Affirmative Action Has there been a move away from Affirmative Action in Recent Years?

Affirmative ActionAffirmative Action

Has there been a move Has there been a move away from Affirmative away from Affirmative

Action in Recent Years?Action in Recent Years?

Ronald Reagan’s “Colour blind” Ronald Reagan’s “Colour blind” PolicyPolicy President Ronald President Ronald

Reagan believed Reagan believed that Affirmative that Affirmative Action – or at least Action – or at least some aspects of it some aspects of it - were - were discriminatory. He discriminatory. He stated that it was stated that it was ‘socially divisive ‘socially divisive and economically and economically useless’useless’

Loss of popular supportLoss of popular support

During the 1980s many people came to see AAPs as discriminatory against whites especially during times of high unemployment.

Shortcut to affirmative action at its worst.lnk

Legal ActionLegal ActionMany employers Many employers became nervous became nervous of AAPs for fear of AAPs for fear that they could that they could be taken to court be taken to court by people who by people who did not benefit did not benefit from the from the schemesschemes

The Changing Supreme CourtThe Changing Supreme CourtIn the 1960 and 70s In the 1960 and 70s the Supreme Court the Supreme Court had upheld had upheld Affirmative Action. Affirmative Action. From the 1980s From the 1980s onwards the onwards the membership of the membership of the Court has changed – Court has changed – fewer of the fewer of the Justices support Justices support Affirmative ActionAffirmative Action

Justice Clarence ThomasJustice Clarence Thomas

Supreme Court RulingsSupreme Court Rulings

As the Supreme As the Supreme Court became Court became less sympathetic less sympathetic to A.A.P.s in the to A.A.P.s in the 1980s and 90s 1980s and 90s many of heir many of heir decisions decisions undermined undermined Affirmative Affirmative ActionAction

Missouri Versus JenkinsMissouri Versus Jenkins

This ruling This ruling effectively put an effectively put an end to busing and end to busing and magnet schools. magnet schools. The Supreme Court The Supreme Court said that states did said that states did not have to make not have to make sure that schools sure that schools were ‘mixed’.were ‘mixed’.

The Bakke Case 1978The Bakke Case 1978According to Justice According to Justice Powell, who Powell, who announced the court's announced the court's judgment injudgment in Bakke Bakke, , universities could take universities could take account of race as a account of race as a "plus factor" "plus factor" in in evaluating a candidate evaluating a candidate as an individual whole. as an individual whole. However, they could However, they could not set aside places not set aside places only for minoritiesonly for minorities

Allan Bakke receives his medical degree

Proposition 209 - CaliforniaProposition 209 - California"The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, colour, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting."

The death of Affirmative Action?

But…. The latest position!2003: U.S. Supreme Court delivered a 2003: U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark decision on affirmative action. In landmark decision on affirmative action. In Grutter v. Bollinger the Court said that the Grutter v. Bollinger the Court said that the University of Michigan law school may University of Michigan law school may give give an edge toan edge to minority applicants in the minority applicants in the admission process. admission process.

BUT, in a 6-3 vote the court overturned the BUT, in a 6-3 vote the court overturned the school's point system which gave specific school's point system which gave specific "weight" to minority applicants in Gratz v. "weight" to minority applicants in Gratz v. Bollinger. What does that mean?Bollinger. What does that mean?

It would appear then that the latest position is that Affirmative Action is still supported if universities and businesses etc. need to take race into account, but strict targets and quotas which AUTOMATICALLY give extra help to minorities are out

So…

Barack Obama on AA

Shortcut to Barack Obama_s views on AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.lnk

Shortcut to Aa street survey.lnk

And the public?