Deck 18: The Legacy of Racism

Question 1

Talk about:
-Affirmative action

Answer 1

a social policy that increases the chances of hiring or admissions on the basis of an applicant's status as a member of a group that has suffered extensive discrimination.

Question 2

Talk about:
-Compensation

Answer 2

the means of restoring those who have been harmed to the condition they were in prior to the harm having occurred. Compensation does not require a wrongdoer and need not be paid by the perpetrator of the harm.

Question 3

Talk about:
-Counterfactual question

Answer 3

a question that asks what would have occurred if, contrary to fact, something else had not taken place.

Question 4

Talk about:
-De facto equality

Question 5

Talk about:
-De jure equality

Question 6

Talk about:
-Implicit bias

Question 7

Talk about:
-Internment camps

Question 8

Talk about:
-Jim Crow laws

Question 9

Talk about:
-Oppression

Question 10

Talk about:
-Principle of merit

Question 11

Talk about:
-Racism

Question 12

Talk about:
-Redlining

Question 13

Talk about:
-Reparations

Question 14

Talk about:
-White privilege

Question 15

Which of the following is true about implicit biases?

A) Researchers aim to measure them with Implicit Association Tests.
B) Subjects are not consciously aware of them.
C) Some research suggests that they can lead to discrimination against minorities.
D) All of the above

Question 16

Which of the following is not one of Peggy McIntosh's examples of white privilege?

A) If the IRS audits their tax return, they can be sure they have not been singled out because of their race.
B) White people can swear, dress in secondhand clothes, or not answer letters without people attributing these choices to racial stereotypes around morals, income, or literacy.
C) White people must specially educate their children to protect them from systemic racism.
D) White people can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see white people widely represented.

Question 17

Which of these groups has experienced systemic discrimination in the United States?

A) Native Americans
B) Japanese Americans
C) African Americans
D) All of the above

Question 18

The false claim that affirmative action is a form of racism is given as a premise for an argument to which conclusion?

A) Affirmative action is immoral.
B) Affirmative action is morally legitimate.
C) It is morally acceptable for private institutions to employ affirmative action.
D) It is morally acceptable for government to employ affirmative action.

Question 19

Which of the following is a reason why affirmative action is not a form of racism?

A) Affirmative action policies do not express any form of hatred or condemnation toward white people.
B) Affirmative action policies are not motivated by and do not convey the view that white people are inferior in any way to minorities.
C) Affirmative action does not contribute to the reinforcement of oppression.
D) All of the above

Question 20

The principle of merit states that positions should be awarded

A) on whatever basis an employer chooses.
B) in a way that minimizes oppression.
C) based on qualifications.
D) None of the above

Question 21

The Qualifications Argument fails because fairness

A) requires weighing the race of a candidate more strongly than any of their other features.
B) requires ignoring an applicant's qualifications.
C) is not an important moral value.
D) is not the supreme moral value.

Question 22

Which of these policies violates the principle of merit?

A) A homeowner chooses one contractor over another based on the contractor's financial need.
B) A college gives preferential treatment to children of alumni and large donors.
C) The United States gives veterans preferential treatment in employment and college admissions and financial aid decisions.
D) All of the above

Question 23

The conclusion of the Equal Opportunity Argument is that affirmative action is

A) morally legitimate.
B) unfair.
C) morally required.
D) None of the above

Question 24

Which is true of defenders of the Equal Opportunity Argument?

A) They argue that affirmative action does not help society meet its moral requirements.
B) They claim we already live in a society of equal opportunity.
C) They think racial minorities are the only group that lacks equality of opportunity.
D) They hope that one day there will be no need for affirmative action.

Question 25

De jure equality is equality

A) in real, lived experience.
B) in the content of the law.
C) of natural abilities and talents.
D) All of the above

Question 26

It is true to say that everyone has an equal opportunity of purchasing a yacht only in the sense of _______ equality of opportunity.

A) imaginary
B) status quo
C) de jure
D) de facto

Question 27

Which of the following is true of the Equal Opportunity Argument?

A) It is designed to help to equalize a very uneven playing field.
B) It proposes enacting affirmative action to punish white people.
C) It claims that affirmative action is justified because of what has happened in the past.
D) It claims that affirmative action is justified regardless of if it will bring about a better society.

Question 28

Which of the following is an improvement to the condition of a victim of harm that is designed to repair the relationship between victims and perpetrators?

A) Reenactment
B) Reinforcements
C) Reparations
D) Reconstruction

Question 29

Which of the following is a premise in the Reparations Argument?

