I.

Main Claim
a. Affirmative Action is still a necessary and needed in society. It is still ethical
because it helps the community and rights past wrongs.
b. Minorities are already underrepresented in Universities. Affirmative Action gives
them a shot at the American Dream.
c. Education is the key to success.
II. History/Background
a. Fisher v. University of Texas
i. Has the potential to overturn affirmative action or uphold it for future
generations. There needs to be discussion of affirmative action. It is
becoming more relevant.
b. Affirmative Action means more than just selecting individuals for college. Good
practices such as choosing different neighborhoods or areas to consider candidates
can go a long way. Forming and implementing an affirmative action plan can
insure greater diversity.
c. Quota Systems and heavily point based systems are illegal.
III. Arguments/Counter Arguments
a. Merit
i. Critics: Minorities who are under qualified will not perform well in highly
selective institutions.
ii. In fact, “blacks who attend selective institutions are more likely to
graduate than their counterparts in less selective institutions.” (Fisher
533).
iii. Merit in overcoming diversity and the effects of past discrimination should
be lumped into what constitutes merit (Shaw 765).
iv. Critics: People who make higher GPAs and SAT scores deserve to get into
colleges, regardless of race.
v. Just because certain groups, like “Black and Latino students, as well as
some Asian American students (e.g., Cambodian, Filipino), typically score
much worse on the SAT I exams than do White students,” does not mean
that they perform poorly once they are in school (Crosby 100).
vi. There are usually only slight disparities in GPA or SAT scores (Fisher
539-540).
vii. A series of comprehensive tests could be more affective at seeing who will
do well in college.
b. Psychology
i.