The private half of public reason
Public debate is only the visible end of a longer private process. People become citizens by reading, doubting, comparing, asking embarrassing questions, and privately changing their minds. If the private half is watched, scored, or chilled, the public half becomes theatrical.
Topic censorship damages democracy by narrowing the vocabulary citizens can use to understand power. If people cannot privately research controversial terms, investigate taboo claims, or test unpopular arguments, they cannot meaningfully consent to institutions that claim to govern them.