Question

How did the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke Supreme Court decision affect affirmative action programs in the United States?

A. New limits were placed on how institutions could promote diversity using affirmative action programs.
B. Public institutions were required to implement affirmative action quota systems.
C. Precedents that had banned race-based affirmative action programs were overturned.
D. All affirmative action programs were ruled unconstitutional under the equal protection clause

Answer 1

The Regents of the University of California v. Bakke decision placed new limits on affirmative action by barring racial quotas in admissions processes, while still allowing race to be considered as one factor among many.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Supreme Court decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke had a significant impact on affirmative action programs in the United States. In its 1978 decision, the Court ruled that the use of racial quotas in the admissions process was a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and also breached the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This established new limits on how institutions could promote diversity using affirmative action programs.

The Court allowed for the consideration of race as one factor among many in university admissions processes, provided it was not part of a quota system. This nuanced decision supported the continuation of affirmative action in principle but mandated that such policies be implemented in a way that does not equate to rigid racial balancing or quotas.

Since then, affirmative action has continued to evolve, with subsequent cases further refining how race can be considered in admissions and employment decisions. While affirmative action itself remains constitutional, the specifics of how it is implemented are regularly scrutinized in courts.