Public Policy and Social Inequality

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Public Policy and Social Inequality
Conclusion
Works Cited
Footnotes

Introduction

During the 20^th century, the world experienced tremendous changes that changed the status of life of many individuals. Among the effects that came about as a result of this change is the decline in inequality among populations. In the United States for instance, inequality decline for the better part of the 20^th century¹.

However, in the last quarter of the 20^th century, this trend changed and inequality within the population started to rise again. From the studies that have been conducted, it has been identified that the inequality changes that have been experienced in the different states of the world are not monotonic; other factors play a critical role in determining its trends.

Some of the factors that have been identified include politics, public policies and the economic status of the world².

The main aim of this essay therefore is to determine the impacts of public policies on social inequality. To achieve this, the essay shall focus on public policies that have been advanced in different nations and the effects that they have had on individuals of different social classes.

During the 20^th century, most states of the world set up millennium development goals. The aim of these goals was to ensure that they enjoy social, political and economic growth. This will ensure that the quality of life for each and every individual within the society had increased. To achieve these goals, different states of the world came up with a number of strategies and policies³.

In developed nations, these policies and strategies became fruitful. As a result, tremendous growth and development were experienced in the most of the 20^th century. Despite the great recession of the 1930s, most nations experienced a positive growth on the grounds of political, social and economic development.

During the 1960s, it was projected that the people who were living in the United States at that time were living a better life that than those who were living 50 years prior⁴.

This was also the case in many other nations in the world. However, since the 1980s, the level of inequality has started to increase. This trend has been credited by a number of scholars to the public policies that many nations adopt. Most of these policies affect the provision of basic needs and services such as health, education, shelter, wages and taxes.

Since the 20^th century, education has been viewed as a basic necessity in ensuring that a positive growth and development of the community is achieved. Therefore, many nations such as USA have enacted policies that govern education.

To ensure that education is available to all individual irrespective of their background, race or culture, USA for example, enacted the No Child Left Behind policy⁵. From its description, goals and objectives, this policy seems to be a good idea that will increase the enrolment of students into elementary and secondary schools. Indeed, after this policy was enacted, the number of new student registration increased.

This in turn increased the number of student in public schools. Classes were filled to capacity thus giving teachers a hard time to carter for the needs of each and every student. For those students who came from the upper middle class families and first class families that could afford private education, most of them were transferred into these schools.

However, the majority of the students who were enrolled into school after the policy was passed came from poor families. They therefore cannot afford to pay tuition fees of private schools. As a result, such students end up receiving a low quality education. This in turn minimizes their chances of joining better institutions of higher learning and pursuing a career that will boost their lives and that of their dependants.

This makes them to linger within the poverty paradox⁶. This scenario is even worse in developing countries especially in South America, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa where the proportion of the individuals who live below the poverty line is more than 50% of the population.

In such states, the government does not even have enough money to fund public education. Therefore, the individuals from first class families, who have access to quality education end up occupying better employment positions within the society.

Health is an essential aspect in life. It has always been states that a country is as healthy as its citizens are⁷. It is due to this fact that all the countries in the world have passed policies and legislations that aim at improving the quality and affordability of healthcare and facilities.

However, these policies have led to a similar outcome as that which was experienced in the case of education. As one moves up the social ladder, the number of individuals who fall victims to parasites and diseases and cannot afford it declines⁸.

In the United Kingdom for instance, the health of the state is under the National Health Service (NHS)⁹. Instituted in 1948, NHS is responsible for formulating policies and strategies that will ensure that the citizens of the United Kingdom live a healthy life. This will enable them to achieve their personal and societal goals and objectives. NHS has two principles; right to welfare and comprehensiveness¹⁰.

According to the first principle, it is the right of every citizen to receive healthcare courtesy of the state. The comprehensiveness principle on the other hand states that it is the mandate of the NHS to cover all citizens of the nation in its plans and policies.

