Is Political and Racial Equality Possible in American Society? Essay

Introduction

A distinctive feature of modern American society is its differences in ethical, racial, class, gender, religion, and many other characteristics. Previously, racial and political inequality manifested itself in the form of violence against a person. Today, it does not happen so clearly; nevertheless, the problem of social inequality does exist. Tolerance and political correctness triumphed in the American media, theater, and cinema, and it would seem that the issues of inequality have been resolved (Hudson, 2016). However, the evidence shows that inequality is persistent, which is expressed in healthcare, employment, living conditions, and so on. For example, the share of the uninsured varies dramatically across races: 6.7% of whites, 7.5% of Asians, 11.1% of African Americans, and 16.2% of Hispanics were without health insurance in 2015. This racial gap worsened because of COVID-19 that caused more than 46,000 deaths of African-Americans, which is twice more than those among the White population (Fitzhugh et al., 2020). In addition, George Floyd’s murder by a police officer is a vivid example of political inequality.

This paper aims to argue that despite the existing challenges, the American society can be racially and politically equal. Although the modern American society still suffers from racial and political inequality, it is possible to achieve justice by creating coalitions, ensuring accountability, and securing appropriate funding. The study of this issue is important to modern American politics as it directly reflects the problems and opportunities of racial and ethnic minorities. Based on the relevant literature, the paper focuses on the roles of the US government and community to promote equality. Furthermore, a potential contribution of businesses as powerful actors is discussed. The ways to achieve political and racial equality are summarized in the conclusion.

Government and Community Roles

In the US, race and politics are the two most common factors of inequality. Radical individualism, capitalism, and a lack of citizen participation deteriorate this problem (Hudson, 2016). African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans are among the key disadvantaged populations that have limited access to politics, healthcare, employment, education, and other social benefits. Various studies confirm that being white provides much more opportunities, while also preventing numerous challenges. In this case, McKinsey and Company research suggests that the government should adopt a new agenda of inclusive growth that implies advancing racial equity through the economy. Chui et al. (2021) state that the closure of the racial wealth gap would increase consumption and investment in the American economy “by an additional $2 trillion to $3 trillion. That’s equivalent to 8 percent to 12 percent of US GDP” (para. 4). In other words, the leaders would also benefit from achieving racial equality in terms of economics.

White social prejudice is another challenge that threatens American democracy and creates political injustice. The existence of prejudices and perceived supremacy makes people to disregard differences and consider them as otherness, which decreases the value of democracy (Miller & Davis, 2020). However, the creation of a new culture that values all races and supports equality seems to be a viable solution to this problem. For example, when the Black Lives Matter movement began, some people claimed that all lives are important.

Nevertheless, there is an opportunity to call for addressing prejudices and mistreatment in all spheres of life. The presidency of Obama, an African-American ex-president, shows that the society is ready to changes, and equality can be achieved (Allen, 2016). Recently, Obama managed to significantly reduce the share of the uninsured due to the health care reform, which Trump is still trying to cancel unsuccessfully. Moreover, the increased pro-activeness of citizens, including protest politics, is another sign of upcoming changes and improvements in terms of political justice.

Community efforts to stabilize social and economic situations are capable of effectively countering this threat. It is also worth recalling that the methods for resolving the problem should be comprehensive and impact not only the economic, but also the political and socio-cultural aspects of the issue. The political establishment needs to be clearly aware of the increased global interdependence of the participants in the modern international system, taking all necessary measures to promote justice and improve the condition of the disadvantaged populations.

Among the steps that can be taken, there is the development of national standards and metrics to evaluate the impact of federal and local policies (Chui et al., 2021). The collaboration and creation of coalitions is a solution offered by Fitzhugh et al. (2020), who insist on organizing a key group that would control all involved stakeholders, design programs, and disseminate knowledge. In addition, funding decisions should be incorporated into racial justice considerations to support evidence-based results.

Role of Businesses

Modern processes of globalization and the activities of large companies lead to even greater stratification of society, so it is worth considering whether only governments can influence the consequences of inequality. The main issue is that the desire of corporations to raise the level of social responsibility should be taken into account as an opportunity (Fitzhugh et al., 2020). To support the initiative of organizations to do charity work, as well as to push companies to help and support socially unprotected segments of the population, the cooperation between business and social responsibility is critical. In addition to achieving a high level of profit, companies’ leaders can take care of preserving jobs, raising the skills and knowledge of their employees (Allen, 2016). It is also important to strive for justice and equality in the availability of health care and education.

Ensuring accountability of businesses provides one more opportunity of gathering data from racial equity stakeholders to evaluate their impact on racial and political justice. This statement goes in line with the challenge of the privileged position of business that is discussed by Hudson (2016), who suggests that it causes threats to democracy. While the author claims that such a position should be changed, it can also be used for combating for equality. Namely, “better ecosystems – the networks of people and capital in which businesses operate – can reduce these structural obstacles to building Black-owned business and add $290 billion in business equity” (Chui et al., 2021). Accordingly, the advancement of racial equality becomes possible due to providing equitable access to capital. As a result, the family-wealth creation would facilitate new business capabilities for racial minorities.

In turn, it should be stressed that the reputation of a company is made up of many concepts. Confidence in a company grows if it is socially-oriented as it acts as a form of competitive advantage. Therefore, the social responsibility of business ceases to be just a waste of money, but turns into an additional means of enhancing the company’s image. The problem of business participation in solving the problems of society is relevant for the US. World experience shows that the quality of life of the population and social stability largely depend on the success of the formation of a system of partnerships between private entrepreneurship, government, and civil society in social and political spheres (Allen, 2016). The effectiveness of such partnerships can be used as one more opportunity for achieving equality.

Conclusion

To conclude, several important trajectories to reduce the level of racial and political inequality can be outlined. The coordinated work of the government, companies, and citizens, as well as the social responsibility of organizations, is necessary. In addition, it is important to ensure zero tolerance for the problem of injustice and the development of citizens’ initiative in providing assistance and support to disadvantaged populations. Businesses can also significantly contribute to achieving political and racial equality by remaining aware of the needs of the minorities. As a result, the accomplishment of social justice would benefit not only disadvantaged citizens but also the government, businesses, and American society as a whole.

References

Allen, D. (2016). Equality and American democracy: Why politics trumps economics. Foreign Affairs, 95(1), 23-28.

Chui, M., Prince, S., & Stewart, S. (2021). America 2021: The opportunity to advance racial equity.McKinsey & Company. Web.

Fitzhugh, E., Julien, J.P., Noel, N., & Stewart, S. (2020). It’s time for a new approach to racial equity.McKinsey & Company. Web.

Hudson, W. E. (2016). American democracy in peril: Eight challenges to America’s future (8^th ed.). CQ Press.

Miller, S. V., & Davis, N. T. (2020). The effect of white social prejudice on support for American democracy. Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics, 1-18.