Affirmative Action

             The University of California Regents established a policy that, on the surface, appears to promote the availability of higher education for children of economically disadvantaged areas. If one looks closer, it can be plainly obvious to see that the program is not about economics but rather about race. The study conducted for the Regents which confirmed that 80 percent of the population in these areas are minorities and the statement that the policy will increase the number of these groups in the Universities and aid diversity confirms that the original intent of the Regents was actually an affirmative action program as opposed to a way for the state to help economically disadvantaged students. Based on strict scrutiny analysis the court should rule in FAIR v. Board of Regents, that while the program does meet a compelling state interest of diversity in higher education, it is not narrowly tailored enough to meet that end.
             The argument for the program centers on the idea there is a substantial governmental interest in making higher education more readily available to students in economically disadvantaged areas. Schools in these areas tend to have less money with which to buy books, pay teachers' salaries, and afford many of the enhanced academic programs and extra curricular activities that other more financially maintained schools have. The result is a higher teacher-to-student ratio, old and outdated books and materials, and less opportunity to learn and develop other areas of interest. Students then suffer from these disadvantages tremendously when compared to other students who are allowed these benefits. Colleges and universities prefer the student who has the higher test scores and more extra curricular activities. The major determinant in the governmental interest at stake is that it promotes minorities getting a higher education. There are a number of ideas backing this argument; the one claimed in particular ...

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Affirmative Action. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 08:32, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/28600.html