonies were created resulting from the mass migration of Europeans to New England, in hopes of escaping religious persecution. Within the next several years of their arrival, colonists would endure tension and war against Great Britain in order to escape a dysfunctional system of government, and create their own. It was ineffective to be governed by a system that was intended for Britain. The colonists needed to establish a system that would allow them to make regulations as it related to the new lang. Once colonists gained their independence and established the constitution, America became "the land of the free." In our society, I would argue that democracy is what it means to be free. As defined by my high school history teacher, democracy is when the majority rules, with minority rights protected. Participation in self-government is the foundation that our nation was constructed on. 

America became a place of self-government when the power was given to the people. The colonists wanted to create a system in which there was no monarchy to dictate what was best for the people. Who better to make the decision for the people than the people themselves? Ultimately, we are economically affected by every regulation, so it is we who should shape them. This concept is so significant because it is what makes America's government unlike any other. 

Although self government is an extremely important theory to our society, it is difficult to declare it as the most important. None of the eight theories can really stand alone. The theory of stable change by Benedict Spinoza is intertwined with the self-governing aspect. In speaking our minds and pointing out the flaws that we see in our governmental system, criticism creates a stronger government. Imagine if we did not or were not able to express our discontent with a regulation. This would mean that every time the government passed a new rule, they would have gotten it right the first time. This is just not very realistic as societies are forever changing, and to keep up, policies must be modified so that they can best suit the 

needs of the people. For example, a policy created in 2019 may be difficult to enforce in the present day if it is not redefined, considering that society is different now due to the coronavirus. Furthermore, the government is not perfect and rules may need to be change to adapt fit the present. 

Lastly, the checks and balances is a huge supporting role of self-government. Out of all the theories, we can visually see this one in action everyday. I think that this is the theory that has the potential for most conflict to arise. In order to prevent any branch from receiving too much power, we have a well organized system where bills are discussed thoroughly, before they are passed. While the checks and balances allows governmental power to be distributed evenly, it also ensures that the people's individual rights stay protected, in order to maintain their own power.