Social Equity: Adaptation of Social Justice from Law and Policy to American Public Administration

Given the rise of “social equity” as a norm in American public administration, it is important to understand how such norm fits within the broader context of social justice theories and movements. This paper traces origins and development of the normative concepts of social justice in American society, including its political and legal systems in an effort to demonstrate how the principle of “social equity” in the public administrative system rests on the larger social justice movement and fits within the conceptual framework of social justice. Thus, the historical basis and theoretical framework of social justice as a concept, and how it has developed as part of the public policy and legal framework of American government, particularly in the mid-twentieth century, is explained. In order to provide concrete context for development of social justice in America, a definitive social justice struggle – that of African Americans and their allies to achieve social justice for African Americans – is recounted. Finally, the late entrance of “social equity” in public administration vis-à-vis the constitutional branches of government are explored. Ultimately, this paper concludes that social equity is a conceptual application of social justice to public administration, which was late in being recognized by leaders in the field. It is undeniable that, regardless of its late entrance, social equity is a version of social justice, distilled and categorized for application in public administration.