The Articulation of Policy Goals

Views about policies that affect the relationship between groups are a first-order expression of grassroots political alignments. The choice between egalitarian and expropriative policies defines the fundamental issue of contention between unequal groups. To what extent do groups align themselves on contending sides and pursue policy goals that promote their control over resources? Policy goals are articulated as part of the dialogue that evolves between unequal groups. In that dialogue, the political posture of each group is not formulated freestyle. Groups maneuver within constraints. Those constraints arise from two sources. First, the day-to-day practice of the relationship with another group