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The Spirit Level

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The Spirit Level The Spirit LevelMarch 2011 inside Achieving true equality Christians are being hailed as a “sweeping theory of Reducing inequality increasingly marginalised in everything” which proves that by coercion? our society. One reason for key social problems are caused this marginalisation is the by inequality.1 What the book’s current discrimination law According to the authors, supporters say framework, which the more unequal a society, has undermined the worse it does in a Technical diversity in range of areas such deficiencies the name of as mental illness, equality. teenage births and Influence of culture But why life expectancy. The dismissed has something book has repeatedly with apparently been cited in support Fairness does not admirable of the existing equality mean uniformity aims proved agenda, including by Leaping to so damaging? politicians backing the conclusions The answer lies recent Equality Act. in the equality Yet critics point True equality allows of outcomes out that, as well as diversity approach containing significant underpinning inaccuracies, The Spirit New duty threatens our equality laws. Level focuses on equality of more unfairness This approach is exemplified outcomes rather than equality by an influential book entitled of opportunity – the flawed Innocent The Spirit Level, published in approach which has caused so inequality or guilty 2009. Written by academics many problems. discrimination? Richard Wilkinson and Kate 1 The Guardian, 12 March 2009; The New Pickett, the book has been Statesman, 26 March 2009 Outcome vs. opportunity At the heart of the problem with The Spirit Level is outcomes presumes that difference must mean its focus on ‘equality of outcomes’ as opposed to injustice, so it promotes top-down bureaucracy in ‘equality of opportunity’. The two approaches are a bid to iron out difference. It advocates positive poles apart, with radically different implications discrimination and creates a tendency towards for society. the lowest common denominator, levelling down Equality of opportunity seeks to ensure that achievement. everyone has the same chance to be the best All major political parties support increased they can be. It holds that talent should be allowed social mobility (improving the social position of to flourish regardless of a person’s background. people from less advantaged backgrounds). In However, equality of outcomes seeks to ensure 2009, Alan Milburn chaired a Panel on Fair Access that everyone achieves the same results in life. to the Professions. He said: “social mobility has If life were a race, equality of outcomes would slowed down in our country. Birth, not worth, ensure that everyone crossed the finishing line at has become more and more a determinant exactly the same time. of people’s life chances”.1 All agree there is a Equality of opportunity promotes liberty problem. The question is whether the equality of within a society, rewarding endeavour and outcomes approach helps or hinders. encouraging the freedom for a person to 1 Unleashing Aspiration, Cabinet Office, July 2009, page 5 make the most of their talents. But equality of Reducing inequality by coercion? The Spirit Level has been that greater equality and endorses “substantial and radical redistribution described as “a sweeping is better for everyone, redistribution of wealth” of wealth by the state. theory of everything”1 not just the poor.4 The in employment contexts.7 and “big enough authors call for power to The worldview that 1 The Guardian, 12 March 2009 2 The Sunday Times, 8 March to change political be taken from individuals inequality is the cause of 2009 thinking”.2 It tries to sell and redistributed more almost all social problems 3 Wilkinson, R and Pickett, K, the idea that people in widely in order to achieve could have a massive The Spirit Level, Penguin Group, 2009, page 18 more economically equal greater economic effect on government 4 Ibid, pages 186-187 countries are healthier, equality.5 The book labels policy. Followed to its 5 Ibid, page 253 happier and more rich people as “damaging” logical conclusion, it 6 Ibid, page 262 7 Ibid, page 253 successful. for “the social fabric”6 would mean the coercive To compare the inequality between countries the authors choose to look at the difference in incomes between the richest 20 per cent and the poorest 20 per cent of a population.3 They also compare the 50 US states. Wilkinson and Pickett use nationwide averages Flickr/Mrmya like death rates to argue The book studies the richest and poorest 20 per cent of a number of countries What the book’s supporters say Politics Media There are numerous examples of David Cameron cited the Some social and media politicians endorsing The Spirit book’s research in a speech commentators have strongly Level. It has been heralded