WE WRITE CUSTOM ACADEMIC PAPERS

100% Original, Plagiarism Free, Tailored to your instructions

Order Now!

Affirmative Action in the United States: Past, Present, and Future

Affirmative Action in the United States: Past, Present, and Future
To the writing of books on affirmative action there will be no end.( n1) Every year more and more ink is spilled on a public policy question that has divided the United States for some thirty years. The three books selected for review offer a window into the past, present, and future of affirmative action. Although open to the charge that what follows is, in effect, more spilled ink, it is nonetheless important for scholars who study contemporary America to follow a debate that shows no sign of letting up. According to University of Pennsylvania sociologist John David Skrentny, the debate over affirmative action lacks historical depth. Jaded historians might well ask what public debate takes history seriously. Still, Skrentny’s point is a valid one and his attempt to explain “how the controversial issue ever emerged in the first place” is outstanding ( 1). As suggested by its title, The Ironies of Affirmative Action: Politics, Culture, and Justice in America seeks to explain the ironies inherent in the origins of affirmative action as public policy.( n2) In the early 1960s, mainstream civil rights leaders pushed for, and Congress passed, civil rights legislation based on the concept of colour-blind justice and not on the concept of race-conscious justice.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin. In other words, race cannot be used to discriminate against an individual but nor can it be used to promote an individual. Indeed, section 703 (j) very clearly states that “nothing contained in this title shall be interpreted to require any employer… to grant preferential treatment to any individual or group” (121). Within five years, however, racial preferences in employment, unthinkable as a formal policy in 1964, became a legitimate policy alternative. This enormous change took place in the absence of public debate and in opposition to public opinion. Ironically, then, affirmative action “was largely the construction of white male elites who traditionally have dominated government and business” ( 5). In explaining this irony–in addition to lesser ironies along the way–Skrentny takes the reader on a brilliant and dispassionate journey to the beginnings of what has become a protracted, divisive debate.
In chapters 2 and 3, Skrentny examines the resistance to affirmative action. Those who oppose affirmative action–and they constitute the majority–do so on the ground that it violates classical liberalism and its commitment to the abstract individual. Preferential treatment based on group membership runs counter to the founding principles of the Republic.
The idea of the ontological individual prior to society, and the notion that a social contract refereeing self-interest was all that was necessary to provide justice, led the United States to the celebration of individual rights and individual dignity. The land of opportunity was thus meritocratic: one deserved all that one could attain by talent and industry. (27) From its beginnings, employment law in the United States has therefore prohibited discrimination. Adhering to a colour-blind model, Title VII is part of this tradition. But as Skrentny quickly adds, “American society is replete with preferences and categorical separations of various sorts” (36). Most notable is the Veteran’s Preference Act of 1944 which “amounted to a comprehensive affirmative action package” for veterans, disabled veterans, the wives of disabled veterans, and the widows of veterans (143).

Our Service Charter

  1. Excellent Quality / 100% Plagiarism-Free

    We employ a number of measures to ensure top quality essays. The papers go through a system of quality control prior to delivery. We run plagiarism checks on each paper to ensure that they will be 100% plagiarism-free. So, only clean copies hit customers’ emails. We also never resell the papers completed by our writers. So, once it is checked using a plagiarism checker, the paper will be unique. Speaking of the academic writing standards, we will stick to the assignment brief given by the customer and assign the perfect writer. By saying “the perfect writer” we mean the one having an academic degree in the customer’s study field and positive feedback from other customers.
  2. Free Revisions

    We keep the quality bar of all papers high. But in case you need some extra brilliance to the paper, here’s what to do. First of all, you can choose a top writer. It means that we will assign an expert with a degree in your subject. And secondly, you can rely on our editing services. Our editors will revise your papers, checking whether or not they comply with high standards of academic writing. In addition, editing entails adjusting content if it’s off the topic, adding more sources, refining the language style, and making sure the referencing style is followed.
  3. Confidentiality / 100% No Disclosure

    We make sure that clients’ personal data remains confidential and is not exploited for any purposes beyond those related to our services. We only ask you to provide us with the information that is required to produce the paper according to your writing needs. Please note that the payment info is protected as well. Feel free to refer to the support team for more information about our payment methods. The fact that you used our service is kept secret due to the advanced security standards. So, you can be sure that no one will find out that you got a paper from our writing service.
  4. Money Back Guarantee

    If the writer doesn’t address all the questions on your assignment brief or the delivered paper appears to be off the topic, you can ask for a refund. Or, if it is applicable, you can opt in for free revision within 14-30 days, depending on your paper’s length. The revision or refund request should be sent within 14 days after delivery. The customer gets 100% money-back in case they haven't downloaded the paper. All approved refunds will be returned to the customer’s credit card or Bonus Balance in a form of store credit. Take a note that we will send an extra compensation if the customers goes with a store credit.
  5. 24/7 Customer Support

    We have a support team working 24/7 ready to give your issue concerning the order their immediate attention. If you have any questions about the ordering process, communication with the writer, payment options, feel free to join live chat. Be sure to get a fast response. They can also give you the exact price quote, taking into account the timing, desired academic level of the paper, and the number of pages.

Excellent Quality
Zero Plagiarism
Expert Writers

Instant Quote

Subject:
Type:
Pages/Words:
Single spaced
approx 275 words per page
Urgency (Less urgent, less costly):
Level:
Currency:
Total Cost: NaN

Get 10% Off on your 1st order!