Scholars have suggested a number of different causes of political tolerance and intolerance. Using data from the 2008 American National Election Studies (ANES), we test seven of the causes frequently mentioned in the literature (age, gender, education, religion, ideology, social capital and perceived threat) while controlling for class and ethnicity. We find that religion, ethnicity and especially ideology explain variation in attitudes toward fringe groups quite well, while class and especially social capital appear to be rather poor predictors of an individual´s level of tolerance. We also find that of our nine independent variables, only gender affected tolerance levels precisely as predicted. For all other independent variables, the relationship with political tolerance is not entirely in line with the predictions of previous research; in some cases, it is even the complete opposite. Thus, our results partially challenge the findings of previous studies and demonstrate the need for further research on political tolerance.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1 Age
2.2 Gender
2.3 Education
2.4 Religion
2.5 Ideology
2.6 Social capital
2.7 Perceived threat
2.8 Control variables
3. Methodology
4. Findings
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives & Topics
This study aims to examine the factors influencing political tolerance and intolerance in the United States by testing seven common predictors (age, gender, education, religion, ideology, social capital, and perceived threat) while controlling for class and ethnicity, using data from the 2008 American National Election Studies (ANES).
- Analysis of seven primary drivers of political tolerance based on existing academic literature.
- Empirical testing of hypotheses using ordinary least squares regression.
- Evaluation of political tolerance across diverse societal groups including homosexuals, atheists, and religious groups.
- Assessment of the predictive power of demographic and social variables on individual tolerance levels.
- Critical discussion of findings that contradict established theories regarding political tolerance.
Excerpt from the Book
Age
One of the potential causes of tolerance often mentioned in the literature is age. More precisely, there appears to be a negative relationship between an individual´s age and level of tolerance: the older a person is, the less tolerant he or she is. The theoretical argument is that “aging is associated with a shift to more conservative political attitudes. Generational differences in political socialization and certain correlates of the aging process are the factors most commonly cited to account for this trend toward greater conservatism. According to this perspective, successive cohorts are socialized to different political attitudes, values and ideologies as the content of the political culture changes. Associated with the subsequent movement of individual members of the cohorts through the life cycle are psychologically based, age-related changes in the direction of greater rigidity, cautiousness, and increasing resistance to change. Further pressures against the acceptance of social and political change become manifest with increasing integration into the social system, which leads to a greater stake in the maintenance of status quo. Presumably, therefore, older cohorts are not only the bearers of the more traditional political culture, but their members increasingly adhere to the content of their earlier political socialization as they age” (Cutler and Kaufman 1975: 69-70).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the context of political tolerance in the United States and outlines the research objective to examine factors that influence the level of tolerance toward fringe groups.
Literature Review: Identifies and discusses seven potential determinants of political tolerance—age, gender, education, religion, ideology, social capital, and perceived threat—derived from scholarly debate.
Methodology: Describes the use of 2008 ANES data and ordinary least squares regression to test hypotheses regarding the influence of independent and control variables on political tolerance.
Findings: Presents the statistical results showing how various independent variables correlate with tolerance toward different fringe groups, noting the strong predictive power of ideology.
Conclusion: Summarizes the study's results, discusses the falsification of several hypotheses, and suggests directions for future qualitative research.
Keywords
Political Tolerance, Intolerance, ANES, Ideology, Social Capital, Perceived Threat, Education, Gender, Age, Regression Analysis, Fringe Groups, Socialization, Civil Liberties, Democracy, Political Attitudes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research?
The work investigates the underlying causes of political tolerance and intolerance among citizens in the United States, utilizing large-scale survey data to test established academic theories.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The study centers on demographic and social factors, specifically age, gender, education, religious commitment, political ideology, social capital, and perceptions of threat.
What is the primary objective of this study?
The primary goal is to determine which of the identified factors are the most accurate predictors of an individual's level of political tolerance and to assess whether previous academic findings hold up under current empirical data.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses secondary data from the 2008 American National Election Studies (ANES) and applies ordinary least squares regression to assess the relationship between dependent and independent variables.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section encompasses a thorough literature review, a methodological description of variable selection, and a detailed presentation of statistical findings regarding various societal groups.
How would you characterize this work with keywords?
The core of this work can be characterized by terms such as political tolerance, ideology, social capital, regression analysis, and democratic political culture.
How does ideology influence the findings?
The findings indicate that ideology is the strongest predictor of political tolerance, though it shows a bidirectional relationship—liberals and conservatives tend to be intolerant of opposing, albeit different, societal groups.
Why are the findings on perceived threat considered unique?
Unlike previous research that suggested perceived threat decreases tolerance, this study found that individuals who feel threatened by international terrorism are actually more likely to be tolerant of several fringe groups, challenging the standard threat-hypothesis.
What do the results suggest about gender differences in tolerance?
The study confirms that women are consistently more tolerant than men across the groups examined, supporting findings from recent scholarly works.
- Quote paper
- Michael Neureiter (Author), 2012, Correlates of Political Tolerance and Intolerance in the United States, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/962210
