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US Government - Paper 3 > Race and rights in contemporary US politics. > Flashcards

Race and rights in contemporary US politics. Flashcards

1
Q

smj

List 3 reasons Conservatives criticised affirmative action

A
  1. Inequality provides incentives
  2. Other minorities have done better
  3. Affirmative action is based on racism
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2
Q

What was KBJ’s argument for maintaining Affirmative Action?

A

One’s history is considered, another is not. Equal Protection - 14th amendment

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3
Q

What can you say about tthe number of migrants at the US-Mexico border?

A

Low during Trump’s administration and High during Biden’s

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4
Q

What can you say about tthe number of deportations by US immigrant authorities at the US-Mexico border?

A

High during Obama and Trump and Low during Biden. Slowly decreasing.

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5
Q

What’s the democrat approach to immigration reform?

A

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
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6
Q

What’s the republican approach to immigration reform?

A

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

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7
Q

Why has there been a rise in the number of unaccompanied children crossing the border?

A

Policies like DACA, which provide protections for undocumented immigrants who arrived as children.

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8
Q

What was Greg Abbott fight with the Biden administration over immigration enforcement on the US-Mexico border?

A
  • 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
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9
Q

What did the SC rule in Arizona v US?

A
  • The principle that border security and immigration were federal powers was established
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10
Q

What was ruled in DHS v Texas (2024)?

A

The court ruled 5-4 that federal border patrol could cut down the wire

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11
Q

Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Represenation and voting rights. (YES)

A
  • 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,
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12
Q

Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Represenation and voting rights. (NO)

A
  • 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)
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13
Q

Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Discrimination/Affirmative Action (YES)

A
  • 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
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14
Q

Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Discrimination/Affirmative Action (NO)

A
  • 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
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15
Q

Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Immigration (YES)

A
  • 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
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16
Q

Has racial equality improved in the 21st century?
- Immigration (NO)

A
  • 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
17
Q

What is affirmative action?

A

Any attempt to overcome the effects of previous discrimination.

18
Q

What is one form of affirmative action?

A

Quotas in education - reserving a fixed number of places to members of a racial minority group.

19
Q

What practices have states introduced to restrict minority voting?

A
  1. Gerrymandering on racial lines
  2. Literacy tests
  3. Felony voting restrictions
20
Q

What is gerrymandering on racial lines?

A
  • 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’.
21
Q

What is literacy tests?

A

It was common to impose literacy test, but these were often used in areas with higher concentrations of minority citizens

22
Q

What is felony voting restrictions?

A
  • 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.
23
Q

What’s minority representation?

A
  • 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.
24
Q

Have racial rights groups been successful in achieving racial equality?
- Affirmative Action (YES)

A

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.

25
Q

Have racial rights groups been successful in achieving racial equality?
- Affirmative Action (NO)

A
  1. Decline of Affirmative Action Programs:
    - The scope of AA has been reduced in many states due to legislative and judicial challenges. Example: The 2003 Grutter v. Bollinger case upheld AA but set time limits, suggesting AA should not be a permanent measure. Similarly, states like California (via Proposition 209) have banned race-based AA in public institutions.
  2. Reverse Discrimination Claims:
    - Critics view AA as a form of racial bias against white and Asian-American individuals, creating resentment and perpetuating divisions. Example: Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023) challenged AA policies, with claims that Asian-American applicants faced unfair disadvantages.
26
Q

Have racial rights groups been successful in achieving racial equality?
- Voting rights (YES)

A
  1. Landmark Legal Protections:
    - VRA (1965) outlawed discriminatory practices like literacy tests and poll taxes. Racial rights groups such as the NAACP and Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) were instrumental in advocating for this legislation.
  2. Advocacy
    - Rights groups have continually fought voter suppression through lawsuits and public awareness campaigns, ensuring that disenfranchisement efforts are challenged.
    - Example: In 2023, Allen v. Milligan upheld the VRA’s protection against racial gerrymandering, largely due to advocacy by civil rights organizations.
27
Q

