Last month, The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released their 2027 College Free Speech Rankings. Brown placed 98 out of 261 — receiving a grade of D on free speech. FIRE states that Brown was “penalized after the student government denied recognition to a student group,” referring to the Undergraduate Council of Students’ rejection of an application to form a chapter of Turning Point USA on campus.
TPUSA’s stated goal is to increase high school and college student engagement with conservative thought and politics. Despite TPUSA’s popularity on campuses across the country, the UCS claimed it failed to meet their strict criteria that new clubs must fill “distinct niches” or unaddressed needs on campus.
I stand adamantly opposed to TPUSA’s views on almost every major issue. But I also believe that creating space for political opposition is imperative to safeguarding democratic institutions. In fact, the presence of conservative ideas is essential for the strength and education of liberal political beliefs on campus. With very few overtly conservative student clubs on campus — and a plethora of left-leaning organizations — I find myself skeptical of the council’s published reasoning. It doesn’t need to be TPUSA, but for the sake of the student body and the strength of democracy as a whole, the UCS must be willing to foster spaces for conservative thought and debate on campus.
Brown’s ideological bubble is no secret — only 6% of the student population reports holding conservative views. This is a real risk for Brunonians across the political spectrum. Like it or not, conservatives represent a higher percentage (33%) of the U.S. population than liberals (26%), and 2025 polling reveals that equal shares of Americans are registered as Democrats and as Republicans, both making up 27% of voters — independent voters represent the largest group. Furthermore, while the majority of young adults still lean left, young voters, particularly men, have shifted notably right in recent years.
Facing this reality, Brown’s predominantly liberal student population is in for a rude awakening after graduation. Even New York City, the most common post-grad destination for Brunonians, is more conservative than our campus. We need to practice healthy debate and discussion now; otherwise, students may face greater difficulties finding compromise beyond College Hill. While there is disagreement over the productivity of debate in our increasingly polarized world, even imperfect discourse likely offers the best way to sharpen our views. Open debate improves our ability to think on our feet, and it forces us to re-evaluate our own views and give the opposing argument fair consideration. Honest and respectful arguments allow us to see the opposition as more relatable, increasing our ability to disagree without looking down on those with whom we can’t agree.
If the UCS does not even provide spaces for conservative views on campus, conservative students will not have the same opportunity as their liberal peers to test out their arguments and find the confidence to share them. Nearly 50% of Brown students report feeling uncomfortable sharing their views on campus — and conservative students are far more likely than their liberal counterparts to report discomfort, according to The Herald’s Fall 2025 Poll. Clearly, there is an unmet need for spaces where conservatives feel safe to express and hone their political beliefs. But if our student government institutions are unwilling to allow conservative groups on campus, it seems to send a clear message that their views are not welcome at Brown. While the majority of our students may disagree with conservative beliefs, we owe it to them, and to ourselves, to meet them on even ground. And until conservative students are given spaces to discuss and hone their views, a fair discourse seems nearly impossible.
In a 2025 column, Opinions Editor Christian Davis ’27 argued that Brown University’s uniquely open culture provides the opportunity to raise up a new, less hateful conservative discourse. Much of the push back against groups such as TPUSA stems from a number of controversies in which members and chapters of TPUSA engaged in racist, homophobic and transphobic rhetoric. While these instances are undoubtedly alarming, they were not cited as the reason for the chapter’s rejection. It is true that spaces within the modern right have become breeding grounds for hateful and deeply upsetting rhetoric. But it has also been shown that political extremism thrives in silence.
By failing to create spaces for conservative brunonians to engage on campus, we force students to harbor ideas within a lone echo-chamber, or to seek out community online — a practice shown to foster further extremism. As it stands, we aren’t preventing bigotry; we are ignoring it. Instead, by creating spaces for on-campus dialogue, the UCS could give conservative students an opportunity to participate in a more communal dialogue, broadening the overall campus political discourse. Engagement between the two sides not only helps to combat the polarization of American politics, but it also better prepares Brown’s mostly liberal student body for the far more conservative world they will enter after leaving College Hill.
As a proud alumni of the YMCA Youth and Government program, I was raised on the idea that “democracy must be learned by each generation.” This education can only be obtained through healthy and open discourse. Brunonians from across the political spectrum will inherit the responsibility of preserving our Union. With the current vacuum of conservative ideals on campus, I fear for our ability to pursue progress and compromise in the world beyond our bubble. That is why, despite my strong aversion to Turning Point USA and its ideals, I will still argue for the belonging of conservative groups like them here on College Hill. With New Student Group applications set to re-open this month, I hope that the UCS can also begin to see the value of creating space for political opposition.
Reid Gold ’29 can be reached at reid_gold@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
