The Construction of Social Inequity and the Role of Public Bureaucracies

This essay explores the notion of social equity as a public value underpinning public administration and public policy. Despite being regarded as one of the pillars of public administration, social equity is loosely defined and conceptualized in various ways and challenged by measurement issues. The concept of social equity is evolving and being constantly constructed; therefore, not all equity issues are given the same degree of attention and support by the general public and policymakers in political institutions and governments. This article is an effort to reflect on equity considerations as social constructs and highlight the equity-enhancing role of public bureaucrats at different ranks within the bureaucratic hierarchy. This study first identifies and defines social equity practices and explores prominent inequities in six areas: education, housing, welfare, environment, policing, and immigration. Social equity is conceptualized as diminishing discrimination, providing the minimum safety net, increasing access for minorities, closing and leveling gaps or disparities, and improving the social justice system. The conceptual diversity and measurement issues lead to diverging perceptions of the problems and solutions, oversimplifying social issues, and setting a deceptive or hostile environment toward marginalized social groups. Second, this essay explores the roles and capacities of public bureaucrats at different ranks within the bureaucratic hierarchy. Although both bureaucrats and politicians are embedded in the current institutional arrangements and policy environments, bureaucrats in the administrative arena could effectively address inequities among social groups compared to elected officials. Marginalized groups are often negatively constructed and not organized enough to voice their concerns to their political representatives. This study reveals bureaucrats’ significant potential to progress social equity in diverse areas by redefining identity groups with finer social constructions, changing perceptions of deservingness, and reducing administrative burden.