Freedom-focused democracies prioritize individual rights, while equality-focused democracies prioritize similar standing among people. Many democracies have elements of both, but the US prioritizes freedom and France prioritizes equality. Differences show up in taxation and social welfare policies. Balancing freedom and equality is a challenge for democratic governments.
The difference between a freedom-focused democracy and an equality-focused democracy can be difficult to pin down largely because there can be so many different manifestations of each. At a basic level, the difference is quite clear: freedom-centered democracies emphasize the individual over the collective, and equality-centered democracies focus on maintaining some degree of similar standing among people. A freedom-centered democracy would protect freedom of choice at the expense of equality among its citizens. An equality-centered democracy, on the other hand, would promote equality at the expense of total freedom for its citizens.
Democracies focused on equality and freedom might have numerous similarities, including equal treatment before the law, but there are some differences in terms of how the country is run and what laws are passed. Many democracies have some elements that promote freedom and others that promote equality, even though they may have more of one than the other. The United States and France are two countries that can be used as examples in evaluating the concepts of freedom- and equality-focused democracies. Both countries are based on democratic principles, but are actually republics.
France and Equality
The French republic was born out of the French Revolution, which was in part a reaction to the nobility’s significant mistreatment of the lower classes. For the revolutionaries, apparently, the greatest value, or at least the value of the greatest attention, was equal treatment. The punishments imposed during the French Revolution were the first in terms of applying justice to the nobility and not just the peasantry. Although the watchword of the French Revolution was Liberté, égalité, fraternité – that is, “liberty, equality, fraternity” – France, in general, places a higher value on equality than on liberty.
The United States and Liberty
In contrast, the United States is more freedom-centered. Individual rights are generally more important than equal socio-economic status for all. When this is the case, strictly speaking, freedom takes on greater weight and differences, sometimes great differences, can arise. The French republic, on the other hand, appears to aim for a more equal distribution of socioeconomic status, which, in turn, likely reduces individual freedom.
A balancing act
Democratic governments face, to some extent, a basic balancing act: balancing freedom and equality. In pursuing freedom from restrictions, which is the main goal of people who call themselves libertarians, socioeconomic inequalities could result. To have true equality, however, additional laws could be imposed on people, thus limiting their freedom.
Examples of differences
The differences between a freedom-centered democracy and an equality-centered democracy show up in the areas of taxation and social welfare. The United States, because of its focus on freedom, generally taxes less than France, for example. This gives US citizens greater freedom to use their money as they see fit. Alternatively, because of its focus on equality for all citizens, France taxes more heavily but provides its citizens with benefits such as universal health care, which the United States has not provided as of 2011.
Arguments are often made for both types of government. Changes in political orientation among public leaders and the general population can change the focus of a government. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, for example, attempted to use the New Deal to move the United States toward more equality-focused governance. Those who wished to keep the United States centered on freedom often resisted his efforts.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
