Are liberals or conservatives more tolerant?

Question

Or is it impossible to generalize?

Answer 1

Liberals are usually more tolerant. Think about it, the definition of liberal is:
1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
2. (often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.
3. of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism.
4. favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
5. favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.
6. of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.
7. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.
8. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.
9. characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor.
10. given freely or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation.
11. not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule.
12. of, pertaining to, or based on the liberal arts.
13. of, pertaining to, or befitting a freeman.
–noun 14. a person of liberal principles or views, esp. in politics or religion.
15. (often initial capital letter) a member of a liberal party in politics, esp. of the Liberal party in Great Britain.

The definition of conservative is:
1. disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.
2. cautiously moderate or purposefully low: a conservative estimate.
3. traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness: conservative suit.
4. (often initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the Conservative party.
5. (initial capital letter) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Conservative Jews or Conservative Judaism.
6. having the power or tendency to conserve; preservative.
7. Mathematics. (of a vector or vector function) having curl equal to zero; irrotational; lamellar.
–noun 8. a person who is conservative in principles, actions, habits, etc.
9. a supporter of conservative political policies.
10. (initial capital letter) a member of a conservative political party, esp. the Conservative party in Great Britain.
11. a preservative.

Liberal and conservative are already generalizations, there are certain degrees to each, expecially in politics. You can be further right wing (conservative, republican), far left wing (liberal, democrat), or moderate (somewhere in the middle). If you have any other questions feel free to ask, i'm a poly sci major.

Answer 2

Personal professions of tolerance don't matter, what matters is actions. In this regard... liberal administrations created civil rights laws and enabled women to choose, while the GOP has risen to power largely through Nixon's 'Southern Strategy' of appealing to latent white racism, particularly in the US South, offended by civil rights programs (and, more recently by Rove's strategy of motivating the ultra-conservative, anti-urban base).

People can preach tolerance all they want, but where the rubber hits the road, liberal policies and practices have proven to be far more tolerant of cultural, economic, and political difference than conservative practices and policies. The facts speak for themselves.

Answer 3

I don't think you can put a label on tolerance.
Some liberals are very tolerant, others are not.
Same goes for conservatives.
I have friends in both categories, it has nothing to do with their party affiliation or their liberalism or conservatism.
It has everything to do with the person.

Answer 4

Impossible to generalize. To many different issues. Plus it depends on the subject. While there might be no tolerance in one area they might be much tolerance in another.

Answer 5

Liberals, we tolerate 70% of the nation, while conservatives only tolerate 30%.

Answer 6

That's kind of tough to pick one over the other; supposedly they have different philosophies.

I don't promote abortion, but I believe that teens should have access to contraception.

Tolerance is, of course, being willing to accept the differences in people, and we could ALL use more of that.

Certainly, too many marriages have gone down the drain for lack of sufficient tolerance between couples.

If what you want is a simple choice between liberals and conservatives, no, I cannot honestly pick one over the other.

Answer 7

Most 'Conservatives' seem more tolerant of racism, and corporate rule-making/control of all facets of life regardless of Constitutional safeguards, eg: Bill of Rights somehow doesn't apply on their property/in their house/business, etc.

Whereas most 'Liberals' seem more tolerant of others views and right/s to live their own lives without government intrusion/s with deference given to equality, the founding-documents of America, and the public good. IMO

Answer 8

What is impossible is to classify people as liberals or conservatives. There is always going to be stuff we're liberal about, then others that we're conservative about. Whoever claims to be either, they're just clueless.

Answer 9

Once upon a time the answer would have been liberals, but the label has been usurped, and the current "liberals" are anything but. It's a horse race nowl to see which side is worse.

Answer 10

Impossible to generalize.

Answer 11

yes it is impossible to answer that in that both the idea of liberal and conservative and tolerant and intolerant are subjective