Question

Analyze the benefits and consequences of affirmative action. What are the goals of affirmative action? In what areas of public policy have affirmative action policies been most commonly used? Describe at least two prominent Supreme Court decisions associated with affirmative action.

• Response length requirement: 350 words or more

Answer 1

Affirmative Action Goals - These goals are directed to achieving a balanced work force. The nature of these goals is contingent upon the nature of any under representations of women, minorities and persons with disabilities in any of the job categories/groups of the vendor's work force. Each goal must Be specific; Have an implementation target date of between six months and two years; and Have a plan of action or description of procedure to implement the goal. The goal is to focus on providing employment-based opportunities for people who may have not had opportunities in the past. It is a practice which may be permitted for hiring practices, promotions, training opportunities, or disciplinary action.

These are the advantages and disadvantages of Affirmative Action in the workplace to consider:

Advantages - The program forces employers to make justified decisions, The practice of Affirmative Action equalizes local socioeconomics, It promotes diversity within the company culture, Companies that practice diversity in their hiring practices earn more money, When employed in the workplace, Affirmative Action creates new business opportunities, It gives a business the opportunity to take a moral stand.

Disadvantages - It reinforces stereotypes and bias instead of correcting them, With Affirmative Action, we are reacting to problems instead of solving them, Diversity must be planned to be beneficial for the modern organization, We cannot legislate the personal bias of someone away, It reduces the impact of accomplishments that minority groups make, Affirmative Action attempts to correct discrimination by causing a new form of it.

In the areas of Equal employment opportunity: labor market discrimination and public policy affirmative action was used as per New York: Aldine de Gruyter, pp. 373–94.

The first one is related to the  decision called Fisher vs. University of Texas at Austin and the second one is that the Supreme Court held that the University of California, Davis medical school admissions program violated the equal protection clause with the institution of quotas for underrepresented minorities