ABSTRACT
It is through John Sullivan’s mentorship that the author learned to appreciate the dual nature of the Madisonian system. At the heart of political tolerance is an appreciation for the basic Democratic processes that promote the free marketplace of ideas. Essentially, multiple interests and obstructionist processes go hand in hand. The more a person appreciates how heterogeneous Americans’ interests are, the easier it is to accept that certain rules of the game and certain political processes must be in place to deal with all of those interests. It is here that trouble arises. What if people don’t appreciate how heterogeneous Americans’ interests are? The chapter argues that perceptions of heterogeneity or homogeneity are important for understanding both political tolerance and appreciation of Democratic processes. If citizens perceive homogeneity of interests, then the Madisonian system that protects civil liberties and minority interests appears to be unnecessary. It is simply a messy, slow, inefficient, and unnecessarily obstructionist system. The chapter reviews evidence that many Americans do not accept that Americans have diverse interests and views and instead think that the vast majority agree on the major issues of the day and hold the same values and beliefs. This perception of homogeneity leads to increased intolerance and stealth Democratic attitudes.
