For some Americans, the political concepts that are set forth in the Declaration of Independence—particularly the concept of equality—have become standards by which American institutions should be measured. For example, as you will see, the Constitution did not allow for equal treatment for many Americans, including African Americans (who were not considered citizens) and women. The disparity
between the declaration's promise of equality and the Constitution's unequal treatment of Americans set the example for future conflicts over the issue of equality. Neither Thomas Jefferson nor the framers of the Constitution interpreted the word equality to mean equal income. Rather, they envisioned a nation in which all citizens had what we would now call equal opportunity. Equal opportunity promotes other American ideals, such as individualism and self-reliance. It also often leads to a meritocracy based on individual talent and effort. Those who have the advantage of more education, more money to invest in an enterprise, greater talent, and higher levels of energy will have a competitive edge and come out the winners. In recent times, some people have been unwilling to accept the results of simple equality of opportunity if it creates a gross maldistribution of wealth. Some have argued that the founders, who lived in a largely agrarian economy, could not have envisioned the huge disparities in income in an industrial age and certainly would not have thought them consistent with democratic government. Some reformers have thus backed the creation of a welfare safety net by which the government protects and promotes the economic security of its citizens. Other reformers have tried to level the playing field through programs known as "affirmative action." These programs give preferences to minorities and other groups to make up for past discrimination. Those who favor affirmative action views its opponents as heartless individualists, who would let other Americans remain in poverty because they lack the talent, luck, or education to rise above it. Opponents of affirmative action argue that such programs perpetuate unequal treatment and emphasize racial divisions in society. In the first paragraph, the word disparity means
a. harmony.
b. difference.
c. purpose.
d. agreement.
b
You might also like to view...
An example of a question at the applying level of thinking is:
a. In what situations can this information be used? b. How do these ideas logically connect? c. What standards or criteria exist for this information? d. What new and unique solutions exist?
"I wasn't born _____ the South, but I got here as quickly as I could," she says
a. to b. in c. of d. at
He objected ____________ prejudice in the medical profession and proved that everyone A) should follow his or her dream, no matter what the odds.
Select the correct noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, or preposition for each blank. A) against B) to
You will hear two self-descriptions recorded for an online dating site. Each one will be repeated three times. The first time, simply listen and try to get the gist of what you hear. The second time, answer the questions in English. The third time, check your answers.
1. How old is Monique? ______ 2. What does she look like? _______________________________________________ 3. What did she do up until last year? ____________________________________________________________________ 4. What does she say about her personality? __________________________________ 5. What does she like to share? ____________________________________________________________________ 6. What did Marcel do up until last year? ____________________________________________________________________ 7. How long ago did his wife die? _____________________ 8. How long was he married? _____________________ 9. What age would he like his companion to be? _______________________________ 10. Why is he looking for a companion? ____________________________________________________________________ What will be an ideal response?