Race and rights in contemporary US politics. Flashcards
(35 cards)
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List 3 reasons Conservatives criticised affirmative action
- Inequality provides incentives
- Other minorities have done better
- Affirmative action is based on racism
What was KBJ’s argument for maintaining Affirmative Action?
One’s history is considered, another is not. Equal Protection - 14th amendment
What can you say about the number of migrants at the US-Mexico border?
Low during Trump’s administration and High during Biden’s
What can you say about tthe number of deportations by US immigrant authorities at the US-Mexico border?
High during Obama and Trump and Low during Biden. Slowly decreasing.
What’s the democrat approach to immigration reform?
Have a more liberal approach by attempting to solve the problems that illegal migrants face by making a pathway to citizenship or the right to remain easier while providing humanitarian assistance.
- DREAM Act, DACA
What’s the republican approach to immigration reform?
Tend to favour greater restrictions on illegal migration placing more emphasis on preventing people coming into the US and creating a harsh environment as a deterrent
Why has there been a rise in the number of unaccompanied children crossing the border?
Policies like DACA, which provide protections for undocumented immigrants who arrived as children.
What was Greg Abbott fight with the Biden administration over immigration enforcement on the US-Mexico border?
- He calls “Biden’s reckless open-border policies”. He has also revoked housing shelter licences to those organizations housing unaccompanied children.
- Put razor wire down the border between Texas and Mexico
What did the SC rule in Arizona v US?
- The principle that border security and immigration were federal powers was established
What was ruled in DHS v Texas (2024)?
The court ruled 5-4 that federal border patrol could cut down the wire
Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Represenation and voting rights. (YES)
- The current congress is the most diverse ever - ongoing trend since 2000 * SQUAD
- First black president - Obama and first black VP - Kamala Harris
- Bush extended Voting Rights Act for further 25 years in 2006
- Despite attempts at limiting minority voting Georgia 2020 if still voted Democrat due to the success of GOTV campaigns
- Allen v Miligan - reinforced the VRA by upholding protections against racial gerrymandering,
Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Represenation and voting rights. (NO)
- Diversity mainly in Democrat party and not really in the Senate
- SQUAD have faced abuse both online and from members of Congress Rashida Taib recently over Israel
- Shelby v Holder is a seismic judgment and led to reduction in minority voting in 2016. For the People Act rejected in Senate
- Conservative republican states passing laws limiting voting rights. Disproportionately affecting minority voters - postal ballots limited, polling booths closed, gerrymandering (Operation REDMAP, Wisconsin)
Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Discrimination/Affirmative Action (YES)
- Affirmative action did lead to an increase in college places and income leading to generational improvements.
- Biden administration has sought to improve position of First Americans.
- US Supreme Court upheld Child Welfare Act in Haaland v Brackeen
Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Discrimination/Affirmative Action (NO)
- AA rejected by Sc in Harvard case
- AA has always been very divisive - lack of acceptance may show lack of advancement
- High profile killings of black men by police suggest lack of advancement. George Floyd & Trayvon Martin
- Arguments to defund police remain key for BLM
- Stats show black and Hispanic Americans behind whites in all key indicators
- Turnout lower among black voters
Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Immigration (YES)
- DACA and DAPA both issued as executive orders.
- Dept of Homeland Security v Regents of California found Trump’s EO to end DACA unconstitutional. Shows SC sympathetic to rights of immigrants.
- Arizona v US prevented law enforcement agencies using racial profiling to seek immigration papers establishing principle that federal govt controls immigration
- Huge outcry when Trump separated minors from parents at the border even from many republicans
- District Court said California could not be sued as a Sanctuary City
- DHS v Texas 2023
Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Immigration (NO)
- Successive presidents have failed to gel immigration reform through Congress. Most recently Obama and the DREAM Act (The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act). Shows hostility esp among Republicans
- DAPA challenged successfully in Courts (US v Texas) 2016 - SC ruling against immigrants in this case. Also in Trump v Hawaii (2018)
- Trump Wall rhetoric ‘ they’re sending people that have lots of problems Trump remain in Mexico policy
- Ron de Santis flying illegal immigrants to Washington shows attitudes not changing as do his education changes ‘war on woke’ banning schools from teaching about systematic injustices
What is affirmative action?
Any attempt to overcome the effects of previous discrimination.
What is one form of affirmative action?
Quotas in education - reserving a fixed number of places to members of a racial minority group.
What practices have states introduced to restrict minority voting?
- Gerrymandering on racial lines
- Literacy tests
- Felony voting restrictions
What is gerrymandering on racial lines?
- Drawing boundaries to ensure that areas with high racial minority populations are split into separate constituencies to dilute their political influence.
- Ensure that a constituency with a high percentage of racial minority member has a lot more people than the average.
- In this way ‘white constituencies’ get much greater representation than ‘Hispanic or Black constituencies’.
What is literacy tests?
It was common to impose literacy test, but these were often used in areas with higher concentrations of minority citizens
What is felony voting restrictions?
- People in prison are banned from voting and in many states restrictions continue after a prison sentence has been fulfilled.
- Given the higher incarceration rates particulary of Black males, felony voting restrictions have a disproportionately negative effect on access to voting of racial minorities.
What’s minority representation?
- Racial minority groups have been hugely underrepresented in positions of power. Includes representation in businesses and in the media as well as political office.
- Policy outcomes do not always reflect the interests of racial minorities, and also perpetuates ideas and stereotypes about who can take powerful positions in society.
Have racial rights groups been successful in achieving racial equality?
- Affirmative Action (YES)
Improved Educational Opportunities:
- AA programs have increased the number of minority students in higher education > access to elite universities previously dominated by white applicants.
Example: Enrollment of Black and Hispanic students in prestigious institutions like Harvard and UC Berkeley rose significantly after AA policies were implemented.
Economic Mobility:
- Minorities benefiting from AA are more likely to secure well-paying jobs, improving their socio-economic status.
- Long-term generational impacts include increased wealth accumulation and breaking cycles of poverty.