A) If one party has imposed systemic harms on members of a targeted group, then the wrongdoer is morally required to provide reparations to the victims.
B) The U.S. government has imposed systemic harms on women.
C) If one party has imposed system harms on members of a targeted group, it is morally permissible for the wrongdoer to provide reparations to the victims.
D) The U.S. government owes reparations to at least two targeted groups: Native Americans and African Americans.

Question 30

Which of the following is a point often raised by critics of the Reparations Argument discussed in this chapter?

A) There are many victims of the evils of slavery and the forced resettlement of native tribes, but governments never inherit the obligations of their predecessors.
B) There can never be genuine repair of a relationship between perpetrator and victim if there has been genuine harm to the victim.
C) There can be genuine repair of a relationship between perpetrator and victim only if both parties are alive. But those who perpetrated the evils of slavery and the forced resettlement of native tribes are long dead.
D) All of the above

Question 31

Which of the following is a counterfactual question?

A) How much racism persists in the contemporary United States?
B) How well-off would victims of slavery and the forced resettlement of native tribes be if these harms had never occurred?
C) How much residual harm from the evils of slavery do current U.S. citizens experience?
D) All of the above

Question 32

Why might focusing on past injustices not be a good guide to determining a government's responsibilities to correct for racism?

A) We cannot know how the world would be different if all the harms of racism never happened.
B) Affirmative action in education is fully adequate to address all the harms of racism.
C) The government cannot afford the reparations that would be needed to correct for racism.
D) The government does not have a responsibility to ensure equality of opportunity.

Question 33

_______ is a system of unjust and unequal social forces that systematically limit opportunities and impose other harms on members of a given population.

A) Affirmative action
B) Compensation
C) Oppression
D) De jure equality

Question 34

What is white privilege? Provide some examples. In your opinion, what special moral obligations do those who benefit from white privilege have? Explain and defend your answer.

Question 35

Explain the Qualifications Argument against affirmative action. In your opinion, what is the strongest objection to this argument? Is that objection successful in defeating the argument?

Question 36

Explain and motivate the principle of merit. What is an example of a situation in which it is morally permissible to violate the principle of merit? Are there situations in which it is morally required to violate the principle of merit? Can you identify a rule for when we should violate the principle or merit and when we should not? Relate your discussion to the value of fairness.

Question 37

What is the difference between de jure equality of opportunity and de facto equality of opportunity? Illustrate each concept with an example. Which concept is at play in the Equal Opportunity Argument? Why might ensuring de jure equality of opportunity not be enough to correct for systematic oppression?

Question 38

Does the U.S. government owe reparations to any groups? If so, which ones? How can we determine what kind of reparations are owed and to whom? Can we answer these questions even if we cannot answer counterfactual questions with certainty? Defend your answers.

Question 39

King's letter is addressed to

A) politicians opposed to desegregation.
B) clergymen who oppose his methods.
C) activists in favor of civil rights.
D) bigots opposed to racial equality.

Question 40

According to King, a just law is a human-made code that

A) squares with the law of God.
B) uplifts human personality.
C) a majority compels a minority to follow and is willing to follow itself.
D) All of the above

Question 41

What is the purpose of direct action, according to King?

A) To create a crisis situation that it will force negotiation
B) To intimidate political leaders into accepting the demands of protestors
C) To precipitate violence
D) None of the above

Question 42

King notes that sometimes a law can be just on its face, but unjust in its

A) creation.
B) application.
C) consequences.
D) intentions.

Question 43

According to King, the greatest stumbling block in the path toward racial justice is the

A) white moderate.
B) overt bigot.
C) complacent politician.
D) violent extremist.

Question 44

Which of the following does King reject?

A) The "extremist" label
B) Evading the law
C) Direct action
D) Respect for law

Question 45

According to King, the white moderate is more devoted to _______ than _______.

A) law; order
B) love; money
C) reputation; righteousness
D) order; justice

Question 46

According to King, what must be the case in order for direct action to be morally acceptable?

A) It must be nonviolent.
B) It must only be used as a last resort after negotiation has failed.
C) Participants must be willing to accept the penalty.
D) All of the above

Question 47

What objections do King's critics make to the methods of direct action? How does King respond to these objections? Are his responses convincing in your view? Why or why not?

Question 48

How does King define an unjust law? Is this an acceptable definition in your view? Why or why not?

Question 49

King argues that breaking the law is morally justified under certain conditions. What are these conditions? Are these conditions sufficient to justify law-breaking in your view? Why or why not?

