The value of free expression that is the most important to me is the checks on governmental power. The system of checks and balances is one of the keystones that the United States of America is built on, allowing the federal government, the state governments, and the people to prevent each other from abusing their power. Checks on governmental power specifically focuses on the people's ability to apply checks and balances to the government.
One way the American people do this is through expressing ideas via freedom of speech under the First Amendment. Along with the press, the people give their thoughts on decisions that the government makes. The voice of the people can influence what the government does, ranging from lawmaking to foreign affairs. A great example of this is the people's influence on war. According to the article "The American People and Support for War" by Lawrence Wittner (The American People and Support for War - CounterPunch.org), at the time of entering wars such as the Iraq War, World War I, and the Korean War, the majority of Americans were in favor of the decision. Another way that the American people apply checks and balances on both the federal and state governments is by voting. Perhaps the best example of checks on governmental power, a politician can be voted out of office and replaced with someone else at the end of their term if the majority of Americans agree. This commonly happens in the U.S., with the most prevalent case being President Joe Biden being voted into office in place of former President Donald Trump.
Checking governmental power is a great example of freedom of expression and speech, but it wouldn't be possible without the discovery of governmental wrongdoings which exhibits the freedom of the press. In America, we have news networks and publishers such as CNN, FOX, and The New York Times as well as many others which keep Americans informed about all of the government's actions from federal to state level. Having freedom of the press is crucial, as many other countries around the world do not share the same luxury. According to an article from Florida State University (The Truth About North Korean Media (fsu.edu)), the North Korean media is completely controlled by the totalitarian government. Due to this restriction of freedom, the people of North Korea cannot express themselves to the degree of the American people.
