Affirmative Action

Research related to Affirmative Action

Policy Brief: Scholarly Findings on Affirmative Action Bans

This policy brief provides an overview of what is known about the impact of affirmative action bans nationally and complements research specific to California.

Prop 16 and a Brighter Future for All Californians: A Synthesis of Research on Affirmative Action, Enrollment, Educational Attainment and Careers at the UC

This policy brief synthesizes research on enrollment, graduation and career success for traditionally underrepresented students, the benefits of diverse learning environments including campus racial climate, and the need to increase diversity in UC professional and graduate schools to better serve the health and wellbeing of all Californians.

Impact of Affirmative Action Ban in California

William Kidder, a research associate with the Civil Rights Project who has studied issues of affirmative action at the University of California for years, recently produced this Fact Sheet and Research Synthesis, "Affirmative Action, Graduation Rates and Enrollment Choice at the University of California."

Asian Americans and Race-Conscious Admissions: Understanding the Conservative Opposition’s Strategy of Misinformation, Intimidation & Racial Division

This report examines the current wave of attacks against race-conscious policies in postsecondary admissions (or affirmative action as the policy is more commonly termed), focuses specifically on the roles that Asian Americans have come to play, both unwillingly and willingly, in opposition efforts, and presents new research on Asian Americans’ support for affirmative action.

Are There Workable Alternatives to Affirmative Action?

Since the courts -- as recently as the 2016 Fisher v. University of Texas II -- recognize that diversity is a compelling educational goal for campuses, a central question is whether or not there actually are any feasible nonracial ways to achieve this goal. The Civil Rights Project worked with the Educational Testing Service to commission research papers from leading scholars that address this central question.