Excellence vs. Equality Can Society Achieve Both Goals?

Excellence vs Equality: Can Society Achieve Both Goals? explores the issues faced by societies attempting to preserve democratic ideals and the common good in an era of incommensurate wealth and opportunity. As differences in advantage and ability affect the relationships between institutions and the people who comprise them, the book argues that political and social compromise is needed to prevent economic inequality from threatening the well-being and mobility of the less able and less fortunate. Topics include globalization, technology, innovation, talent and meritocracy, higher education, big business, labor unions, and social justice within educational and workplace settings. The author raises perennial and ever-prescient questions regarding how to balance excellence and equality, and how to reduce inequality around the world.

Introduction – Excellence vs Equality: Consider This

Chapter 1 – The Search for Talent

1. Geography and "Smart" Thinking
2. Reaffirming the Best and Brightest
3. A Changing World: Globalization and Technology
4. Brain Drain Counts
5. Tech Companies and Tech Workers
6. Talented Workers and Big Data
7. The New American Dream
8. Centers of Creativity
9. Conclusion

Chapter 2 – Excellence, Equality and Education

1. Definitions and Labels
2. The Early Role of the Schools
3. The Common School Movement
4. The Conservative Perspective
5. IQ Testing and Scoring
6. Do Schools Make a Difference?
7. The Coleman Report
8. The Jencks Study
9. The Duncan Model
10. The Unaccounted Factors: Luck
11. Aptitude vs. Achievement
12. Education and Economic Opportunity
13. The Hazards of Merit
14. Conclusion

Chapter 3 – Socio-Economic Class and Mobility

1. Measures of Inequality
2. A Just Society
3. Power, Privilege and Elite Institutions
4. A Change in Meritocracy
5. Excellence vs. Equality
6. Educational Opportunity and Mobility
7. Economic Opportunity: Old Ideas, New Ideas
8. Different Talents, Different Rewards
9. The Role of Government
10. Merit and Achievement
11. Merit and Human Capital
12. Winning at All Costs
13. Conclusion

Chapter 4 – Innovation and Human Capital

1. Outsourcing Middle-Class Jobs
2. The Global Village
3. Tech Society, Tech Expertise
4. The Role of Innovation
5. China and India – and the Future
6. The Rise of Asia
7. Growing Inequality in America
8. Conclusion

Chapter 5 – Beyond Excellence: The Rich, Superrich and the Rest of Us

1. The Value of a College Education
2. Hard Work, Competition and Free Markets
3. Fat Cats: Old Money vs. New Money
4. Wealth vs. Work
5. Ruling the World
6. Hard Times for Labor
7. Profits vs. Wages
8. Where the U.S. is Heading
9. Conclusion

Allan C. Ornstein is Professor of Education and Social Policy at St. John's University, USA. He is a former Fulbright-Hayes Scholar and author of 60 books and 400 articles.