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... > social science subjects > criminology and criminal justice > criminology > social history of crime > history of the American criminal justice system > concept of equality

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concept of equality  

Definition

  • While equality before the law is often considered the bedrock of the United States’ legal system, the concept is relatively new and was not guaranteed in the Constitution until the enactment of the Fourteenth Amendment. In fact, the famous statement “We hold this truth to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” appears in the Declaration of Independence and, it would seem, was purposely left out of the Constitution—due to tension around the issue of slavery. [Source: The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America: An Encylopedia; Equality, Concept of]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/concept_of_equality

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