in the before becoming Prime Minister.4 endorsed The Spirit Level. One House of Commons as proof that Ed Miliband openly supported article backed the idea that “inequality is a major cause of its hypothesis when he became “everyone fares better in a more practically every ill that afflicts our Labour leader.5 equal society”.1 society”.1 Despite its many fans, others Writer Johann Hari (below) Using the book in the House query whether The Spirit Level praised the book’s ideas as of Lords to justify part of the deserves such accolades. “a compass to rebuild our Equality Act, the then Cabinet societies”.2 1 House of Commons, Hansard, 19 October minister Baroness Royall said 2009, col. 687 1 Guardian 2 it was “much quoted in this House of Lords, Hansard, 11 January 2010, Unlimited, Chamber”. She also praised the col. 327 30 September 3 House of Lords, Hansard, 11 January 2010, book as showing “that societies 2010 col. 316 2 Johann Hari, 4 that are more equal in terms of Conservatives Speech, David Cameron: Blog, 15 April income distribution tend to be The Big Society, 10 November 2009, 2009, see see http://tinyurl.com/yjeq72f as at 17 better societies in every way”.2 http://tinyurl. February 2011 com/4lp5hyf 5 The Spirit Level has even been BBC News Online, 28 September 2010, as at 24 called “arguably one of the most see http://tinyurl.com/4gslxvk as at 17 February February 2011 important books written in recent 2011 times”.3 Flickr/lewishamdreamer Published Technical deficiencies rebuttals The Spirit Level Delusion by Christopher Snowdon and Beware False Prophets by Peter Saunders argue that The Spirit Level’s conclusions lack empirical support and are implausible. Saunders says: “The Spirit Level has little claim to validity. Its evidence is weak, the analysis is superficial Fotolia/Sharpshot and the theory is Critics have questioned some of the statistics upon which the book is based unsupported.”1 Snowdon recognises The Spirit Level has reinstated the data Outliers are extreme that the book made an many statistical flaws. for many missing results which “astonishing claim” and, if The findings are countries and found significantly differ true, would have “offered based on data from 23 that their inclusion from the trend and a whole new way of of the world’s richest weakens the findings.1 expected outcome. looking at politics”. But he countries and 50 US The book uses Outliers can highlights the problem states. The authors graphs to look significantly skew with the claim: “It wasn’t excluded countries for relationships results, so standard true”.2 The TaxPayers’ with a population of betwen inequality statistical procedure Alliance has also strongly under 3 million on the and individual social dictates that they criticised the book, saying basis that they did not problems. However, should be excluded that it promotes “utterly want to involve tax there may in reality for accurate analysis absurd ideas” and that its havens. be other factors at to be made.2 They findings “do not withstand But this amounts work. Taking these into can be found easily scrutiny”.3 to cherry picking the account undermines by running statistical 1 Saunders, P, Beware False data. Tax havens could the association with tests. But The Spirit Prophets, Policy Exchange, 2010, have been eliminated inequality supposed Level’s analysis does page 8 far more precisely, by the authors. not exclude outliers. 2 Snowdon, C, The Spirit Level since they are so well- When analysing Delusion, Little Dice, 2010, pages 1 Snowdon, C, Op cit, pages 9 and 12 known. their data, Wilkinson 13-15 and 26 3 Sanandaji N, Malm, A and Rebuttals of The and Pickett handle 2 Saunders, P, Op cit, page 30 Sanandaji, T, The Spirit Illusion, The TaxPayers’ Alliance, pages 3 Spirit Level have ‘outliers’ incorrectly. and 27 What the detractors say A number of commentators have and economic freedoms”.1 expressed extreme caution about Ed West, a blogger for The The Spirit Level. Daily Telegraph, has described the Writing in The Spectator, book’s hypothesis as “complete Toby Young questions the book’s rubbish”, highlighting the statistical conclusions. He argues that even if flaws in both its methodology and The Spirit Level were true, which he conclusions.2 does not believe, it “doesn’t mean we ought to equalise incomes”. 1 Spectator.co.uk, 13 August 2010, see http:// tinyurl.com/37dcozd as at 17 February 2011 Young says there are other 2 Ed West, Blog, 9 July 2010, see http://tinyurl. factors to consider such as “social com/38qt5e7 as at 16 December 2010 Influence Correlation not the of culture same as causation dismissed It is a basic principle in a second, but that that women using HRT The Spirit Level rejects of statistics that both changes are due were of a higher socio- history and culture as correlation does entirely to a separate economic group.1 having a significant not always imply factor.
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