Although equality is an essential element of American political culture,there is little agreement on exactly what it means and how to best achieve it.What are some of the different meanings of equality and why has it been hard for Americans to reach consensus on questions of equality?

There are two components to this question.
a.Different meanings of equality: Few Americans embrace the ideal of full equality of results,but most share the ideal of equality of opportunity: that is,the notion that each person should be given a fair chance to go as far as his or her talents will allow.Americans make clear distinctions between political equality and social or economic equality.Political equality means that members of the American political community have the right to participate in politics on equal terms (i.e. ,"one person,one vote").Americans have always been less concerned about social or economic inequality and less supportive of government efforts to redress these kinds of inequalities than they are about inequality of opportunity.
b.Difficulty of reaching consensus: It has been difficult for Americans to reach an agreement on what constitutes equality of opportunity.Must a group's past inequalities be remedied in order to ensure equal opportunity in the present? Should inequalities in the legal,political,and economic spheres be given the same weight? In contrast to liberty,which requires limits on the role of government,equality implies an obligation of the government to the people.