Bush
Alternative to Affirmative Action Faulted Bush
Alternative to Affirmative Action Faulted
Mon Feb 10,11:34 PM ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Reuters) - The White House's alternative to racial preferences in college admissions is a one-size-fits-all approach that is problematic at the state level and would not work nationwide, according to two reports released on Monday.
The reports, prepared by researchers at The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, questioned the effectiveness of so-called "race-neutral" plans that guarantee a certain portion of top students at public high schools admission to state universities.
The reports were published as the Supreme Court prepares to tackle the most important and politically charged affirmative action case in decades, hearing arguments challenging the University of Michigan's policies that favor minority applicants.
Justice Department (news - web sites) lawyers, under orders from President Bush (news - web sites), last month submitted briefs urging the court to strike down the university's programs as unconstitutional and arguing race-neutral alternatives were available to promote diversity.
Injecting the White House into a high-stakes political and legal debate over civil rights, Bush immediately came under fire from Democrats in Congress and civil rights leaders.
The Harvard researchers noted the public debate over percent plans seems to suggest that simply designating a proportion of each high school class entitled to public university admission results in diverse college campuses.
But they noted this was a problematic assumption when the high schools themselves produce graduating classes that do not accurately reflect the racial make-up of the larger community. The reports also found that the plans have very modest effects at best and do not lead to the level of diversity reflective of the students they are intended to serve.
"It seems ludicrous at best with what we know about these programs that they're being suggested as things that should be implemented around the country," said Patricia Marin, who co-wrote one of the reports. Blacks and other minority groups defend affirmative action as a way to remedy past discrimination and achieve diversity.
Critics call it a form of "reverse discrimination." Bush has said that while he supports diversity in higher education, the nation must consider alternative ways of achieving this. Specifically, his administration has touted percent plans as a potential new approach that would still produce diverse college campuses without overtly favoring minorities during the admissions process.
The two reports looked at Texas, California and Florida, where public university systems have turned to percent plans because state rule changes meant they were no longer able to use affirmative action in the admissions process.
The Michigan case could have far-reaching repercussions for Bush. His conservative supporters are staunchly opposed to race-based preferences, but the president and his party are courting minority voters as Bush gears up for his race for re-election in 2004.
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