EDUCATION AND POLITICAL TOLERANCE: TESTING THE EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE SOPHISTICATION AND TARGET GROUP AFFECT

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of education and cognitive sophistication on willingness to extend civil liberties to nonconformist groups. We conducted secondary analysis of the 1984 General Society Survey data. The results show that there is a strong tolerance dimension that cuts across groups and types of actions. We found strong positive effects of education on a multiple target group tolerance scale that included both left-wing and right-wing groups. A substantial fraction of the education effect on tolerance is mediated by cognitive sophistication. The effects of education on tolerance are strong even when a person has negative feelings toward the target group. This paper helps identify why and when (e.g., cognitive sophistication and dislike of a target group) education enhances political tolerance. We discuss the implications of the research for debates on the education-tolerance relationship.