public opinion on affirmative action - aei · while the dearth of recent surveys limits our ability...

Public Opinion on Affirmative Action Karlyn Bowman and Eleanor O’Neil June 2016

American Enterprise Institute June 2016

About the Report

On June 23, the Supreme Court decided Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin in a close 4-3

ruling upholding the university’s affirmative action program. Affirmative action is not a subject

the major pollsters examine on a regular basis, and they have not asked any questions about it in

2016. While the dearth of recent surveys limits our ability to understand the public’s current

attitudes toward affirmative action, the available historical data provide some insights into

consistencies and shifts in public opinion on the topic. Here we present a compilation of

questions asked by pollsters over the years about affirmative action generally and about

affirmative action in college admissions.

Key insights:

Americans generally support affirmative action in employment and education, but oppose

preferential treatment.

Non-white Americans are more likely to support affirmative action than white

Americans.

In surveys that ask about affirmative action for different groups, support is consistently

higher for affirmative action programs for women than for affirmative action programs

for minorities.

Americans seem to favor increasing diversity in colleges, but not preferences in

admissions based on race or ethnicity.

Most people say affirmative action has not affected them personally.

The data in this report come from the archive of public opinion polls at AEI and from the Roper Center

for Public Opinion Research’s iPOLL Databank. To learn more about the Roper Center, visit

http://ropercenter.cornell.edu/.

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational organization

and does not take institutional positions on any issues. The views expressed here are those of the

author(s).

http://ropercenter.cornell.edu/


Table of Contents Views of Affirmative Action Over Time ...................................................... 1

Support for Affirmative Action .........................................................................1

Preferences/Preferential Treatment ................................................................7

Additional Assessments ...............................................................................11

Overall Impact and Necessity ............................................................11

Personal Impact .................................................................................14

Income-based Affirmative Action .......................................................14

Affirmative Action in Higher Education ....................................................16

Quotas ..........................................................................................................16

Preferences in Admissions ...........................................................................19

Affirmative Action and Diversity on College Campuses ................................21

Major Supreme Court Cases ........................................................................23

Additional Assessments ...............................................................................25

1


Views of Affirmative Action Over Time This section focuses on general attitudes toward affirmative action. Question wording notably

affects views of the topic, with Americans responding more favorably to questions that ask only

about affirmative action than to questions that ask about giving preference or preferential

treatment. We have divided this section between the former and the latter type of question. We

also examine perceptions about the impact of affirmative action.

The only recently updated national trend on affirmative action is from Gallup, and it

shows increasing favorability. In Gallup’s 2015 survey, 58 percent said they were in favor of

affirmative action for minorities, up from 47 percent in 2001. Americans were more supportive

of affirmative action for women, with 67 percent in favor in 2015, up from 59 percent in 2003.

Earlier surveys similarly show that people respond more favorably to affirmative action

questions about only women or including women than to questions about only minorities.

Support for affirmative action has consistently differed along racial lines, with white

respondents expressing less favorable views. In a 1987 Harris survey, one of the earliest about

general affirmative action for which demographic breakdowns are available, 67 percent of

whites, compared to 83 percent of blacks, were in favor of affirmative action for women and

minorities in employment and education. In a 2000 Gallup survey, 55 percent of whites,

compared to 79 percent of blacks, favored affirmative action for women and minorities. In

Gallup’s 2015 survey, 53 percent of whites, compared to 77 percent of blacks and 61 percent of

Hispanics, were in favor of affirmative action for racial minorities. Sixty-three percent of whites,

compared to 80 percent of blacks and 74 percent of Hispanics, were in favor of affirmative

action for women.

Support for Affirmative Action

Do you favor or oppose federal laws requiring affirmative action programs for women and

minorities in employment and education, provided there are no rigid quotas?

Favor Oppose

Sep. 1985 Harris 75% 21%

Jul. 1987 Harris 69 25

May 1991 Harris 75 22

Jul. 1991 Harris 70 24

Demographic Breakdown, Whites

Favor Oppose

Jul. 1987 67% 28%

May 1991 71 25

Demographic Breakdown, Blacks

Favor Oppose

Jul. 1987 83% 11%

May 1991 93 4

2


Do you favor or oppose federal laws requiring racial preference for minorities in

employment and education, provided there are no rigid quotas?

