미국 공립대학의 적극적 차별 수정 정책(affirmative action)은 소수집단에 대한 과거의 차별을 보상하는 차원에서 시행되면서 할당제(quota system)나 특별배려(preferential treatment) 등 역차별의 논쟁을 불러일으켰으며, 법원의 판결이나 일부 주의 주민발의안의 통과로 정책 자체가 소멸 위기를 맞기도 했다. 그럼에도 대학입학에서 적극적 차별 수정 정책은 1978년 배키(Bakke) 판결, 2003년 그루터(Grutter) 판결을 통해 학생 구성원의 다양화를 위한 하나의 요인으로 인종(race)을 고려하는 것이 합헌으로 판결받은 이후에 그 정책의 기본 틀을 유지해왔다. 1996년 홉우드(Hopwood) 판결에서 대학이 소수집단을 고려하는 입학정책을 시행하는 것은 위헌이라고 판결하면서, 적극적 차별 수정 정책의 근간이 되어 온 배키 판결을 번복시킴에 따라 사법부의 견해가 분열되는 양상을 띠었지만, 2011년 1월 피셔(Fisher) 판결에서 사법부의 견해가 통일되는 계기가 되었다. 하지만 일부 주에서 주헌법에 인종배려(racial preferences) 금지 조항을 규정함에 따라, 적극적 차별 수정 정책에 대한 사법부 및 대학 당국의 입장과 일반시민의 견해 차이를 극복하는 것이 향후 과제로 남아 있다.
Affirmative action programs in the public universities` admissions policy of United States have aroused much controversy based on the quota system and preferential treatment. At one time, the affirmative action implementing in the universities admissions policy was in the moment of danger of abolition by the courts` decisions and passage of some state`s Civil Rights Initiatives. Despite of much difficulties in the process of implementing the affirmative action programs in universities admissions policy, public universities have maintained its basic framework of affirmative action after it has been legitimatized by Bakke decision(1978) and Grutter decision(2003) by the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court in two decisions upheld and reaffirmed the constitutionality of using race as one of many factors in making admission decisions at the public universities. In Hopwood decision(1996), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled against the affirmative action of considering race in the admissions process and decided that universities` policy was a violation of the Constitution`s equal-protection guarantee. The U.S. Court of Appeals through this controversial Hopwood decision reversed the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court`s Bakke decision as binding precedent and caused split over opinions of the sensitive one among the American public policies. Finally, In Fisher decision(2011), the judicial branch of federal government coincided regarding universities`s use of affirmative action policy in admissions standards. However, some states such as California, Washington, Michigan passed Initiative, banning affirmative action in higher education, public contracting, and hiring and kept universities from using race, gender, ethnicity, or national origin as a factor in admissions process. Furthermore Anti-affirmative action organizations still continues to file complaints against universities in an attempt to discourage them from developing or continuing with their affirmative action programs. There are different opinions about application of affirmative action in higher education admissions policy between the judicial branch and the public and some states.
(0)
(0)