Assessing Affirmative Action: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

A fundamental goal of affirmative action is to eliminate both the consequences of past discrimination and likelihood of future discrimination. Thus, any assessment of the impact of affirmative action must examine two basic questions: (1) Have the consequences of discrimination been eliminated? (2) Are measures in place to prevent discrimination from occurring in the future? The basic conclusion that will be offered in this assessment is that while affirmative action has been successful in reducing some of the effects of discrimination, a wide variety of evidence suggests that the ultimate goal of affirmative action has yet to be reached. Some concerns and limitations of any attempt to assess the impact of affirmative action are discussed along with some thoughts about the future of these programs and policies.