Theoretical Issues in Justice Studies Paper 5 Pages

In the United States, African Americans have historically been disadvantaged because of slavery
and racial segregation. Is affirmative action in college admissions an acceptable form of
compensation for historical disadvantage? Relying on the cases excerpted in Sandel, as well as
the dialogue between Ronald Dworkin and Jefferson Morley, and considering Rawls and
Aristotle on the subject of merit and distributive justice, write an essay examining the problem of
affirmative action.
You are encouraged to consult the case
Regents of the
University of California
v.
Bakke
, which is
posted on Canvas, but it is not required. Should you cite
Bakke
, the citation will be to the page in
Word and not to the actual page numbers of the case. So cite the case like this: (Bakke, 5). In the
text, the reference goes like this:
University of California
v.
Bakke
. Thus, the first time, you can
write: In
University of California
v.
Bakke
, the Supreme Court held that
blah blah blah
(Bakke
comma followed by a page number in the Word document). All citations to the cases in Sandel
are to be cited as Sandel, followed by a page. There is no need to repeat the full name of the case
after your first mention. So, write it this way: In
Bakke
, blah blah blah – not: in
Regents of the
University of California
v.
Bakke
, blah blah blah.
But you should know this, because it is in
the Writing Guidelines.

Do not write an essay on your feelings about this subject without reference to any thinkers
discussed in class or in Sandel’s book. Do not rely exclusively or extensively on authors not
found in Sandel. It is acceptable to use outside research, but not at the expense of Sandel’s book.