Favor Oppose

Jul. 1991 Harris 46% 48%

Do you favor or oppose strengthening affirmative action laws for women, blacks, and

minorities?

Favor Oppose

Sep. 1994 Gallup/CNN/USA Today 49% 43%

Do you generally favor or oppose affirmative action programs for women and minorities?

Favor Oppose

Mar. 1995 Gallup/CNN/USA Today 55% 34%

Nov. 1997* Gallup/CNN/USA Today 56 36

Jan. 2000 Gallup/CNN/USA Today 58 33

Note: *Asked of a half sample.

Jan. 2000 Demographic Breakdown

Favor Oppose

Whites 55% 36%

Blacks 79 13

Male 53% 41%

Female 63 26

Do you generally favor or oppose affirmative action programs for racial minorities?

Favor Oppose

Jun. 2001 Gallup 47% 44%

Jun. 2003 Gallup 49 43


Jun.–Jul. 2013 Gallup 58 37


Demographic Breakdown, Whites (Non-Hispanic)

Favor Oppose

Jun. 2001 44% 48%

Jun. 2003 44 49

Jun. 2005 44 49

Jun.–Jul. 2013 51 44

Jun.–Jul. 2015 53 42

3



Favor Oppose

Jun. 2001 69% 23%

Jun. 2003 70 21

Jun. 2005 72 21

Jun.–Jul. 2013 76 20

Jun.–Jul. 2015 77 19

Demographic Breakdown, Hispanics

Favor Oppose

Jun. 2001 64% 23%

Jun. 2003 63 28

Jun. 2005 62 25

Jun.–Jul. 2013 69 25

Jun.–Jul. 2015 61 30

Do you generally favor or oppose affirmative action programs for women?

Favor Oppose





Jun.–Jul. 2015 Demographic Breakdown

Favor Oppose

Men 62% 33%

Women 72 23

Whites (Non-Hispanic) 63% 33%

Blacks 80 18

Hispanics 74 21

Do you generally favor or oppose affirmative action programs for minorities and women for

admissions to colleges and universities?

Favor Oppose

Aug. 2001 Gallup/CNN/USA Today 56% 39%

Do you generally favor or oppose affirmative action programs for minorities and women for

job hiring in the workplace?

Favor Oppose

Aug. 2001 Gallup/CNN/USA Today 58% 36%

4


I’d like to read you a list of some programs and proposals that are being discussed in this

country today. For each one, please tell me whether you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or

strongly oppose it . . . Affirmative action programs designed to help blacks, women, and

other minorities get better jobs and education?

Favor Oppose

Jul.–Aug. 2003 Pew 64% 31%

Mar. 2005 Pew* 67 28

Jan. 2007 Pew 70 25

Note: *In March 2005, the question was not part of a list of items.

In order to overcome past discrimination, do you favor or oppose affirmative action

programs designed to help blacks, women, and other minorities get better jobs and

education?

Favor Oppose

Aug. 1995 Times Mirror/PSRA 58% 36%

Apr.–May 2003 Pew 63 29

Sep.–Oct. 2007 Pew 60 30

Note: All asked of a half sample.

Sep.-Oct. 2007 Demographic Breakdown

Favor Oppose

White 52% 37%

Black 89 6

Hispanic 77 6

In order to overcome past discrimination, do you favor or oppose affirmative action

programs, which give special preferences to qualified blacks, women, and other minorities in

hiring and education?

Favor Oppose

Aug. 1995 Times Mirror/PSRA 46% 46%

Apr.–May 2003 Pew 57 35

Sep.–Oct. 2007 Pew 46 40

Note: All asked of a half sample.

Sep.-Oct. 2007 Demographic Breakdown

Favor Oppose

White 39% 47%

Black 78 13

Hispanic 61 26

5


In order to make up for past discrimination, do you favor or oppose programs which make

special efforts to help blacks and other minorities get ahead?

Favor Oppose

May 2013 PRRI 68% 24%

Demographic Breakdown

Favor Oppose

White 61% 31%

Black 81 10

Hispanic 88 9

Do you favor or oppose affirmative action programs for minorities in hiring, promoting, and

college admissions?

