Civil rights are usually conceptualized as a minority-majority issue. Comparison of public policy to promote racial and ethnic equality in the United States and France indicates that civil rights also influence interminority relations. American policy is based on rights to resources. It emphasizes racial and ethnic differences, interest groups, and distribution of jobs and other social goods. French policy is based on rights to membership. It emphasizes commonalities between ethnic minorities, majority group responsibility, and a social contract of interdependence. Limiting the expression of racism is the centerpiece of French civil rights law. The American approach to civil rights contributes to interminority conflict because it is primarily a method for influencing institutions rather than, as in France, a model of ideal race and ethnic relations.
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