Generations of discrimination in employment, education, and other opportunities resulted in many people being underrepresented in important aspects of society. The goal of affirmative action was to reverse these effects. Supporters of affirmative action believe that the government should promote equality by providing opportunities for members of underrepresented groups. Opponents of affirmative action believe it leads to unfair special privileges for the members of those groups.

Should the policy of affirmative action be eliminated? You will answer this question with a formal written argument defending or opposing the policy of affirmative action. Your written argument should explain what affirmative action is and how the policy is currently used. Whether you are for or against the policy, you should cite factual evidence that supports your argument. Some examples of evidence are statistics of diversity on college campuses or in the workplace and Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action.

Your written argument should be well-organized, creative, and interesting. Instead of simply presenting the information, try to construct an informed argument that is supported by factual evidence. This writing must be a minimum of four paragraphs, including an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Before you begin, take a look at the Affirmative Action Checklist to make sure you include all of the items required for full credit. You will use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment, so make sure you submit a Works Cited document along with your work. If you need assistance, please visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you use.

Once you have completed your written argument and Works Cited document, please submit your work to the dropbox.