political tolerance
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Tolerating OthersThe Good Citizen
Chapter 5
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tolerance
“The founding fathers of this country prescribed tolerance in the marketplace of freely flowing ideas as the key to the democratic process and the necessary condition for orderly change and innovation in a democratic society.”
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Political Tolerance“Tolerance is the cornerstone of a democratically enlightened citizenry.”
What is political tolerance?
Why is tolerance a cornerstone of democracy/citizenship?
How do researchers measure levels of political tolerance?
Who would you predict is more politically tolerant: duty citizens or engaged citizens?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Growing Tolerance
1950s
McCarthyism
Loyalty oaths
Segregated schools
Leadership was white, male, Protestant
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Growing Tolerance
1954: 31% scored high tolerance
1973: 55% scored high tolerance
Atheists, communists
Protesting war, pornographic movies, sex education
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Growing Tolerance1976 - 2004; p. 85
Tolerance gradually broadened
Communist +20
Atheist +19
Homosexual +20
Militarist +16
Racist +5
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Predictors of Tolerance
Education tolerance
Younger tolerance
Civil rights/women’s rights tolerance
Open hostility lessened, overt expressions of intolerance less frequent
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tolerance & CitizenshipDuty Citizen: may be less tolerant of unconventional or anti-system political groups
Value duty and social orderMajoritarian
Engaged Citizen: may be more supportive of political tolerance
Concern for social rights and protection of othersBalance conflicting political values
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Civil Liberties and TolerancePost 9-11 debate on balancing freedom and civil liberties while protecting citizens
Patriot Act, Guantanamo, warentless wiretapping
Obama Inaugural Speech"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals"
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Civil Liberties & Citizenship“Feelings of citizen duty encourage individuals to support a policy restricting civil liberties”
Especially in cases involving explicit terrorist threats
Duty citizens tend to “support policies that would restrict potential terrorists, even if these policies raise basic civil liberty questions”
Engaged citizens are “less supportive of government action and more concerned with civil liberties”
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
“Racial, ethnic, religious, and political divisions remain part of the American experience”
Expressions of tolerance differ from actual observed behavior
Many examples of people who do unreasonable things to their fellow citizens--and too many people watch and remain silent
Not Total Tolerance
Wednesday, January 21, 2009