Favor Oppose

May–Jun. 2013 CBS/NYT 53% 38%

Follow-up question asked of those who favor affirmative action programs:

What’s the main reason you favor these programs? Is it more to make up for the

discrimination or more to increase diversity?

To make up for Increase

discrimination diversity Both equal

May–Jun. 2013 CBS/NYT 24% 63% 8%

Do you think most government affirmative action programs in hiring, promoting, and college

admissions should be continued, or do you think these affirmative action programs should be

abolished?

Should be Should be

continued abolished

Aug. 1996 CBS/NYT* 45% 43%

Oct. 1996 CBS 55 34

Dec. 1996 CBS 50 40

Dec. 1997 CBS/NYT 41 47

Jan. 2003 CBS/NYT 54 37

Oct. 2012 CBS 44 35

Note: *Asked of registered voters.

6


What do you think should happen to affirmative action programs? Should they be ended now,

or should they be phased out over the next few years, or should affirmative action programs

be continued for the foreseeable future?

Should be

continued Should be Should be

for future phased out ended now

Dec. 1997 CBS/NYT 41% 40% 12%

Feb. 2000 CBS 45 38 10

Jan. 2006 CBS 36 33 12

7


Preferences/Preferential Treatment

While most people support affirmative action, they oppose preferential treatment. When Gallup

first asked in 1977 about how women and minorities should be treated in getting jobs and places

and college, only 10 percent said they should be given preferential treatment to make up for past

discrimination. Eighty-three percent said ability should be the main consideration. In ABC News

polls from 2001 and 2003, Americans were more than twice as likely to support programs giving

women and minorities “assistance—but not preference—getting into college, getting a job, or

getting a promotion” than they were to support giving these groups “preference over white men.”

Only 33 percent in a 2012 Pew Research Center survey agreed that “we should make every

possible effort to improve the position of blacks and other minorities even if it means giving

them preferential treatment,” while 62 percent disagreed. Responses to this question were

sharply divided by race: Twenty-two percent of white respondents agreed, compared to 62

percent of black respondents.

Some people say that to make up for past discrimination, women and members of minority

groups should be given preferential treatment in getting jobs and places in college. Others

say that ability, as determined by test scores, should be the main consideration. Which point

comes closest to how you feel on this matter?

Ability should be Preferential treatment

main consideration should be given

Mar. 1977 Gallup 83% 10%

Oct. 1977 Gallup 81 11

Dec. 1980 Gallup 83 10

Jan. 1984 Gallup 84 10

Dec. 1989 Gallup 84 10



Mar. 1977 86% 8%

Oct. 1977 84 9

Dec. 1980 87 7

Jan. 1984 87 8

Dec. 1989 88 7

Jun. 1991 84 9


Mar. 1977 64% 27%

Oct. 1977 55 30

Dec. 1980 57 29

Jan. 1984 63 29

Dec. 1989 56 32

Jun. 1991 69 21

8


Do you believe that, because of past discrimination against black people, qualified blacks

should receive preference over equally qualified whites in such matters as getting into

college or getting jobs, or not?

Should receive

preference Should not

Feb. 1988 Gallup/Newsweek

(Whites) 14% 80%

(Blacks) 40 50

Apr. 1991 Gallup/Newsweek

(Whites) 19% 72%

(Blacks) 48 42

Mar. 1993 Gallup/Newsweek

(National adult) 20% 77%

Mar. 1995 PSRA/Newsweek

(National adult) 19% 75%

Because of past discrimination, should qualified blacks receive preference over equally

qualified whites in such matter as getting into college or getting jobs?

Should receive


Jun. 1993 LAT 17% 78%

Because of past discrimination, should qualified minorities receive preference over equally

qualified whites in such matter as getting into college or getting jobs?

Should receive


Mar. 1995 LAT 22% 72%

Because of past discrimination, should qualified women receive preference over equally

qualified men in such matter as getting into college or getting jobs?

Should receive


Mar. 1995 LAT 25% 70%

9


Do you support or oppose government and private programs that give women, blacks, and

other minorities preference over white men getting into college, getting a job, or getting a

promotion?

