Half of people disapprove of affirmative action as Supreme Court opinions loom: Poll
David Zimmermann
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A recent poll found that 50% of adults disapprove of higher education institutions practicing affirmative action when admitting students.
The Pew Research Center survey was published Thursday, likely weeks before two related Supreme Court opinions are released by the end of the court’s term in late June, the Hill reported. The cases, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, will wrap up this month with the court’s decisions.
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Affirmative action refers to the practice of colleges and universities taking racial and ethnic diversity into consideration during the admissions process, giving minority groups an advantage to account for past discrimination. The practice is intended to diversify enrollment.
While half of the respondents rejected the admissions practice, 33% said they support it and 16% said they were unsure. However, the opposition varies widely among racial and political demographics.
Most black adults favor affirmative action, with 47% approval to 29% disapproval. Hispanics, though, are divided evenly between 39% approval and disapproval.
On the other hand, both Asians and white adults dislike race-conscious admissions, with 52% disapproval by Asians and 57% disapproval by whites. Thirty-seven percent of Asians and 29% of whites voted for approval.
Affirmative action strongly divided Republican and Democratic voters. Most Republicans generally disfavor it, with a 60-point gap between the 74% who disapprove and 14% who approve. The difference among Democrats was much closer, resting at 54% approval and 29% disapproval ratings.
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In both court cases, the SFFA argued last October that Harvard University and the University of North Carolina discriminated against white students by practicing affirmative action and that accepting minority students based on race and ethnicity to promote diversity “is plainly wrong.”
After hearing the oral arguments of SFFA’s two lawsuits, the court will decide whether to rule in favor of the institutions’ affirmative action policies or against them. Outcomes in favor of the SFFA would reverse more than 40 years of precedent.