Understanding social influence on political tolerance

Jung, Seyoung

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121401 Copy

Description

Title

Understanding social influence on political tolerance

Author(s)

Jung, Seyoung

Issue Date

2023-05-26

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

• Ksiazkiewicz, Aleksander
• Mondak, Jeffery J

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

• Ksiazkiewicz, Aleksander
• Mondak, Jeffery J

Committee Member(s)

• Rudolph, Thomas J
• Livny, Avital

Department of Study

Political Science

Discipline

Political Science

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

Political Tolerance, Conformity, Spillover, Mayoral Approval, Sociotropic consideration, and Egocentric consideration

Abstract

The tension between the value of civil liberties and the value of public order has recently become more salient. At this intersection, studies on political tolerance explore under which conditions citizens support the extension of rights of citizenship to others whose ideas or interests they oppose. In this dissertation, comprising three papers, I explore the social factors that influence the level of political tolerance: partisan dynamics, the rise of political activism, and the role of politicians. The first paper examines how partisan identity and conformity shape political intolerance. I test whether a request for partisan conformity increases their willingness to act on political intolerance and investigate which narrative drives this conformity, particularly comparing the narratives involving ingroup praise and outgroup derogation. The second paper examines whether the experience of arguing for the rally of their most-liked group increases the willingness to allow the rally of their least-liked group. The third paper pays attention to a politician’s decision over a rally permit and studies its effect on citizens’ attitudes toward the politician and the group involved in the rally. Furthermore, I disentangle citizens’ sociotropic and egocentric considerations as they respond to the consequences of the mayor’s decision. This dissertation makes two key contributions. First, it expands the study of political tolerance by making connections with other literature (i.e. affective polarization and accountability). Second, it shows asymmetry in the pliability of political tolerance and intolerance, where persuading citizens to become tolerant is more challenging than persuading them to become intolerant.

Graduation Semester

2023-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2023 Seyoung Jung

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