What happened in the Supreme Court case of University of California v Bakke?

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What happened in the Supreme Court case of University of California v Bakke?

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Regents of the U. of California v. Bakke (1978)

Affirmative Action, Equal Protection

What happened in the Supreme Court case of University of California v Bakke?

The Cases

  • Brown v. Board of Education
  • Dred Scott v. Sandford
  • Engel v. Vitale
  • Gibbons v. Ogden
  • Gideon v. Wainwright
  • Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
  • Korematsu v. United States
  • Mapp v. Ohio
  • Marbury v. Madison
  • McCulloch v. Maryland
  • Miranda v. Arizona
  • New Jersey v. T.L.O.
  • Obergefell v. Hodges
  • Plessy v. Ferguson
  • Regents of the U. of California v. Bakke
  • Roe v. Wade
  • Schenck v. United States
  • Texas v. Johnson
  • Tinker v. Des Moines
  • United States v. Nixon




Overview

"Race or ethnic background may be deemed a ‘plus’ in a particular applicant’s file, yet it does not insulate the individual from comparison with all other candidates for the available seats."

Justice Powell, speaking for the Court

This case explores the legal concept of equal protection.

In the early 1970s, the University of California Davis School of Medicine devised a dual admissions program to increase representation of racial minorities and “disadvantaged” students. Allan Bakke, a White person, applied to and was rejected from the regular admissions program. Applicants of color with lower grade point averages and test scores were admitted under the specialty admissions program. Bakke filed suit, alleging that the dual admissions system violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and excluded him on the basis of race. The Supreme Court found for Bakke against the rigid use of racial quotas, but also established that race was a permissible criterion among several others.



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Decision

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Learning Activities

The Case

  • Classifying Arguments Activity
  • Applying Precedents Activity
  • Understanding the Decision

After the Case

  • Applying Precedents Activity: Fisher v. University of Texas (2016)
  • The Michigan Affirmative Action Cases
  • Cartoon Analysis
  • Mini-Moot Court Activity: Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin (2016) 
  • The 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause

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About the Case
  • Full Case Summaries: A summary of case facts, issues, relevant constitutional provisions/statutes/precedents, arguments for each side, decision, and impact. Available at a high school and middle school levels. 
  • Case Background: Background information at three reading levels.
  • Case Vocabulary: Important related vocabulary terms at two reading levels.
  • Diagram of How the Case Moved Through the Court System
  • Case summary graphic organizer
  • Decision: A summary of the decision and key excerpts from the opinion(s)

Learning Activities

The Case

  • Classifying Arguments Activity
  • Applying Precedents Activity
  • Understanding the Decision

After the Case

  • Applying Precedents: Fisher v. University of Texas (2016)
  • The Michigan Affirmative Action Cases
  • Cartoon Analysis
  • Mini-Moot Court Activity: Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin (2016) 
  • The 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause

Teacher Resources

Teaching Strategies Used

  • Applying Precedents
  • Classifying Arguments
  • Mini-Moot Courts
  • Political Cartoon Analysis

Landmark Cases Glossary

The LandmarkCases.org glossary compiles all of the important vocab terms from case materials. It is provided as a view-only Google Sheet.

What happened in the Bakke case?

Bakke (1978), the Supreme Court ruled that a university's use of racial "quotas" in its admissions process was unconstitutional, but a school's use of "affirmative action" to accept more minority applicants was constitutional in some circumstances.

Who won the University of California Bakke case?

No and yes. There was no single majority opinion. Four of the justices contended that any racial quota system supported by government violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr., agreed, casting the deciding vote ordering the medical school to admit Bakke.

What happened in the case of Regents of the University of California v Bakke quizlet?

In Regents of University of California v. Bakke , the Supreme Court ruled that a university's use of racial quotas in its admissions process was unlawful, but a school's use of "affirmative action" to accept more outvoted candidates was constitutional in some circumstances.