Social tolerance and national well-being: Comparing racial tolerance in the United States with religious tolerance in Nigeria.
1. Hope Ohiarah, California Intercontinental University, Student, United States
Abstract
This study
explores the relationship between social tolerance and national well-being by
comparing racial tolerance in the United States and religious tolerance in
Nigeria. Tolerance is viewed not merely as an ethical goal but as a strategic
governance tool that yields measurable social and economic benefits. Drawing on
interdisciplinary insights from economics, political science, public health,
and comparative politics, the research illustrates how inclusive norms and
institutions enhance human capital, reduce the costs of conflict, and improve
the effectiveness of public policy.
In the
United States, persistent racial hierarchies and systemic discrimination lead
to high economic and social costs, impacting productivity, health outcomes, and
civic trust. Extensive administrative data highlight enduring intergenerational
mobility gaps, with Black and American Indian children facing notably lower
upward mobility compared to their white counterparts (Chetty et al., 2020). Structural
racism is identified as a “fundamental cause” of health disparities,
contributing to differences in morbidity and mortality that ultimately weaken
national health capital and workforce resilience (LaVeist et al., 2023; White
et al., 2024). Policies designed to promote racial inclusion—such as enforcing
anti-discrimination laws, ensuring equitable access to education, and targeted
labor-market interventions—have led to improvements in labor force
participation, higher average earnings, and greater returns on public
investment in human capital. Additionally, public health research suggests that
inclusive language, bias-reduction initiatives, and institutional reforms can
alleviate stress-related health challenges and improve educational outcomes,
thereby bolstering long-term resilience.
Conversely,
Nigeria faces a unique yet related challenge. While religious plurality
enriches cultural life, it also contributes to political tension and communal
violence. Empirical studies indicate that intolerance—expressed through
sectarian confrontations, extremist mobilization, and the politicization of
religious identities—increases governance costs, disrupts public service
delivery, and undermines institutional legitimacy (Dowd, 2016; Jatau &
Maza, 2023). On the other hand, fostering tolerance through legal protections,
interfaith dialogue, and community collaboration has been shown to diminish
violence, stabilize markets, and safeguard human capital. Evidence from
randomized studies in Cross River State demonstrates that involving religious
leaders in vaccination efforts can enhance coverage, highlighting how tolerance
can bolster public health initiatives and strengthen institutional legitimacy
(Oyo Ita et al., 2021).
By
analyzing a variety of indicators across nations and within individual
countries—such as rates of violent incidents, levels of educational attainment,
disparities in earnings, and health metrics at the population level—the study
reveals consistent causal relationships: greater tolerance decreases the
transaction costs associated with conflict, broadens the talent pool available
for employment, and enhances the returns on public investments. The analysis
concludes that comprehensive policy strategies that incorporate legal
protections, targeted social investments, and localized initiatives to shift
societal norms yield the most significant overall economic benefits. More
broadly, the findings emphasize that tolerance should be recognized as both a
normative principle and an essential policy tool for establishing lasting
peace, fostering prosperity, and strengthening democratic resilience.
• Community reconciliation Religious tolerance Racial tolerance Social cohesion Human capital Public goods Institutional legitimacy Interfaith leadership Anti-discrimination policy Educational attainment
Conclusion
Tolerance
is both a normative commitment and a strategic governance instrument. In the
United States, racial tolerance enhances economic performance, strengthens
civic stability, and amplifies the returns to public investment. In Nigeria,
religious tolerance reduces violence, protects human capital, and improves
institutional legitimacy. The most durable gains emerge when legal safeguards,
targeted social investments, and localized norm-shifting interventions operate
in concert, transforming inclusive commitments into measurable public goods.
By
synthesizing evidence across two distinct contexts, this paper demonstrates
that tolerance should be understood not only as a moral aspiration but as a
practical policy instrument essential to securing durable peace, prosperity,
and democratic resilience.
1. References Chetty, R., Hendren, N., Jones, M. R., & Porter, S. R. (2020). Race and economic opportunity in the United States: An intergenerational perspective. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 135(2), 711–783. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjaa006 Dowd, R. A. (2016). Religious diversity and religious tolerance: Lessons from Nigeria. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 60(4), 617–644. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002714541845 Jatau, V., & Maza, K. D. (2023). Democracy, peace, and religion in Nigeria. Religions, 14(2), 215. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020215 LaVeist, T. A., Pérez-Stable, E. J., & Richard, P. (2023). The economic burden of racial, ethnic, and educational health inequities in the United States. JAMA, 329(9), 753–763. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.1250 Oyo Ita, A., Bosch-Capblanch, X., Ross, A., Oku, A., Esu, E., Ameh, S., Oduwole, O., Arikpo, D., & Meremikwu, M. (2021). Effects of engaging communities through traditional and religious leaders on vaccination coverage in Cross River State, Nigeria: A cluster randomized controlled trial. PLOS ONE, 16(4), e0248236. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248236 Science Advances Collaboration. (2022). The nature and validity of implicit bias training for health care: A systematic review. Science Advances, 8(XX), eado5957. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ado5957 Trounstine, J. (2018). Segregation and inequality in public goods. American Journal of Political Science, 62(3), 701–716. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12358 White, T. M., Borrell, L. N., & El-Mohandes, A. (2024). Socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity in relation to health outcomes in the United States: A review. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 11(2), 321–335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-023-01612-9 Putnam, R. D. (2007). E pluribus unum: Diversity and community in the twenty-first century. Scandinavian Political Studies, 30(2), 137–174. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9477.2007.00176.x
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