Live data from Hacker News

Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions

latimes.com

21–30 of 1001 posts

Re: Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions

#21

Whatever your opinion about recent supreme court decisions, this has all underscored what has been true for a long time: Legislating via the judicial branch is a bad idea. If it only takes 5 out of 9 people to make laws for 600 million, it only takes one seat change to revert them. (Edit: sorry, 300 - pre-caffeine posting)

> 600 million

You mean 330 million?

Re: Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions

#24
> Sotomayor, the court’s first Latina, has been the boldest defender of what she prefers to call “race-sensitive” admission policies and has referred to herself as the “perfect affirmative action child.”

That will probably not do a lot to convince those happy with this outcome.

Re: Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions

#25

Whatever your opinion about recent supreme court decisions, this has all underscored what has been true for a long time: Legislating via the judicial branch is a bad idea. If it only takes 5 out of 9 people to make laws for 600 million, it only takes one seat change to revert them. (Edit: sorry, 300 - pre-caffeine posting)

I don’t love the decision, but I actually like the process. And I don’t think it is legislating. It is interpreting the law.

I’d like term limits on Supreme Court justices. But I think the arguments on both sides of this debate are well thought out.

Again I don’t love the decision, but Im OK with it. That said I’d love to see universities stop giving weight to legacies. But the money is just too strong.

Re: Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions

#26
Harvard used "personality score" to sort out applicants. Now, they got rid of "personality score", SAT/ACT/LSAT/MCAT, etc., scores. They can tell their feeder schools even four years earlier, how to prepare admission packets for prospective students. Schools like Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford can pick whatever students they want.

Re: Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions

#27

Whatever your opinion about recent supreme court decisions, this has all underscored what has been true for a long time: Legislating via the judicial branch is a bad idea. If it only takes 5 out of 9 people to make laws for 600 million, it only takes one seat change to revert them. (Edit: sorry, 300 - pre-caffeine posting)

> Legislating via the judicial branch is a bad idea.

Perhaps, if there is no 75% majority of opinions at the supreme court, then the case is just put on hold indefinitely until new clarifying laws are passed?

Re: Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions

#28
I would like to see lotteries used for this type of thing, because they would be much easier to accept. You could have 10% or 20% percent of candidates chosen by lottery, or have a lottery for all candidates who have the minimum pre-requisites, etc. Some sort of randomness whould guarantee a diversity of candidates and would even span across dimensions which are not even considered currently.
Post reply on HN