These two principles have in turn increased the number of patients in public hospitals. Exhaustion of resources has always been reported. This, coupled with the rising costs of healthcare has reduced the quality of health that the poor people are enjoying in UK.

From the statistics that have been collected in the UK, it has been identified that the individuals from poor families including their children stand high chances of becoming victims of diseases, parasites and violence¹¹. In addition, the same statistics show that more adults from poor families are likely to succumb to diseases such as cancer, diabetes and HIV.

Conclusion

From the discussions that have been presented in this paper, it is evident that public policies are formulated to achieve socio-economic and political stability. However, through their implementation, inequality arises leading to some individuals within the society benefiting from the policy while other continues to suffer.

From the discussions that have been presented in this paper, it has been identified that it is the individuals from the lower class who suffer the most from the implementation of public policies. Therefore, it is essential for states to formulate public policies that are equal and fair in the short run and in the long run. This will guarantee that social, economic and political development is achieved.

Works Cited

Blumenfeld, S, Is Public Education Necessary? Arizona,Old Greenwich, 1985

Lee, D., ‘Wage Inequality in the United States During the 1980s: Rising Dispersion or Falling Minimum Wage’, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 114 No. 3, 2009, pp. 977-1023.

McKee, M., ‘What can Health Services Contribute to the Reduction of Inequalities In Health?’, Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 30 No. 30, 2010, pp. 54-58.

McQuaig L. The Wealthy Banker’s Wife: The Assault on Equality in Canada. Toronto, Penguin, 1993.

Reading, R., ‘Do Interventions that Improve Immunization Uptake also Reduce Social Inequalities in Uptake?’, British Medical Journal, Vol. 308, No. 2, 2004, pp. 1142-4.

Schickler, E., ‘Institutional Change in the House of Representatives, 1867-1998: A Test of Partisan and Ideological Power Balance Models’, American Political Science Review, Vol. 94 No. 15, 2000, pp. 269-88.

Sombart, W., Economic life in the modern age. New Brunswick, NJ, Transaction Publishers, 2011

Weingast; B., ‘The Political Economy of Benefits and Costs: A Neoclassical Approach to Distributive Politics’, The Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 89 No. 4, 2001, pp. 642-664.

Footnotes

¹ D, Lee, ‘Wage Inequality in the United States During the 1980s: Rising Dispersion or Falling Minimum Wage’, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 114 No. 3, 2009, pp. 977- 1023.

² D, Lee, ‘Wage Inequality in the United States During the 1980s: Rising Dispersion or Falling Minimum Wage’, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 114 No. 3, 2009, pp. 977- 1023

³L, McQuaig, The Wealthy Banker’s Wife: The Assault on Equality in Canada, Toronto, Penguin, 1993, p. 126

⁴ E, Schickler, ‘Institutional Change in the House of Representatives, 1867-1998: A Test of Partisan and Ideological Power Balance Models’, American Political Science Review, Vol. 94 No. 15, 2000, pp. 269-88.

⁵S, Blumenfeld, Is Public Education Necessary? Arizona, Old Greenwich, 1985, p. 41

⁶ W, Sombart, Economic life in the modern age. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2011, p. 12

⁷W, Sombart, Economic life in the modern age. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2011, p. 12

⁸M, McKee, ‘What can Health Services Contribute to the Reduction of Inequalities In Health?’, Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 30 No. 30, 2010, pp. 54-58.

⁹ R, Reading, ‘Do Interventions that Improve Immunization Uptake also Reduce Social Inequalities in Uptake?’, British Medical Journal, Vol. 308, No. 2, 2004, pp. 1142-4.

¹⁰R, Reading, ‘Do Interventions that Improve Immunization Uptake also Reduce Social Inequalities in Uptake?’, British Medical Journal, Vol. 308, No. 2, 2004, pp. 1142-4.

¹¹B, Weingast, ‘The Political Economy of Benefits and Costs: A Neoclassical Approach to Distributive Politics’, The Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 89 No. 4, 2001, pp. 642-664.

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