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What is the role of equality in today's America? What are the arguments to be made for it, now that it is under increasing attack? Philip Green here re-examines this basic assumption of American democracy to get at the fundamental questions underlying debate in the late 1990s. Tackling the seeming conflict between a belief in equality and a meritocracy, Green demonstrates how an emphasis on merit ultimately promotes equality rather than inequality, and shows that it is both possible and economically sound for our society to move in the direction of increased equality. Further, he shows how a true belief in equal opportunity will change the way in which people think about political representation, welfare, child care, affirmative action, and the obligations of the citizens of affluent societies to the rest of the world. This text addresses these questions with clarity. Without recourse to jargon, Green analyzes complex political debates around equality, explaining the range of arguments, and evaluating their potential for bringing equality back to a central place in America's future.