Support Oppose

Jan. 2001 ABC/Washington Post 28% 69%

Jan. 2003 ABC/Washington Post 30 66

Do you support or oppose government and private programs that give women, blacks, and

other minorities assistance—but not preference—getting into college, getting a job, or

getting a promotion?

Support Oppose

Jan. 2001 ABC/Washington Post 73% 25%

Jan. 2003 ABC/Washington Post 69 26

Now I am going to read you another series of statements on some different topics. For each

statement, please tell me if you completely agree with it, mostly agree with it, mostly disagree

with it, or completely disagree with it…“We should make every possible effort to improve the

position of blacks and other minorities even if it means giving them preferential treatment.”

Completely/ Completely/

Mostly agree Mostly disagree

May 1987 Pew 24% 71%

May 1988 Pew 26 71

Feb. 1989 Pew 28 68

May 1990 Pew 24 72

Nov. 1991 Pew 30 67

Jun. 1992 Pew 34 63

May 1993 Pew 34 63

Jul. 1994 Pew 29 69

Nov. 1997 Pew 31 65

Sep. 1999 Pew 31 65

Aug. 2002 Pew 24 72

Aug. 2003* Pew 30 67

Jan. 2007* Pew 34 62

Apr. 2009* Pew 31 65

Apr. 2012* Pew 33 62


10





May 1987 18% 78%

May 1988 20 77

May 1990 17 79

Jun. 1992 29 68

Jul. 1994 25 73

Aug. 2003* 21 77

Apr. 2009* 22 76

Apr. 2012 22 73




May 1987 64% 31%

May 1988 70 27

May 1990 68 31

Jun. 1992 67 28

Jul. 1994 62 38

Aug. 2003* 53 39

Apr. 2009* 58 37

Apr. 2012 62 34

How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements . . . Qualified minorities

should be given special preference in hiring and education.

----------------Responses of 18–29-year-olds---------------

Neither

Strongly Somewhat agree nor Somewhat Strongly

agree agree disagree disagree disagree

Mar.–Apr. 2012 Harvard IOP 5% 10% 39% 18% 28%

Mar.–Apr. 2013 Harvard IOP 5 11 36 19 28



Note: Online survey conducted by GfK Knowledge Networks using its national

KnowledgePanel.

11


Additional Assessments

In 1995 Gallup surveys conducted almost 30 years after affirmative action programs began, the

majority of Americans agreed that the programs had been needed to help overcome

discrimination when they were first adopted, and said they thought the programs had helped

women and minorities. They were more divided on whether the programs were still needed in

1995.

Forty-nine percent in a 2012 Pew survey said they felt affirmative action programs were still

needed, while 43 percent said they felt affirmative action had gone too far in favoring minorities

and should be phased out.

In the few surveys that have asked Americans how affirmative action impacted them

personally, most have said they were not affected. Eighty-two percent of respondents in a 2007

Pew poll said they had neither been hurt nor helped by affirmative action in their personal career

or education. In a 2013 Harvard Institute of Politics survey of 18-29-year-olds, 62 percent said

they had not been affected, 24 percent said they had been affected and it had been to their

disadvantage, and 12 percent said they had been affected and it had been to their advantage.

Overall Impact and Necessity

A number of efforts have been made to help certain groups in this country improve their

opportunities … What about blacks and job opportunities—do you think that we’ve gone too

far, not far enough, or have done about the right amount in making job opportunities for

blacks?

Not far

Too far About right enough

1980 Roper 32% 41% 23%

1985 Roper 22 42 32

A number of efforts have been made to help certain groups in this country improve their

opportunities …what about blacks and opportunities to get higher education in colleges and

universities? Do you think that we’ve gone too far, not far enough, or have done about the

right amount in making opportunities for blacks to attend colleges and universities?

Not far

Too far About right enough

1980 Roper 22% 48% 24%

1985 Roper 15 49 29

In general, do you think we need to increase, keep the same, or decrease affirmative action

programs in this country?

Increase Keep the same Decrease

Mar. 1995 Gallup/CNN/USA Today 31% 26% 37%

Jan. 1997 Gallup 27 28 33

Mar.-May 2001 Gallup 27 34 30

Aug. 2001 Gallup/CNN/USA Today 24 34 35

12


When affirmative action programs were first adopted almost thirty years ago, do you think

they were needed to help racial minorities overcome discrimination, or were they not needed

thirty years ago?

