Politics of Affirmative Action: Race and Public Policy in America

Abstract

The policy of Affirmative Action seeks to remedy consequences of a century of both law-induced and custom-induced racial or caste constraints on the social mobility of blacks in American society. It is a color-conscious or race- conscious policy or, in the case of female beneficiaries, a gender-conscious policy. The execution of this policy involves “goals,” “quotas,” and “preferential treatment” in such areas as employment, education (colleges and professional schools), and government contractual procurement.