Entry
Entries A-Z
Equality (Public Administration)
Although a seemingly simple idea, this concept has garnered a considerable amount of philosophical and practical debate. In theory, equality demands that all responsible agents be treated similarly. Of course, what such similarity entails and in what manner it should be allocated have long divided social scientists. While some advocate an equality of opportunity (that everyone should start from the same basic playing field), others have demanded an equality of outcome (that true equality is only reached when everyone has the same social and economic placement). Furthermore, although (at least in the Western world) the idea of racial, religious, and sexual equality is nearly universally accepted, debates continue on whether this equality should be privately or publicly (i.e., governmentally) enforced. Thus, while state advocates often ...