Were needed Were not

Feb. 1995 Gallup* 86% 12%

Jul. 1995 Gallup 85 11

Note: *Asked of half sample.

Overall, do you think affirmative action programs for the past thirty years have helped racial

minorities, hurt them, or had no effect one way or the other?

Helped Hurt Had no effect

Feb. 1995 Gallup 70% 11% 16%

Note: Asked of half sample.

Overall, do you think affirmative action programs for the past thirty years have helped

women, hurt them, or had no effect one way or the other?

Helped Hurt Had no effect

Feb. 1995 Gallup 76% 12% 9%


Today do you think affirmative action programs are needed to help racial minorities

overcome discrimination, or are they not needed today?

Needed Not needed

Feb. 1995 Gallup 41% 56%


Today do you think affirmative action programs are needed to help women overcome

discrimination, or are they not needed today?

Needed Not needed

Feb. 1995 Gallup 41% 57%


Today do you think affirmative action programs are needed to help women and minorities

overcome discrimination, or are they not needed today?

Needed Not needed

Jul. 1995 Gallup/CNN/USA Today 49% 47%

Aug. 2001 Gallup/CNN/USA Today 56 41

13


On the same topic, do you think affirmative action programs are needed today to help

minorities such as blacks and Hispanics overcome discrimination, or are they not needed

today?

Needed Not needed

Feb. 2003 AP 51% 43%

Let me read you two brief statements on affirmative action programs, and ask which one

comes closer to your own point of view? A: Affirmative action programs are still needed to

counteract the effects of discrimination against minorities, and are a good idea as long as

there are no rigid quotas. B: Affirmative action programs have gone too far in favoring

minorities, and should be phased out because they unfairly discriminate against whites. (If

respondent makes a choice) Do you feel strongly about that, or not so strongly?

Feel that affirmative action Feel that programs have

programs are still needed have gone too far

Strongly Not strongly Not strongly Strongly

Mar. 2000 NBC/WSJ 33% 21% 11% 26%

Jan. 2003 NBC/WSJ* 32 17 13 30

Jun. 2009 NBC/WSJ 37 26 8 20

Jan. 2010 NBC/WSJ 31 18 13 30


Which of the following statements better describes what you think affirmative action

programs generally do: These programs ensure that well qualified minorities get access to

the schools and jobs that they deserve, or these programs give preferential treatment to

minorities in school admissions and job hirings, even when those minorities are less qualified

than other applicants?

Ensure minorities Give preferential

get access to schools treatment to

and jobs they deserve minorities

Nov. 1997 Gallup* 42% 49%



Which comes closer to your point of view--affirmative action programs seek out qualified

minorities and do not disadvantage members of other groups or affirmative action programs

result in members of some minority groups being advantaged at the expense of other groups?

No disadvantage At expense of others

May-Jun. 2009 Quinnipiac 44% 46%

Note: Asked of registered voters.

14


Generally speaking, do you think affirmative action is a good think or a bad thing for the

country, or doesn’t it affect the country much?

Doesn’t affect

Good thing Bad thing country much

Jul. 1995 WashPost/Harvard/Kaiser 44% 26% 20%

Personal Impact

Have you personally ever been helped by affirmative action programs?

Yes No

Mar. 1995 NBC/WSJ 6% 90%

In your own personal career and education, have you ever been helped or hurt by an

affirmative action program, or has this never affected you?

Yes, Yes, Yes, No, not

helped hurt both (vol.) affected

Apr. 2003 Pew 4% 11% 1% 82%

Sep. 2007 Pew 5 10 * 82

Note: *Less than 0.5 percent gave that response.

Do you believe that you have been affected by affirmative action (a policy that qualified

minorities should be given special preferences in hiring and education) in education or the

workplace?

------------Responses of 18–29-year-olds-------------

Yes, and it has Yes, and it has

has been to my has been to my No, not

advantage disadvantage affected

Mar. 2013 Harvard IOP 12% 24% 62%


KnowledgePanel.

