California's Proposition 209

Paper Summary:

The paper explains the perspective of those against affirmative action programs that led to California enacting Proposition 209. The paper explains further that this was a ban on the practice of giving institutionalized preferential treatment to people based upon their gender, race, color, ethnicity or national origin. The paper relates that this resulted in hiring and enrollment practices being made based solely upon merit rather than artificial balancing quotas. The paper concludes that regardless of whether or not it is "good" or "bad" for California, Prop 209 appears to have succeeded in its intent over the past decade.

From the Paper:

"California enacted anti-discrimination in employment and other venues legislation in 1996 that, in effect, made it illegal to discriminate against or to offer preferential treatment to any person in education, government contracts or employment based upon their race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, or color. Proponents took the position that this measure would level the playing field within California, making opportunities for education and employment available based on skill and merit rather than upon other artificial factors."

Sample of Sources Used:

• The Discrimination Research Center & Equal Rights Advocates. (2004). Proposition 209 and the Decline of Women in the Construction Trades. Online. Internet. Avail: oneunitedmichigan.org/pdf/public_contractors_report.pdf+policy+oversight+california+proposition+209&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us. Info Acc: 27 October, 2007.
• Harvard Law Review (May, 1998). The Constitutionality of Proposition 209 As Applied. Harvard Law Review, 111:7 pp. 2081-2098.
• Scheper, J. (2005). Visualize Academic Labor in the 1990's: Inventing An Activist Archive in Santa Barbara. Feminist Studies. 31:3, pp556-569.
• Spann, G. A. (Nov, 1997) Proposition 209. Duke Law Journal, 47: 2. pp. 187-325.
• Tolbert, C.J. & Hero, R.E. (Sep, 2001). Dealing with Diversity: Racial/Ethnic Context and Social Policy Change. Political Research Quarterly. 54:3, pp571-604.

More papers on California's Proposition 209:

• Term Paper # 47502 : "The Passage of Proposition 209 in California"
• Research Paper # 64014 : "California's Affirmative Action "Prop 209"
• Persuasive Essay # 50816 : "Affirmative Action in Higher Education"

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