THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE NICARAGUAN REVOLUTION FOR POLITICAL TOLERANCE- EXPLAINING DIFFERENCES AMONG THE MASS PUBLIC, CATHOLIC PRIESTS, ANDSECULAR ELITES

Research has found that elites support civil liberties more than the m ass public. In Nicaragua support for the rights of dissidents is highe r among the clergy than the public, but some priests are equally or mo re intolerant than citizens of the same education or age. Changing rec ruitment patterns and generation explain priests' varied levels of tol erance, while background, professional socialization, and generation h ave ambiguous effects on other elites.