Income-based Affirmative Action

Would you favor or oppose an affirmative action program that gives preference in jobs and

education to people who come from an economically disadvantaged background, regardless

of their gender or ethnicity? (If favor or oppose) Would you (favor/oppose) that strongly or

(favor/oppose) that somewhat?

Favor Favor Oppose Oppose

strongly somewhat somewhat strongly

Mar. 1995 LAT 29% 29% 20% 14%

Jan. 2003 LAT 28 31 16 15

15


(Asked of those who were in favor of this type of program) Would you favor this type of

affirmative action (programs that gives preference in jobs and education to people who come

from an economically disadvantaged background) in addition to or in place of the current

affirmative action laws for minorities and women?

In addition to In place of

current laws current laws

Mar. 1995 LAT 53% 31%

If you had to choose, would you prefer the current approach to affirmative action which

targets women and minorities for benefits, or would you prefer a new approach to

affirmative action which would target poor Americans, regardless of their sex or race?

Prefer current Prefer programs

programs targeting poor

Mar. 1995 Time/CNN 10% 77%

Would you approve or disapprove of affirmative action based on income instead of race—

that is, giving preferences for jobs to people from low income families, regardless of their

race?

Approve Disapprove

Mar. 1995 PSRA/Newsweek 48% 43%

Suppose affirmative action programs to help minorities and women were ended and new

programs were created to help low-income people, regardless of their race or sex. Do you

believe that preference in hiring or promotion should be given to people from low-income

families today, or not?

Yes No

Apr. 1995 CBS/NYT 42% 51%

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Federal affirmative action programs

should be for low-income people rather than for people of a specific race or sex?

Agree Disagree

Jul. 1995 WashPost/Harvard/Kaiser 54% 39%

16


Affirmative Action in Higher Education

Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin is the most recent of a number of major Supreme Court

cases dealing with affirmative action in college admissions. Polling on the topic began when the

first such case came before the Court—Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. In that

case, the Court ruled against using racial quotas in college admissions, but allowed race to be

considered as one of many admissions criteria. At the time, a majority of Americans said quotas

for minorities should be illegal (Roper, 1977 and 1978), but still supported affirmative action for

women and minorities in higher education provided there were no rigid quotas (Harris, 1978).

In 2003, the year the Supreme Court ruled on Gratx v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger,

67 percent told Gallup pollsters they thought “college applicants should be admitted solely on the

basis of merit, even if that results in few minority students admitted.” At the same time, most

Americans said they thought it was important for a college to have a racially diverse student

body (CBS News, Associated Press), and 60 percent in a Pew survey said they thought that

“affirmative action programs designed to increase the number of black and minority students on

college campuses are a good thing.” Fewer in the Pew survey said they thought such programs

were fair (49 percent). Other surveys from 2003 and from 2013, when Fisher initially came

before the Court, showed that Americans opposed using race as a factor in admissions.

While Americans seem to favor increasing racial diversity on college campuses, they do

not support giving preference to minorities as a means of achieving that diversity.

Quotas

Do you favor or oppose affirmative action programs in higher education provided there are

no rigid quotas . . . ?

Affirmative action programs for blacks

Favor Oppose

Oct.–Nov. 1978 Harris

(White Americans) 68% 15%

(Black Americans) 91 9

Jan. 1982 Harris (National adult) 76% 19%

Affirmative action programs for Spanish-Americans

Favor Oppose





Affirmative action programs for women

Favor Oppose





17


There is a developing controversy over special admissions procedures and quotas for blacks

and other minority students in colleges and graduate school programs. Some say quotas and

programs are necessary to increase the number of minorities in these schools and make up

for past discriminations. Others say this practice discriminates against whites who cannot be

considered for the places in the quota. What is your feeling—that the quotas should be kept

to insure a certain number of minority students or that they should be illegal?

Quotas Quotas

should should Mixed Don’t

be kept be illegal Feelings Know

Jul. 1977 Roper 25% 54% 15% 6%

Jul. 1978 Roper 22 57 16 5

Jul. 1985 Roper* 28 46 17 9

Note: *Question wording was “There is a controversy . . .”

