Affirmative Action and the Politics of Equality: Competing Conceptions of Justice in Democratic Societies AbstractAffirmative action policies, designed to rectify historical injustices and promote social inclusion, remain among the most debated instruments of democratic governance. While widely supported as tools for compensatory justice and equality of opportunity, they also attract criticism for allegedly violating meritocracy … Continue reading How do affirmative action policies simultaneously attract strong support and criticism, and what does this dual response reveal about competing conceptions of equality and justice in democratic societies?