1. Issue: Affirmative Action Group Names TITLE SLIDE

2. Review of Literature ● Studies in the 1970s found that little more than 20% of Americans favored measures to give preferential treatment to African Americans ● In more recent years, survey results vary widely depending on how questions are worded, and which specific racial groups or issues are mentioned.

3. 2003 Pew Research Center poll showed 63% supporting programs “designed to help blacks, women, and other minorities get better jobs and education.” -versus- 2003 Quinnipiac poll showed 38% support “affirmative action programs that give preference to blacks and other minorities.” -and- Fewer than 3 in 10 support affirmative action when it references college admission, specifically EXAMPLES:

4. Hypothesis ● We hypothesized that minority students would favor affirmative action more than White students at Von Steuben ● However, we also thought that White students at this school would still have higher rates of support for affirmative action than statistics for White teenagers nationally

5. Research and Methodology Overview ● We conducted our survey in Ms. Cantacessi’s freshman division last Wednesday morning. There were 13 males and 15 females in the class, all between 14 and 15 years old. Our key findings were: -Just under half of the respondents favored affirmative action policies generally, but results varied with wording -There was no notable difference between the gender of the respondents -Minority students (of any race) had slightly higher rates of approval than White students

6. Research and Methodology Overview, contd. One complicating factor was that many of the freshmen did not know what affirmative action was. We did a brief overview/explanation of the issue before administering the survey. However, there is a chance that some students were still confused. This may disqualify the validity of some responses.

7. 1.Do you support affirmative action policies that help blacks, women, and other minorities receive better jobs and education? 2.Do you support affirmative action policies that give preference to racial minorities in the college selection process? 3.Do you think that the college selection process should be color-blind? 4.Do you think the government has a special obligation to help African Americans? Survey Questions

8. 5. What is your race? 6. What is your gender? 7. What is your age?

9. Graphs: Overview Division 804

10. 89% support programs to “help blacks, women, and other minorities receive better work and education…” #1

11. Question 1, by race 75% of White respondents 86% of Hispanic respondents 100% of African American respondents 100% of Asian respondents SUPPORT: “ affirmative action policies that help blacks, women, and other minorities receive better jobs and education”

12. ● White: 25% ● Hispanic: 47% ● African American: 60% ● Asian: 50% 46% Average Question 2, by race

13. Question 2, by gender #2

14. Question 3: 71% respond “yes” to “color- blind admissions” 100% White 67% Hispanic 80% African American 80% Asian

15. 25% White 26% Hispanic 50% African American 25% Asian Question 4: Only 29% think the government has an obligation to help African Americans

16. Analysis and Conclusions ● Wording matters o Von students responded differently (71% in support) when the question was phrased as “color-blind admissions policies,” despite their initial 46% support of “affirmative action policies in college admissions” ● Gender made no impact o Both male and female respondents had similar results across survey questions ● Minorities more likely to support Affirmative Action o Hispanic, African American, and Asian students were slightly more likely to oppose color-blind admissions o African American students were more likely to respond ‘yes’ that the government should help African Americans

17. Analysis and Conclusions: Von vs. National data ● Von students had significantly higher rates of support for the general “helping blacks, women...” statement (89% vs. 63%) ● Von students had only slightly higher support for affirmative action policies in terms of college admissions (46% vs. 38%) ● Von students’ responses were similar to those from the national survey in terms of the question of a governmental “obligation” (29% vs. 31%)

18. Further Questions ● If we had done a longer, more informational presentation that went into depth about Affirmative Action beforehand, would the results have been different? ● If we had surveyed juniors or seniors (closer to going to college) would they have been more or less supportive of affirmative action in college decisions?

19. Further Questions ● How would students across CPS respond? ● How do government policies impact public opinion on issues like Affirmative Action? ● Why did the original researchers choose those specific question stems? How could changing the wording in future surveys change the results?