Write an essay to describe how the government protects individuals against discrimination. Your essay should include at least four paragraphs.
● In the first paragraph, explain an issue of discrimination created within the free market economy.
● In the second paragraph, explain how the government has addressed this issue of discrimination through laws or other actions.
● In the third paragraph, explain the effects that government laws or actions have had on this issue of discrimination.
● In the fourth paragraph, explain possible next steps to help solve the discrimination issue and how the government can help, or explain how the discrimination issue has been solved.
This will be helpful;
Government Protections
Capitalism is the dominant economic system worldwide. In theory, it creates a free market in which everyone has the opportunity to succeed. In reality, capitalism does not always account for human behavior, and racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination have often trumped free-market ideals.
In the mid-20th century, the United States and other nations passed antidiscrimination legislation. These laws were meant to protect workers from being discriminated against based on race, sex, age, and other characteristics.
Groundbreaking Antidiscrimination Laws
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Passed at the height of the civil rights movement, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the landmark antidiscrimination law in the United States. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The act was opposed by southern representatives in Congress, who believed that it was necessary to keep white and Black Americans segregated and argued that the act was unconstitutional. Despite this opposition, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It outlawed discriminatory employment practices and ended public racial segregation in places like libraries, swimming pools, and schools.
Untouchability (Offense) Act (Protection of Civil Rights Act) of 1955
In India, for thousands of years, the caste system divided people into a strict social hierarchy with the Dalits, or “untouchables,” at the bottom. Among other forms of prejudice, Dalits were only permitted to hold jobs such as sweeping the streets, washing laundry, and handling the bodies of dead animals. The Untouchability (Offence) Act banned untouchability and punished those who prevented anyone from exercising their full rights based on caste. It was later renamed the Protection of Civil Rights Act. Despite this legislation, traditional divisions continue to exist in India, and change has been slow.
Equal Pay Acts of 1963 and 1970
The United States passed the Equal Pay Act in 1963 to reduce gender discrimination in the workplace. At the time, women earned less than two-thirds of what their male counterparts were paid. The law forbade employers from paying men and women different wages for the same work. A few years later, the United Kingdom followed suit and passed a law guaranteeing similar protections for workers. Nevertheless, a gender pay gap persists in both countries.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Decades after the Civil Rights Act, disabled Americans continued to face discrimination. The Americans with Disabilities Act was designed to guarantee their equal rights. In the workplace, this means that employers must make reasonable accommodations to support disabled workers, such as modifying equipment. Many people and organizations who opposed the bill tried to weaken it. For example, they argued against its requirement that public places be made fully accessible, which in many cases meant making costly changes such as building wheelchair ramps. Nevertheless, the bill passed in 1990.
Employment Equity Act of 1998
The Employment Equity Act of 1998 is a South African law that forbids employers from discrimination based on race, gender, disability, religion, and other protected categories. Of particular note is that the law bans HIV testing during the hiring process. South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world, with disproportionately higher rates of HIV among Black South Africans. For many years, employers used HIV tests to eliminate job candidates who tested positive. Although discrimination still persists, the Employment Equity Act provides people with the means to sue or seek redress in cases where they have been discriminated against.
Updates to Antidiscrimination Law
As society has changed, countries worldwide have updated their antidiscrimination legislation to better protect their citizens. In the United States, this has included amending and expanding the legal understanding of the Civil Rights Act.
1978 Amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
In 1978, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act was added to the Civil Rights Act. It was passed in response to a 1976 Supreme Court ruling that the sex protections of the Civil Rights Act did not ban pregnancy-related discrimination. It also put an end to the common practice of firing women when they became pregnant.
2020 Expansion of Title VII of Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act’s prohibition against sex discrimination was expanded in 2020 when the Supreme Court ruled that gay and transgender workers also fall into this category of protected people. As Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion for Bostock v. Clayton County, “It is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex.”