Have racial rights groups been successful in achieving racial equality?
- Voting rights (NO)

A
  1. Weakened Legal Protections:
    - Shelby v. Holder (2013) invalidated key provisions of the VRA, allowing states to change voting laws without federal oversight.
    Example: After Shelby, many states introduced voter ID laws and reduced early voting periods, disproportionately affecting minority voters.
  2. Systematic Voter Suppression
    - States have enacted laws that restrict access to voting for minorities, such as: mclosing polling stations in minority neighborhoods, restricting postal voting and reducing early voting + gerrymandering
    Example: Operation REDMAP in Republican states like North Carolina and Texas
28
Q

Have racial rights groups been successful in achieving racial equality?
- Equal representation (YES)

A

Increased representation in the executive, legislative and judiciary branches

  • Obama: First Black president, Harris: First Black and South Asian vice president.
  • Biden’s Cabinet: Historically diverse, including Deb Haaland, first Native American Secretary.
  • House: Black representation is now proportional to the population, with Hakeem Jeffries (Black) and Linda Sánchez (Latino) in key roles.
  • KBJ: First Black woman on the Supreme Court.
  • Local Leadership: Cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and Boston have elected Black mayors, and Latino/Asian-American leaders are rising in state and local governments.
29
Q

Have racial rights groups been successful in achieving racial equality?
- Equal representation (NO)

A
  1. Underrepresentation in the Senate:
    - Only 11/100 senators are racial minorities (as of 2025), below proportional representation.

2.Uneven Executive Representation:
- Minority representation in the cabinet varies by administration. E.g. Trump’s cabinet was less diverse than others.

  1. Barriers to Representation:
    - Gerrymandering, voter suppression, and the high cost of running for office hurt minority candidates.
  2. Judiciary Underrepresentation:
    - Minorities remain underrepresented in federal and state courts. E.g. Latino representation in the judiciary is low.
30
Q

How amny children and young adults did Obama protect due to DACA?

A

700,000

31
Q

How many unauthorised immigrants were in the US at the start of Trump and Biden’s presidency?

A
  1. Trump - 10.7m
  2. Biden - 10.5m
32
Q

What was Obama’s approach to illegal immigration?

A
  1. DREAM act- citizenhip for illegal immigrants - failed to pass Congress
  2. DACA EO - allowed any illegal immigrant to remain in the US if arrived as minor. DAPA - parents of children w right to remain to stay in US legally - SC blocked.
  3. Maximised temp protected staus (TPS) to prevent deportation
  4. Record number of deportations for any president
33
Q

What was Trump’s approach to illegal immigration?

A
  1. Pledge to build border wall across entire length of US-Mexico border and make Mexico pay
  2. Opposed DACA and DAPA
  3. Family seperation at the border - strongly criticised by Republicans and Dmeocrats as inhumane
  4. Created a ‘remain in Mexico’ policy for all asylum seekers had to stay in detention areas in Mexico while US assessed asylum claims. Biden ended this plan.
34
Q

What were the successes of the Democrat immigration policies?

A
  1. Path to Legal Status:
    - U.S. has about 10 million undocumented immigrants. Removing them is impossible; granting legal status will improve access to healthcare, education, and jobs, addressing inequality.
  2. Humanitarian Treatment:
    - Focus on human rights and basic needs in immigration process, treating people more humanely.
35
Q

What were the successes of the Republican immigration policies?

A
  1. Encouraging More Immigration
    - Republicans argue Democrats are incentivizing more immigrants to come. Border crossings increased at the start of Biden’s presidency, including unaccompanied minors.
  2. Texas Governor’s Tough Stance:
    - Texas Governor has criticized Biden’s handling.
    Revoked housing shelter licenses for organizations housing unaccompanied migrant children in Texas.

US Government - Paper 3 (11 decks)

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