⇒ Support big government - the democrats believe the federal government should help vulnerable people
⇒ It has made the US a fairer place - black middle class has developed and re-districting has allowed for more diversity of the house of representatives
⇒ Continued need for affirmative action - evidence of inequality, racial profiling and Trump refusing to condemn the KKK
⇒ A majority of blacks support democrats and affirmative action benefits them - want to attract their votes (88% voted for Clinton)
⇒ Believe the Constitution is flawed - it allowed slavery so we need to right these wrongs. Affirmative action ensures equality of opportunity
⇒ Blue dog democrats oppose affirmative action
⇒ Public sector more likely to opposed affirmative action as some feel it disadvantages them
⇒ Affirmative action policies that were divised to ensure blacks would have access to jobs they would have been denied "directly affected white Catholics" - in other words, affirmative action increased competition for those people and thus gave Republicans these votes
⇒ Conservatives prefer limited government and believe the government shouldn't interfere with the state's rights. Affirmative action interferes with states' rights, so they're opposed
⇒ Unconstitutional as " all men are created equal" - affirmative action doesn’t provide equal opportunity and prevents self-reliance so can be seen as reverse discrimination
⇒ It is unfair - why should white Americans pay for what some of their ancestors did? Some blacks owned slaves. Other minority groups have fared well without affirmative action too (Chinese, Irish)
⇒ Unnecessary - many blacks have prospered in recent years (like Obama) and segregation is a choice. Racism is no longer as prevalent in the South (hence why the supreme court struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act 1965)
⇒ Affirmative action lowers standards and creates a stigma
⇒ Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell both benefitted from affirmative action (and support it) BUT Ben Carson didn't
⇒ Some republicans support affirmative action for electoral reasons - such republicans want to be seen as compassionate conservatism (as this shows a softer, more electable side)
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