Equitable Sharing (eBook)

Distributing the Benefits and Detriments of Democratic Society

Thomas Kleven (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2013
286 Seiten
Lexington Books (Verlag)
978-0-7391-8437-0 (ISBN)

Infos

In Equitable Sharing: Distributing the Benefits and Detriments of Democratic Society, Thomas Kleven argues that a principle of equitable sharing is fundamental to the concept of democracy and is implicit in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Kleven makes the case that the Supreme Court, interacting with the public and the legislature, has a meaningful role to play in the dialogue over the requirements of equitable sharing and can play this role in a manner consistent with democratic principles.

---

Equitable Sharing: Distributing the Benefits and Detriments of Democratic Society argues that a principle of equitable sharingone that requires the benefits and detriments of social life to be fairly distributed among all members of societyis fundamental to the concept of democracy and is implicit in the founding documents of the democratic society the United State purports to be. To illustrate the centrality of equitable sharing to democracy, this book examines the political philosophies of John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and John Rawls. Locke's libertarianism, Mill's utilitarianism, and Rawls' egalitarianism represent major strains of Western democratic theory, and all contain a principle of equitable sharing in some form. To illustrate the centrality of equitable sharing to U.S. society, the book examines the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. While these documents do not set forth a particular version of equitable sharing, they contain elements of all of Locke's, Mill's and Rawls' philosophies and evidence a commitment to equitable sharing as fundamental to the democratic society they contemplate. The task of U.S. society throughout its existence has been to engage in an on-going dialogue that gives life to the commitment to equitable sharing set forth in its founding documents. As the elected representatives of the people and the repository of the powers through which to implement much of what equitable sharing requires, the primary responsibility for implementation rests with the legislative branch. This book argues that the Supreme Court, interacting with the public and the legislature, also has a meaningful role to play in the dialogue over the requirements of equitable sharing and can play this role in a manner consistent with democratic principles. This point is illustrated through a discussion of several contemporary issues: same sex marriage, racial integration in public schools, health care, and the regulation of the electoral process.

Autor

Thomas Kleven is professor of law at Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

Inhalt

IntroductionChapter 1: Equitable Sharing and Democratic TheoryChapter 2: Equitable Sharing and the American IdealChapter 3: Equitable Sharing in PracticeChapter 4: Equitable Sharing and the Supreme CourtChapter 5: Equitable Sharing and Same Sex MarriageChapter 6: Equitable Sharing and School IntegrationChapter 7: Equitable Sharing and the Electoral ProcessChapter 8: Equitable Sharing and States’ RightsConclusionSelected BibliographyCases Cited

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 16.12.2013
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Recht / Steuern ► Allgemeines / Lexika
• Themenwelt: Recht / Steuern ► EU / Internationales Recht
• Themenwelt: Recht / Steuern ► Öffentliches Recht ► Verfassungsrecht
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Ethnologie
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung ► Politische Theorie
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie
• Schlagworte: constitutional law • Declaration of Independence • Democracy • electoral process • equitable sharing • Health Care • Legal Studies • political theory • states’ rights • Supreme Court • The Constitution • Voting rights
• ISBN-10: 0-7391-8437-7 / 0739184377
• ISBN-13: 978-0-7391-8437-0 / 9780739184370