Unit 4: Income Equality, Equal Employment, and Affirmative Action
In this unit, we examine three controversial areas of public policy, where the government intentionally treats groups of people differently to promote the common good. Since 1916, the federal government has taxed the income of citizens, residents, and anyone present in the United States and its sovereign territories. Most states and a few cities also impose income taxes. Critics claim the income tax system is grossly unfair. The basis for this claim depends on the group being examined.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, seek to ensure barriers to employment and advancement are not based on race, national origin, disability, gender, religion, age, or family status. If these policies are not economically neutral, how do we assess claims of fairness against claims of economic efficiency?
What is the ethical justification for treating individuals differently in certain circumstances? What gives governments the right to tell businesses how to operate, or how they choose, hire, and discipline their employees?
Critics complain that affirmative action programs give preferential treatment to certain groups, to the detriment of others. Others argue these programs intend to remedy past systemic discriminatory practices. While we have seen abuses and injustices in the system, much public disagreement is due to a misunderstanding of the application of the policy and myths about affirmative action.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- identify ethical issues regarding taxation and income inequality in the United States;
- describe how vast inequalities present ethical dilemmas for policy makers;
- discuss causes and solutions for ethical issues involving equal employment opportunity; and
- discuss ethical arguments for and against affirmative action.
4.1: Income Equality
Some argue that the way we construct and enforce a tax system is the most fundamental public policy question a modern government faces. Taxes are where the government gets the power to operate and enforce rules. The tax rate also determines how much spending power companies and individuals have. Since taxes affect our economic and social well being, they often comprise a significant part of our political discourse.
Read this chapter which examines different ways to structure modern tax systems. Pay attention to the difference between those who are most affected by progressive, proportional and regressive taxes. Is it fair for policy makers to impose the same amount of taxes on wealthy individuals, as those who struggle or cannot afford to pay the amount due?
Read this chapter which explores the issue of income inequality, a facet of live that helps shape the world of individual citizens who live in a given society. When arguing about the justice or injustice of specific tax schemes, policy makers often point to inequality as a reason to tax some earners more and others less.
4.2: Equal Employment Opportunity
The U.S. Congress created equal employment rules in the 20th century to combat the prejudices and biases of American hiring managers. Equal employment rules have changed during the past 50 years – these federal standards apply to most businesses in the United States.
Read this chapter which discusses how employment discrimination can negatively impact specific groups at the macro level. It is important to understand these impacts to contextualize the way discrimination harms individuals and entire communities.
Read this article which examines the origins and history of the foundational law for anti-discrimination of the disabled in the United States. Reading this will help you understand how far this movement has come and where it hopes to go next.
4.3: Affirmative Action
Affirmative action accompanies equal employment rules as it seeks to balance the racial scales. The U.S. Congress put these policies in place to increase the number of non-white Americans who get into college, work in specific jobs, and participate in other segments of society.
Read this overview of the definition, history, and ethical controversies that surround the policy of Affirmative Action.
Read the following segments from the US Court of Appeals' decision in the case of Hopwood v. Texas: sections I, II, and III (A.) on pages 1-34. Then, skip ahead and read part VI on pages 67-70.
Read the syllabus of Grutter v. Bollinger, in which the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the decision handed down in Hopwood.
Unit 4 Assessment
Follow the instructions to draft a 1 to 2-page memo based on the given prompts. Once you have finished the assignment, grade yourself according to the grading rubric that follows the instructions.