The Institute for Free Speech is pleased to welcome back Alec Greven and Nathan Maxwell as summer 2021 interns.
Alec was previously a Research Intern at IFS in the summer of 2020. He will spend the bulk of his internship conducting an independent research project on a topic relating to political expression. He will also contribute to the Institute’s blog with original commentary on topical free speech issues and help the Media Manager compile the organization’s signature Daily Media Update.
“I am pleased to work with the Institute for Free Speech again because free expression is the cornerstone of any robust democratic society. I have become increasingly alarmed with actions taken by the government and private actors that erode the cultural foundations of free expression. I am excited for the chance to work with the Institute to preserve the most important right individuals possess against their government – their freedom of speech – and to research ways that the United States can more effectively uphold First Amendment rights,” Alec explained.
Last summer, Alec focused his research on how political speech was threatened by limitations on the right to protest, privacy infringements, weakened liability standards on the internet, and campaign finance regulations. He published several articles that detail modern threats to political free speech rights and appeared on a syndicated radio show to discuss how the law can be adapted to protect free expression in turbulent times. Alec’s research culminated in a report evaluating the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC on public corruption. The report examined public corruption prosecutions nine years before and after the decision and found that public corruption prosecutions declined rather than increased. Alec’s research also discovered that states with laws that were most affected by Citizens United actually experienced larger decreases in public corruption charges than states that were unaffected by the decision.
Alec is a May 2021 graduate of the University of Richmond, where he double majored in Leadership Studies and PPEL (Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law). At the University of Richmond, Alec was actively involved in reforming speech policies on campus. He received a grant to conduct a research project with Dr. Jessica Flanigan on the incompatibility of speech codes with the guiding principles of higher educational institutions. Their research has recently been accepted for publication at a peer reviewed journal. Alec is also a New York Times bestselling author of five books published in over 20 languages.
Following his work at the Institute for Free Speech this summer, Alec will begin pursuing a fully funded Master of Public Policy as a Jepson Scholar at the University of Oxford this fall.
The Institute for Free Speech is also pleased to announce the extension of Nathan Maxwell’s internship. Nathan first joined IFS as a summer intern in 2020 to assist with the Institute’s communications and outreach efforts. The Institute welcomed Nathan back in the winter of 2020 to provide additional help in our research, communications, and external relations efforts. IFS is delighted that Nathan will continue on with us for another season.
During his time at IFS, Nathan has been a frequent contributor to the Institute’s blog, writing about online speech, protest rights, privacy, and political spending issues. He also assists the Media Manager in the production of the Institute’s Daily Media Update and is nearing completion of an original research project.
Nathan is a recent graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where he studied Philosophy and Political Science. He was an Associate Editor for Ball State’s international undergraduate philosophy journal, Stance, which has been awarded the American Philosophical Association/Philosophy Documentation Center Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Philosophy Programs, the American Scholastic Press Association Award for Best University Journal, and the Ball State University Immersive Learning Award.
“The Institute for Free Speech works tirelessly to preserve and defend citizens’ rights to speak candidly, associate privately, and give generously. I am beyond thrilled to continue my internship with the Institute and to contribute further to their mission of ensuring that the First Amendment can be enjoyed exactly as the founders intended,” Nathan said.
Following graduation, Nathan plans to complete a J.D. program before pursuing a career in law.
