Suppose That You Are a Liberal Architect of Social Reform

question 5

Essay

Suppose that you are a liberal architect of social reform. You and a number of fellow reform architects have basically agreed that a new social contract is needed. It has two baseline principles of justice, which happen to be identical with John Rawls's two "principles of justice" in Chapter 9. Now you must decide how to reform existing social and political institutions in light of these two principles. Create a fictional dialogue between you and one other reform architect in which you argue about particular reforms, based on these principles. Reforms can deal with the way wealth is distributed through taxation (and other means), the provision of health care and medical insurance, welfare and other forms of governmental assistance, and affirmative action (you may have other reforms you want to add-but don't add too many). Try to keep it real (that is, reforms should be possible to implement). You're looking at distributive justice, so issues of equality are of paramount importance. You could also stage this dialogue as an oral presentation in your class or make a video on it.

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Definitions:

Statement of Comprehensive Income

A financial statement that shows all changes in equity during a period except those resulting from investments by and distributions to owners.

Balance Sheet

A financial statement that displays a company's assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity at a specific point in time, providing a snapshot of its financial position.

Non-Cash Items

Expenses charged against revenues that do not directly affect cash flow, such as depreciation.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)

A framework for a common set of principles, rules, and procedures of accounting.