Legislative Diversity and Social Tolerance: How Multiparty Systems Lead to Tolerant Citizens

Abstract

This article argues that individuals in countries with a more diverse political discourse express high levels of social tolerance relative to those in low-discourse countries. Political systems with more parties facilitate the consideration of a broader range of issues, including those relevant to the interests of marginalized groups, and greater exposure to these issues increases individually-held levels of social tolerance. Using data from the World Values Survey and other sources, we demonstrate that the number of parties in the legislature is positively related to social tolerance. Our results are robust across several model specifications.