A recent Gallup poll has shed light on the American public’s views regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to ban affirmative action initiatives at universities. The findings reveal that a significant majority of Americans, including 52% of Black respondents, express agreement with the Court’s ruling. This decision effectively eliminated the consideration of race and ethnicity in university admissions decisions, a move that garnered diverse opinions across different demographic groups.
Overall, 68% of those surveyed viewed the removal of race and ethnicity considerations from university admissions decisions as “mostly a good thing,” while 32% considered it “mostly a bad thing.” The breakdown of these sentiments among various racial and ethnic groups is as follows:
- Asian adults: 63% regarded it as “mostly a good thing.”
- Black adults: 52% expressed agreement (48% considered it “mostly a bad thing”).
- Hispanic adults: 68% leaned toward it being “mostly a good thing.”
- White adults: 72% viewed it as “mostly a good thing.”
The Supreme Court’s landmark decision, issued in June, was the result of a 6-3 ruling that determined universities like Harvard and the University of North Carolina could no longer give preferential treatment to underrepresented groups in their admissions processes.
Interestingly, the survey revealed variations in how different racial and ethnic groups perceived the impact of this decision on higher education in the United States. Notably, 50% of Black adults believed the ruling would have a “negative impact,” which was the highest among all groups surveyed. In contrast, nearly half of Asian adults (48%) believed it would have a “positive impact.” Meanwhile, 22% of Hispanics and 23% of whites believed it would have “no impact at all.”
Gallup’s analysis of the findings noted the precarious timing of the Supreme Court decision for Black Americans considering pursuing higher education. This is because Black enrollment has been on the decline for over a decade, and Black students often face unique challenges that hinder their ability to complete a degree.
The poll surveyed 12,443 U.S. adults from October 25 to November 9, 2023, with a margin of error of +/- 1.9 points and a 95% confidence level. These results provide insight into the complex and evolving attitudes surrounding affirmative action and its impact on higher education in the United States.
