A just society is one that provides equal opportunities in every scope of life. A just society is characterized by certain features and values such as liberty, equality, security, equity, rule of law, good governance, and sustainability. It is these features and values that develop equal chances regarding access to amenities such as basic healthcare, quality education, and housing. Consequently, equal opportunities help to construct steady foundations and to prioritize the social issues while concentrating on advocacy. A just society seeks to enhance economic prosperity and the social welfare of nations and their citizens, particularly the vulnerable within the society.
The national government must be involved at all levels of decision-making in local issues, especially issues about healthcare. Health care is an important service that concerns the lives of every citizen at every stage of their growth and development. It is a core aspect of a just society that requires extraordinary efforts from the government regarding various factors the cost involved, accessibility, and quality. Such efforts require the intervention by the government because the foregoing factors require some form of legislative and policy strategies. Unprecedented alterations regarding quality, accessibility, or the cost of health care has a direct impact on personal as well as household budgets. The quality of healthcare varies significantly depending on the cost and accessibility. The quality of healthcare impacts on the health preferences of individuals. As such, policy decisions that are going to affect the health care sector must take into consideration to avoid a situation where citizens are unable to afford health insurance coverage. This is precisely because the rate of accessing uncompensated health care is the basis for substantial burden to the health care providers and every citizen. Government’s health care and other social service policies must be well coordinated at the local and national levels to ensure every citizen has equal opportunities to access these services. Accordingly, the opportunity for economic equality is important regardless of gender, race, and ethnicity. This is because health and other social care services are not unique to specific race, gender, or ethnicity.
Rawls' social contract theory supports the values and features of a just society. This is evident because the theory postulates a ‘higher order of abstraction’, which perceives the principles of justice as objects of a social agreement (Freeman, 2003, p. 350). Rawls advocates for fairness for all and perceives society as a concept based on cooperation among equal and free persons for their common benefit. As such, the government, as a symbol of cooperation, must strive to promote equality while every person participates to achieve a good life. To Rawls, cooperation makes it possible to achieve what he refers to as the ‘primary good’ (p. 105). He defines the primary social goods to include liberties, rights, opportunities, wealth, income, and self-respect. Rawls’ concept of justice and a just society involve two principles. These principles are:
- Equal right to participate in a system of equal basic civil liberties based on an arrangement that is similar to every person, and
- Equal access to social and economic opportunities aimed at achieving the greatest benefit for everyone.
These principles provide a guide towards achieving a just society based on liberty, equality, security, equity, rule of law, good governance, and sustainability.
As to the United States, the efforts of the government to promote a just society are apparent. The government collects revenues and sets up national facilities to enhance equal accessibility to social services. For instance, through taxation the federal government can raise funds and create the public health programs, which are accessible to everyone. This is usually done through collaboration with state governments. Ideally, the provision of healthcare policies in the United States begins nationally at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Such policies are then devolved to the State Health Departments, then to the County/City Health Departments, and finally to the healthcare providers (Gostin, 2000, p. 2979). The federal government formulates policies and allocates funds to the state and local administrations. The state and local authorities implement the public programs relating to education and other amenities. The devolved arrangement ensures availability of social services to every person. The government also promotes good governance, respect, benevolence, fair trade, equity, and equality before the law. Such efforts promote a general welfare. As such, the U.S. federal government collects enough funds through taxes to promote sustainable social and economic conditions with a view of creating a just society.
A political theory that would take a different approach to achieve a just society is the Aristotle’s approach of distributive justice. Wealth is a major factor that contributes to inequality in societies. The wealthy have more power and easy access to the best social amenities while the poor live in pitiful conditions and have little or no access to social amenities. For instance, the rich are able to afford the justice systems to have the courts address and correct civil wrongs against them. The poor are not able to afford the same due to considerably high charges that are required to sustain the process. Such scenarios can be addressed through equal distribution of wealth, which would ensure that every citizen has enough to access and to be able to participate in their social, economic, and political wellbeing.
References
Freeman, R. S. (2003). The Cambridge Companion to Rawls. New York: Cambridge University
Press.
Gostin L. O. (2000). Public health law in a new century: Part II: Public health powers and limits.
The Journal of the American Medical Association, 283(22): 2979–86.
