The Jurisprudence and Impact of Affirmative Action

Abstract

For decades the debate over affirmative action has been hard fought across the United States. From courtrooms and chatrooms to legislative halls to college halls people have fought over whether race, class, or other individual factors should be considered in higher education admissions. However, underlying the entire discussion of affirmative action is the Supreme Court's instructions on what is, and what is not, constitutional. All state policies must adhere to the Court's guidance, and thus this paper seeks to interpret the various Supreme Court rulings on this issue. However it is also critical to consider the impact these decisions have had on minority and non-minority student enrollment and attendance. Nowhere is this issue more prevalent than in Texas, whose tumultuous relationship with affirmative action provides an interesting case study of the impact of race and class-based affirmative action programs. [From Introduction]