When Equality Leaves Everyone Worse Off: The Problem of Leveling Down in Equality Law

William and Mary Law Review, Vol. 46, P. 513, 2004

U. of Pittsburgh Legal Studies Research Paper

106 Pages Posted: 25 Jun 2008

See all articles by Deborah L. Brake

Deborah L. Brake

University of Pittsburgh - School of Law

Date Written: 2004

Abstract

This Article addresses the problem of leveling down as a response to discrimination. Existing case law and legal scholarship generally assume that inequality may be remedied in one of two ways: improving the lot of the disfavored group to match that of the most favored group, or worsening the treatment of the favored group until they fare as badly as everyone else. The term "leveling down" refers to the latter response. This Article contends that courts and commentators have overstated the flexibility of equality rights in accepting leveling down as a response to inequality, and proposes a new framework that focuses on the expressive meaning of leveling down and its compatibility with a norm of equal concern. It concludes with a section demonstrating how the proposed analysis would enrich the debate among legal scholars over the normative appeal of equality rights.

Keywords: civil rights, equalization, equity, inequity, bias, prejudice, favoritism

Suggested Citation

Brake, Deborah L., When Equality Leaves Everyone Worse Off: The Problem of Leveling Down in Equality Law (2004). William and Mary Law Review, Vol. 46, P. 513, 2004, U. of Pittsburgh Legal Studies Research Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1151014

Deborah L. Brake (Contact Author)

University of Pittsburgh - School of Law ( email )

3900 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
United States

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