ARTICLE
Social Equity: Its Legacy, Its Promise
Mary E. Guy: is professor of public administration at the University of Colorado Denver. Her research focuses on the human processes involved in public service delivery. Author of numerous books and articles, she is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and past president of the American Society for Public Administration. E‐mail: Mary.Guy@ucdenver.edu
Sean A. McCandless: is completing doctoral studies in the School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver, and teaches college courses in political theory and American government. His research revolves around comparative governance, especially in Europe. E‐mail: Sean.McCandless@ucdenver.edu
Abstract
Social equity is rooted in the idea that each person is equal and has inalienable rights. Because of America's unique blend of social, religious, economic, and political characteristics, we value this concept despite, or perhaps because of, the simultaneous tensions of a capitalist economy, which requires inequality, set within a democratic constitutional system, which assumes equality. The impossibility of simultaneously achieving inequality and equality produces episodic “corrections.” This was the case in the tumultuous 1960s, a period when the usually tame notion of equity gave rise to heated debate and resulted in calls for social change. Now, tumult in the form of economic inequality, unemployment, and globalization is a harbinger of renewed interest. This article explains the roots of the concept, its contemporary understandings, and its relevance to emerging issues.
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