Jul. 1977 Demographic Breakdown

Quotas Quotas

should should Mixed Don’t

be kept be illegal Feelings Know

White 22% 59% -- --

Black 47 15 23 --

Some people say that because of past discrimination, it is sometimes necessary for colleges

and universities to reserve openings for Black students. Others oppose such quotas because

they say quotas give Blacks advantages they haven’t earned. What about your opinion—are

you for or against quotas to admit Black students?

Favor Oppose

1986 NES 38% 63%

1988 NES 36 64

1990 NES 37 63

1992 NES 33 67


Favor Oppose

1986 29% 71%

1988 28 72

1990 31 69

1992 26 74


Favor Oppose

1986 80% 20%

1988 83 17

1990 72 38

1992 75 24

18


When I mention affirmative action for blacks and Hispanics in college and university

admissions, do you think of it more as setting quotas or fixed numbers of positions for blacks

and Hispanics in college admissions, or increasing outreach efforts to find qualified black

and Hispanic college applicants?

Think of affirmative action in college

and university admissions more as . . .

Setting Increasing Don’t

quotas outreach know

Jan. 2003 PSRA/Newsweek 38% 44% 18%

19


Preferences in Admissions

Do you think blacks and other minorities should receive preference in college admissions to

make up for past inequalities, or not?

Yes, should No, should not

Jul. 1988 ABC 18% 76%

Jun. 1991 ABC/WashPost 22 76

Jun. 1997 ABC/WashPost 24 73

Jun. 1997 Demographic Breakdown


White 17% 81%

Black 49 48

Do you think blacks and other minorities should receive preference in college admissions to

make up for past inequalities, or not?


May 2013 PRRI 29% 64%



White 21% 74%

Black 57 31

Hispanic 45 49

Please tell me whether you think colleges and universities should or should not give

preferences in admissions for each of the following groups. What about…Blacks? Should

there be preferences in admissions for this group, or not?



Jan. 2003 PSRA/Newsweek 26 68



White 22% 73%

Minority 38 56

20



preferences in admissions for each of the following groups. What about…Hispanics? Should







White 22% 73%

Minority 38 59


preferences in admissions for each of the following groups. What about…Asians? Should






White 20% 75%

Minority 33 60

Do you approve or disapprove of affirmative action admissions programs at colleges and

law schools that give racial preferences to minority applicants?

Approve Disapprove

Jan. 2003 CNN/Time/Harris 39% 54%

Feb. 2003 CNN/Time/Harris 39 49

Jun. 2013 CNN/ORC 29 68


Approve Disapprove

White 19% 78%

Non-white 51 45

21


Affirmative Action and Diversity on College Campuses

Which comes closer to your view about evaluating students for admission into a college or

university . . . applicants should be admitted solely on the basis of merit, even if that results

in few minority students admitted (or) an applicant’s racial and ethnic background should be

considered to help promote diversity on college campuses, even if that means admitting some

minority students who otherwise would not be admitted?

Racial/ethic

Should be admitted background should

solely on merit be considered

Jun. 2003 Gallup 69% 27%



Jun.–Jul. 2013 Demographic Breakdown

Solely on merit Background considered

White (Non-Hispanic) 75% 22%

Black 44 48

Hispanic 59 36

All in all, do you think affirmative action programs designed to increase the number of black

and minority students on college campuses are fair or unfair?

Fair Unfair

Apr.–May 2003 Pew 47% 42%

In general, do you think affirmative action programs designed to increase the number of

black and minority students on college campuses are a good thing or a bad thing?

Good thing Bad thing

May 2003 Pew 60% 30%

Feb.–Mar. 2014 Pew 63 30

How important do you think it is for a college to have a racially diverse student body—that

is, a mix of blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics, and other minorities?

Very Somewhat Not too Not at all

important important important important

Dec. 1997 CBS/NYT 43% 35% 12% 9%

Jan. 2003 CBS/NYT 46 33 11 8

Feb.–Mar. 2003 AP 50 30 10 10

Jan. 2003 Demographic Breakdown (CBS/NYT)

Very/Somewhat important

White 78%

Black 89

22


Do you favor, oppose, or neither favor nor oppose allowing universities to increase the

number of black students studying at their schools by considering race along with other

factors when choosing students?

