TRENDS IN TOLERANCE TOWARD RIGHTIST AND LEFTIST GROUPS, 1976-1988 - EFFECTS OF ATTITUDE-CHANGE AND COHORT SUCCESSION

Trends in tolerance are tested for groups on the Right and on the Left of the political spectrum with 1976-88 General Social Survey data. Findings are that (1) tolerance increased toward leftist groups but not toward rightist groups; (2) succession, the replacement of older cohorts by more recent cohorts, increased tolerance toward leftists and rightists alike, partially on account of more recent cohorts' higher levels of education; and (3) attitude change within cohorts reduced tolerance but only toward rightists. Overall, trends toward greater tolerance seem not to be mere reflections of reduced opposition to unpopular groups but instead reflect changes in willingness to allow expression of opposed ideas.