Is Economic Freedom the Hidden Path to Social Justice?

13 Pages Posted: 3 Jan 2019 Last revised: 21 May 2019

See all articles by Jeremy Horpedahl

Jeremy Horpedahl

University of Central Arkansas; George Mason University - Mercatus Center

Jeremy Jackson

North Dakota State University - NDSU Center for the Study of Public Choice and Private Enterprise; North Dakota State University - Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics

David Mitchell

University of Central Arkansas

Date Written: December 1, 2018

Abstract

How can societies advance social justice? Many of the goals of social justice are addressed by research on economic freedom, including social tolerance and protection of minority rights, promotion of democracy and political freedoms, and income inequality. We survey the academic literature on these topics and find that in many cases economic freedom can serve to advance the goals of social justice. Income equality is the goal for which the results are the least clear, and it is possible that some components of economic freedom increase income inequality, but the effects are nuanced. Based on these results, advocates of social justice may indeed want to embrace economic freedom in some areas while recognizing that there may sometimes be a trade-off between various goals.

Suggested Citation

Horpedahl, Jeremy and Jackson, Jeremy and Mitchell, David, Is Economic Freedom the Hidden Path to Social Justice? (December 1, 2018). NDSU Public Choice and Private Enterprise Research Paper No. 19-1, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3304173 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3304173

Jeremy Horpedahl

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR 72035-0001
United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://uca.edu/acre/jeremy-horpedahl/

George Mason University - Mercatus Center ( email )

3434 Washington Blvd., 4th Floor
Arlington, VA 22201
United States

Jeremy Jackson (Contact Author)

North Dakota State University - NDSU Center for the Study of Public Choice and Private Enterprise ( email )

811 2nd Ave N.
Fargo, ND 58102
United States
7012317832 (Phone)
7012317400 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.ndsu.edu/centers/pcpe/directory/jeremy_jackson/

North Dakota State University - Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics ( email )

Fargo, ND 58105
United States

David Mitchell

University of Central Arkansas ( email )

Conway, AR 72035
United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://uca.edu/efirm/facultystaff/dmitchell/

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