Neither favor

Favor Oppose nor oppose

2012 ANES (pre-election) 14% 54% 32%


Neither favor

Favor Oppose nor oppose

White 9% 63% 29%

Black 36 22 41

Hispanic 21 36 43

Other 18 52 30

Do you think public universities should be allowed to use race as one of the factors in

admissions to increase diversity in the student body or not?


Jun.–Jul. 2013 Quinnipiac 21% 74%




White 17% 79%

Black 36 55

Hispanic 35 62

College graduates 33% 64%

No college degree 15 79

How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements . . . Increased racial

diversity in the student body improves the quality of college education.

----------------Responses of 18–29-year-olds---------------

Neither

Strongly Somewhat agree nor Somewhat Strongly

agree agree disagree disagree disagree

Mar.–Apr. 2014 Harvard IOP 14% 22% 33% 12% 7%


KnowledgePanel.

23


Supreme Court Cases

The Supreme Court is about to rule on the Bakke case, which will decide whether or not a

university can favor the applications of minority students and/or women over other students

in order to meet affirmative action goals. If you were on the Supreme Court and had to rule

on the Bakke case, would you vote in favor of the principle of affirmative action, which would

allow universities to favor the applications of minority and disadvantaged students over

others, or would you vote against it?

Would vote in favor Would vote against

of affirmative action affirmative action

May–Jun. 1978 Time/Yankelovich 25% 75%


As you may know, the US Supreme Court will be deciding whether public universities can use

race as one of the factors in admissions to increase diversity in the student body. Do you

favor or oppose this practice?

Favor Oppose

Jan. 2003 NBC/WSJ* 26% 65%

Feb.–Mar. 2003 Quinnipiac 28 67%


February–March 2003 Demographic Breakdown

Favor Oppose

White 22% 73%

Black 43 50

Hispanic 47 51

Recently the Supreme Court made some widely publicized rulings. Based on what you know

about the decisions, please tell me whether you approve or disapprove of how the court

rules, or if you don’t know enough to say. Do you approve or disapprove of the Supreme

Court’s decision . . . allowing an applicant’s race to be a factor in college admissions

procedures?

Approve Disapprove

Jun.–Jul. 2003 Fox 24% 63%

24


As I read some issues the Supreme Court may rule on over the coming years, please tell how

important each issue is to you personally . . . Court decisions on affirmative action.

Very Fairly Not too Not at all


Jul. 2005 Pew* 43% 35% 12% 7%

Nov. 2005 Pew 38 37 12 7

Jun. 2009 Pew 40 32 14 7





White 35% 34% 16% 8%

Black 64 19 6 4

Hispanic 42 31 7 2

Thinking about some cases the Supreme Court will decide on next week . . . How interested

are you in the court’s decision on affirmative action in college admissions?


interested interested interested interested

Jun. 2013 Pew 31% 31% 17% 19%


Very

interested

White 25%

Black 56

25


Additional Assessments

How do you think affirmative action for blacks and Hispanics in college admissions affect the

overall quality of education? Do you think it improves quality, decreases quality, or doesn’t

have much effect on quality either way?

Improves Decreases Doesn’t have

quality quality much effect


As a result of affirmative action for blacks and Hispanics in college admissions, do you think

less qualified applicants are accepted often, sometimes, hardly ever, or never?

Often Sometimes Hardly ever Never

Jan. 2003 PSRA/Newsweek 26% 44% 14% 5%

Without affirmative action for blacks and Hispanics, do you think blacks’ and Hispanics’

representation among college students would . . . get better, get worse, or stay about the

same?

Would get Would get Would stay

better worse about the same


Would you approve or disapprove of affirmative action based on income instead of race, that

is, giving preferences for college admissions to people from low income families, regardless

of their race or ethnic background?

Approve Disapprove

Jan. 2003 PSRA/Newsweek 65% 28%

Do you think you were helped or hurt in the college admissions process because of your race

or ethnicity, or do you think it did not make a difference?

Did not make

Helped Hurt a difference

May 2013 PRRI 6% 7% 80%

May 2013 Demographic Breakdown

Did not make

Helped Hurt a difference

White 3% 6% 83%

Black 16 8 71

Hispanic 11 7 79

public opinion on affirmative action - aei · while the dearth of recent surveys limits our ability...

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