AP Government: Affirmative Action and Regents v. Bakke Practice Exam

📚 Topic Summary

Affirmative Action refers to policies designed to address past and present discrimination against specific groups, particularly in employment and education. These policies aim to create a more level playing field by giving preferential treatment to individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. However, affirmative action has been a subject of legal challenges, with opponents arguing that it constitutes reverse discrimination.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) was a landmark Supreme Court case addressing affirmative action. The Court ruled that while affirmative action is constitutional in some circumstances, the specific program at UC Davis, which set aside a specific number of seats for minority students, was not. The Court held that race could be a factor in admissions decisions, but quotas were illegal.

📝 Part A: Vocabulary

Match the term to its definition:

1. Term: Affirmative Action
2. Term: Quota
3. Term: Reverse Discrimination
4. Term: Strict Scrutiny
5. Term: Equal Protection Clause

1. Definition: A specific number or proportion, especially of people allowed to belong to a particular group or category.
2. Definition: Government policies or programs designed to redress prior discrimination against women and minority groups.
3. Definition: Discrimination against members of a dominant or majority group.
4. Definition: A form of judicial review that courts use to determine the constitutionality of certain laws.
5. Definition: Part of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibiting any state from denying to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

(Match the terms to the definitions. Answers are provided below.)

✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct terms related to Affirmative Action and Regents v. Bakke.

In Regents v. ________, the Supreme Court addressed the issue of ________ ________ in college admissions. The Court ruled that while race could be a ________ in admissions, setting specific ________ was unconstitutional. The case involved Allan ________, who argued that he was unfairly denied admission to UC Davis medical school due to the university's affirmative action program.

🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking

Should colleges and universities be allowed to consider race as a factor in admissions decisions? Explain your reasoning, considering arguments for and against affirmative action.

(Vocabulary Answers: 1-2, 2-1, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5; Fill in the Blanks: Bakke, affirmative action, factor, quotas, Bakke)