25 Years of Asking Questions: What is Patriotism, Really?

In 2026, the Robert H. Jackson Center celebrates 25 years of advancing civic understanding and public discourse with a special yearlong lecture series: 25 Years of Asking Questions. This series will examine some of the most pressing questions facing American democracy, inviting the community to explore how constitutional principles intersect with the challenges of our time.

Each month, the series poses a different question, encouraging participants to think critically about the values, responsibilities, and choices that shape our society.

What does it mean to be patriotic?

From flag-waving to flag-burning, Americans have long debated whether patriotism requires obedience or allows for dissent. Inspired by West Virginia v. Barnette, this program explores competing visions of patriotism and the role of free expression in a democratic society. In his opinion, Robert H. Jackson famously argued that no government can prescribe what shall be orthodox in matters of opinion, placing liberty at the center of American identity.

This lecture is part of our 25 Years of Asking Questions lecture series. We are thankful to the Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union for sponsoring this series. Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union, supporting individuals and organizations who also impact, empower, and achieve within our community.

About the Speaker

Helen Knowles-Gardner is Research Director at the Institute for Free Speech and a scholar of American law and politics and Managing Editor of the Supreme Court Historical Society’s Journal of Supreme Court History. A former political science professor of nearly two decades, she has written extensively on the First Amendment and freedom of expression.

She is the co-author and editor of multiple books on free speech, including: Judging Free Speech: First Amendment Jurisprudence of U.S. Supreme Court Justices and Free Speech Theory: Understanding the Controversies. Her broader scholarship includes work on Supreme Court jurisprudence, including a book on Justice Anthony Kennedy’s approach to liberty. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston University and a B.A. in American Studies from Liverpool Hope University.