Education and Political Tolerance : A Meta-Analysis of the ”Education Effect”

Abstract: This master’s thesis in political science attempts a limited meta-analysis of the relationship between education and political tolerance. A literature review results in a final sample of 20 published research articles, from which 43 distinct observations with recorded effect sizes are extracted. A fixed effects meta-analysis aggregates effect sizes and models effect size heterogeneity using several study characteristics. The study finds there is a general positive effect of education on political tolerance, but this varies substantially and significantly with study characteristics such as geographical setting, operationalisation of political tolerance, and included control variables in a given study.