Books

Local Justice in America

Jon Elster

Notions of justice and fairness are central to the American belief that the pursuit of ahealthy and productive life is the rightof all citizens. Yet in the real world there are seldom sufficient resources to meet the needs of everyone, and institutionsare routinely forced to make difficult decisions regarding who will be favored and who will not. Local Justice in Americais an insightful look into how selections are made in four critical areas: college admissions, kidney transplants, employeelayoffs, and legalized immigration. This volume's case studies survey the history and modern rationale behind seeminglyenigmatic allocation systems, chronicling the political and ethical debates, occasional scandals, and judicial battles that haveshaped them. Though these selection processes differ significantly, each reflects a bitter struggle between opposing--andequally intense--principles of local justice.

In framing chapters, editor Jon Elster draws upon these studies to speculate on the unique nature of the American valuesystem. Arguing that race matters deeply in all considerations of local justice, he discusses how our society's assessment ofneediness balances on the often uneasy compromises between the desire to reward deserving individuals and the call tostrengthen opportunities for disadvantaged groups. Well informed and stimulating, Local Justice in America speaksdirectly to policy debates in the fields of health, education, work, and immigration, and makes an important contribution to our understanding of the fundamental socialissues that affect our daily welfare.