Public Agenda: First Choice 2004

Create Your Own Choicework: Race

Choicework is a useful way to think through public issues, but the approaches we describe aren't the only way to look at this problem. You may have your own ideas, and people often decide they can't totally buy into one approach. So look at the options below and come up with your own way of looking at the problem. Check off all of the actions you think should be taken and add your own ideas.

Check off all of the actions you think should be taken:

Enforce equality before the law

Spend more money on enforcement of current civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in employment, education, voting and housing.

End affirmative action programs. Base college admissions, government contracting and private employment decisions solely on merit.

Ban and prosecute private industry practices that discriminate, such as when banks refuse to make loans in minority neighborhoods or charge higher interest rates to minorities.

Give minorities extra assistance with affirmative action

Maintain affirmative action policies in government hiring and encourage business to do the same.

Continue to use race as a consideration in university admissions and financial aid. Provide extra tutoring and help to minority students to keep them from dropping out.

Insist on proof that the proportions of minorities among police, firefighters and school teachers reflect the community they serve.

Continue “set-aside” programs that direct a percentage of government contracts to minority-owned businesses.

Keep preferences in effect until parity is achieved.

Help minorities by attacking poverty

Abandon race-based preferences and provide expanded public support for the poor regardless of race, such as additional assistance for low-income single mothers.

Improve public schools in low-income neighborhoods so kids who grow up there in have the same opportunity to succeed that other kids have.

Focus on income level, rather than race, in making decisions on college admissions and student aid.

Expand race-neutral programs that make a difference for poor people, including job skills training, comprehensive health care legislation, anti-crime efforts, and drug abuse prevention.

Are there other actions not listed here that you think should be considered? If so, enter them here:

Additional action: