Review article
POLITICAL TOLERANCE WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OF DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL CULTURE
Vladimir Vujčić
; Faculty of Political Sciences, Zagreb
Abstract
In this work the author analyzes the position and role of political
tolerance within the structure of democratic political culture and
their functional relationship towards democracy, Le. freedom. The
analysis is primarily based on research of the democratic political
culture in the U.SA and Russia by J.L.Gibson. The results of his
research indicate that the citizens of Russia (the Moscow area)
have acquired an enviable level of democratic political culture in
all dimensions of this phenomenon except in the dimension of political
tolerance. Only about 19% expressed the attitude of political
tolerance towards oppositional groups in society, while in the
U.S. this percentage was twice as higb. The Russians were inferior
to the Americans in some other findings as well. Russian citizens,
for example, displayed a relatively high level of self-censorship
(observation of inter-personal limitations for free political
behavior). A conclusion could be therefore drawn that a high degree
of self-censorship, as was the measure of distrust of one towards
the other, can be more damaging for the development of
democracy than observed repression coming from the power
structure, Le., from the regime.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
32148
URI
Publication date:
1.3.1996.
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