Arguments Against Affirmative Action In The United States

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SY Affirmative Action in the United States is an issue that due to its lack of affect to the majority of the American citizens should be abolished. According to reports, “Only a small fraction of the public (16%) report [to] having been directly affected by affirmative action programs (Pew Research Center 2003). When created, the main goal for Affirmative Action was to eliminate the idea that certain groups of people were not underrepresented in the workplace. Whether it is race, gender or sexual orientation, these groups of people should be allowed to be considered for a specific position no matter the circumstances. However, with the requirements and restrictions that are currently enforced these people have a higher chance of achieving…show more content…
This idea could be formed from the fact that with affirmative action laws, sometimes the most qualified and deserving applicant is not provided with the job or the acceptance due to requirements of fulfilling reserved affirmative action laws. Therefore, while affirmative action was created to remove prejudice and discrimination to the minority groups, it actually began to persecute the people that do not fall into those categories. Reverse discrimination due to Affirmative Action is quite common throughout universities and the work force. A particular case in which this is shown is that of a man named Allan Bakke. Bakke was rejected twice from a medical school that accepted significantly less qualified applicants. It was later found out that “the school had a separate admissions policy for minorities and reserved 16 out of 100 places for minority students” (Brunner 2007). While the courts finally eliminated “inflexible quota systems in affirmative action programs, the Court upheld the legality of affirmative action” (Brunner…show more content…
The affirmative action laws should be abolished because of the negative effects they create such as discriminating against the more qualified and undermining the qualifications of the applicants in the minority groups. Even revisions to the affirmative action laws to benefit everyone involved with applying for a job or to a university would liberate the negative aspects accompanied with the issue. If not revised or abolished the affirmative action laws will continue to provide acceptance to under qualified candidates in replacement of deserving well accomplished individuals. Some states are beginning to recognize the negative aspects of affirmative action laws. Recently, “A U.S. appeals court upheld California's ban on the use of affirmative action in university admissions on Monday, reaffirming that public schools cannot base admission on race, gender or ethnicity” (Levine 2012). Even though as it may seem, when combined all together the minority groups as well as the surrounding constituents all receive ramifications due to the poorly established laws. Affirmative Action was once created for important balances throughout the work place and universities, however; it now has been modified into an aid that is vastly taken for
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