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attitudes toward the expression of particular points of view. We believe our results indicate more than
ideological sophistication on the part of the highly educated. In this sense, our results run counter to the
345 interpretation of education effects proposed by Jackman. We suspect that the difference involves a middle
ground between support for abstract democratic principles and support for more sweeping policy changes
350 (e.g., affirmative action or mandatory school desegregation) that benefit particular groups. This middle
ground involves support for the rights of individual members of nonconformist groups to advocate their
ideas in public forums. As Weil (1985:459) recently argued, «the processes and reasons which constrain
355 the better educated to give more liberal responses may not be as admirable as once thought, but something
may be better than nothing: one presumes that the recipients of apparently liberal opinions (even if
somewhat hypocritical) prefer such constraints to heartfelt illiberal responses.» Activities such as political
360 speech, the publication of one's views, and the right to hold prestigious positions (e.g., college teacher) are
vital means of drawing attention to problems and persuading others to support policy changes. Viewed in
this light, it is meaningful to find that education increases commitment to the extension of free-speech
rights to those we dislike.
365
25 Sullivan's model and Jackman's research identify boundaries on the education-tolerance relationship.
These boundaries constitute particular, and in some ways limited, conditions when education fails to
370 increase tolerance. Our research shows the circumstances when education has large and important effects
on tolerance. Of course, education is only one of several factors influencing tolerance and, as cohort
analyses show, improvements in average educational attainment are not the main factor producing change
375 over time in levels of tolerance. Future reseach should not view the education-tolerance relationship as
either genenrally weak or strong. Rather, education is associated with higher levels of tolerance, even
among those who oppose a group, so long as the group in question is not extraordinarily threatening or
380 extreme.This relationship exists in part because education is associated with more sophisticated styles of
reasoning.
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