DISSERTATION

Gender differences in political tolerance and support for free expression have persisted since Stouffer’s 1955 study of attitudes toward the civil liberties of controversial political groups. Women continue to report lower levels of political tolerance relative to men despite major changes in how political tolerance is measured, changes in women’s levels of education and participation in civil society, and shifts in the kinds of groups Americans find most threatening. Surprisingly, little is known about the source of this gap in support for this important democratic norm. In my dissertation, I first use a large probability sample of the American public to establish that women remain significantly less likely than men to endorse freedom of expression for those with whom they disagree. Although previous patterns of tolerance for liberals and conservatives and old people versus young people have changed dramatically, gender persists in predicting less tolerance, just as it has for many decades. Next, I draw on a series of experiments to explore potential theories that might explain why women are lower on political tolerance measures.