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 onthe Left of the political spectrum with 1976–88 GeneralSocial Survey data. Findings are that (1) tolerance increasedtoward 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, partiallyon account of more recent cohorts' higher levels of education;and (3) attitude change within cohorts reduced tolerance butonly toward rightists. Overall, trends toward greater toleranceseem not to be mere reflections of reduced opposition to unpopulargroups but instead reflect changes in willingness to allow expressionof opposed ideas.