Redefining Equality
The idea of equality is central to American civic life and one of the foundations of our national identity. Charges of unequal treatment continue to be voiced nationwide, in both the public discourse and the courts, yet there is no consensus on the meaning of equality. Competing views on this topic have erupted into a cultural conflict that looms large in contemporary American politics.\ In this collection of insightful essays, distinguished scholars in law, history, and social science...
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The idea of equality is central to American civic life and one of the foundations of our national identity. Charges of unequal treatment continue to be voiced nationwide, in both the public discourse and the courts, yet there is no consensus on the meaning of equality. Competing views on this topic have erupted into a cultural conflict that looms large in contemporary American politics.In this collection of insightful essays, distinguished scholars in law, history, and social science present varying perspectives on this fundamental concept. Addressing the specific cases behind the headlines and the abstract arguments within the legal texts, the contributors look closely at everything from school bussing programs and affirmative action to the role of the courts and the politics of equality. Various examples and definitions of equality, culled from America's past and present, are summarized and examined in ways that illustrate how and why equality issues directly affect men and women of all races and backgrounds.Redefining Equality, a balanced array of assessments regarding our nation's historical and contemporary thoughts on equality and civil rights, will prove most informative to students of law, political science, and recent American history.
Contributors1Introduction: The Pursuit of Equality32Equality and Impasse: Mobilizing Group-Based Perspectives in an Era of Group-Blindness133Civil Rights Reform in Historical Perspective: Regulating Marital Violence294The Illusory Distinction between Equality of Opportunity and Equality of Result515The Word "American" Ends in "I Can": The Ambiguous Promise of the American Dream656Racial Divisions and Judicial Obstructions827The Politics of Clientele Capture: Civil Rights Policy and the Reagan Administration1038The Convergence of Black and White Attitudes on School Desegregation Issues1209Brown Blues: Rethinking the Integrative Ideal13910The Social Construction of Brown v. Board of Education: Law Reform and the Reconstructive Paradox15411The Irrelevant Court: The Supreme Court's Inability to Influence Popular Beliefs about Equality (or Anything Else)17212Can Courts Make a Difference?19113The Supreme Court's Pursuit of Equality and Liberty and the Burdens of History20514The Judicial Role in Equality Decisionmaking218Index233
