Child Poverty and Equality of Opportunity for Children in the United States

The following project was produced by a working group from the inaugural Carnegie Ethics Fellows cohort reflecting nearly two years of convenings, collaboration, and research. Each report in this special series examines a critical issue at the intersection of ethics and international affairs. The Carnegie Ethics Fellowship aims to develop the next generation of ethical leaders across business, government, academia, and non-governmental organizations.

The well-being of children is fundamental to the future health and prosperity of any society. Governments have an inherent responsibility to ensure that children receive the care and opportunities necessary to develop and thrive. This ethical obligation is rooted in social contract notions, which posit that individuals consent to surrender some freedoms and submit to the authority of the government in exchange for protection of their remaining rights. Philosophers such as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whose works greatly influenced the founding of America’s political institutions, emphasized the government’s role in safeguarding the welfare of its citizens, especially its most vulnerable members.

In the modern era, American philosopher John Rawls, whose take on social contract theory was heavily influenced by his childhood during the Great Depression, argued that, in a just society, institutional structures should proactively be arranged to benefit the least advantaged citizens. Today, the protection and support of children remains a critical ethical issue within U.S public life.

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Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit. The views expressed within this project are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Carnegie Council or the authors' employers.