ABSTRACT
Some affirmative action programs elevate less-qualified applicants over more-qualified applicants because of their race or gender, or another feature irrelevant from the point-of-view of merit. This is unjust, and it is proscribed in a meritocracy. In addition, affirmative action undermines social solidarity and is ineffective in achieving long-term racial justice. Racial justice will be achieved only when we provide equal opportunity to all citizens. And violating meritocratic criteria is counterproductive to that end. The chapter discusses, also, how the government ought to provide goods to its citizens. Public programs and in-kind benefits are to be preferred to cash transfers. This is important for communitarian reasons, like inculcating a sense of shared sacrifice and promoting the value of work. An argument is given against a universal basic income. The chapter concludes with some positive predictions—ways the world is likely to go if the theory of meritocracy is correct—as well as suggestions for areas of future meritocratic research.