Question 50

Which of the following best characterizes the form of communal love that played an important role in Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolent resistance?

A) A redeeming love that springs from the needs of others
B) An impersonal love for one's community that is independent of one's love for any particular individual
C) A corrupting love that enables one's oppressors
D) None of the above

Question 51

Malcolm X's promotion of a more active resistance

A) was a response to the government's repeated failure to protect Black rights and lives.
B) was directed at those who still affirmed Martin Luther King Jr.'s program of nonviolent resistance.
C) raised the possibility that Black people might be required to take up arms.
D) All of the above

Question 52

What does Lebron mean by "radicalism?"

A) The use of strong, nonconventional, and unsanctioned means to effect systemic change by either disrupting the status quo or reinstating a preferred previous status quo
B) The promotion of systemic social or political changes through engagement with existing social or political institutions
C) The use of violent, destructive means to tear down existing social or political structures
D) The promotion of policies that cut against conventional wisdom by persuading others using evocative political rhetoric

Question 53

Which of the following is an example of radicalism, according to Lebron?

A) Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolent resistance
B) Malcolm X's active resistance
C) A legislator's lobbying to make the Bible the official book of the state
D) All of the above

Question 54

According to Lebron, the central motivation of Black radicalism is

A) to secure a degree of respect and dignity for Black people by means that directly confront and reconfigure both the discourse of and policies around racial justice.
B) to begin with the proposition that Black people are mistreated and to interpret all evidence in light of the truth of this proposition
C) to change the hearts and minds of white Americans through mere rational persuasion.
D) All of the above

Question 55

Lebron argues that fundamentalism suffers from which of the following critical flaws?

A) It is necessarily violent.
B) It is incompatible with democratic ideals.
C) It is unable to effectively assess the reality of social, economic, and political situations.
D) All of the above

Question 56

According to Lebron, radicalism is

A) necessarily violent.
B) a way of life.
C) inherently pragmatic.
D) All of the above

Question 57

Lebron characterizes the American Revolution as a kind of

A) nonviolent radicalism.
B) violent radicalism.
C) fundamentalism.
D) pacifism.

Question 58

Lebron insists that any resurgent Black radical politics must

A) be a unified politics.
B) value central leadership.
C) include an explicit program of action.
D) All of the above

Question 59

Lebron's new Black radicalism

A) expects Black people to set the standard for goodness and upstanding character.
B) seeks a return of Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolent resistance.
C) demands that society recognize Blacks' needs, aspirations, and basic humanity as having equal importance and worth as those of whites.
D) All of the above

Question 60

Using the two quotes that begin Lebron's piece, compare Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X's respective approaches to racial injustice. In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different? What are advantages the limitations of each?

Question 61

According to Lebron, why is the idea of Black radicalism alarming to many Americans? Why does he think it is a mistake to treat radicalism as a dangerous doctrine? Do you agree with his assessment? Why or why not?

Question 62

Toward the end of his piece, Lebron asks "Which flavor of black radicalism should be embraced-Malcolm's or Martin's?" Explain what you take to be his answer to this question. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Question 63

Which of the following of is true of the United States today according to Alexander?

A) It has entered an era of post-racialism.
B) It no longer accepts the use of race as explicit justification for discrimination.
C) It has ended racial caste.
D) None of the above

Question 64

Alexander claims that it is currently legal to discriminate openly against _______ in nearly all the ways it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans.

A) the poor
B) criminals
C) women
D) undocumented immigrants

Question 65

According to Alexander, the US criminal justice functions more like a _______ than a system of crime control.

A) caste system
B) big business
C) political enterprise
D) criminal syndicate

Question 66

According to Alexander, _______ amount(s) to a system racialized social control that she calls "the new Jim Crow."

A) laws couched in explicitly racist terms
B) openly discriminatory policing policies
C) mass incarceration of poor people of color
D) All of the above

Question 67

In what areas of life may a convicted felon legally face discrimination?

A) Housing
B) Employment
C) Access to public benefits
D) All of the above

Question 68

What accounts for the increase in US incarceration rates since the 1970s?

A) Increase in violent crime
B) Population growth
C) Changes in US drug policies
D) Increase in drug use

Question 69

When President Ronald Reagan declared the War on Drugs in 1982, drug crime was

A) decreasing.
B) limited to inner city communities.
C) increasing.
D) largely stagnant.

Question 70

According to Alexander, what was the motive behind the War on Drugs?

A) Reducing rising drug crime
B) Stopping the emergence of crack cocaine in inner city communities
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Question 71

What do the new and old Jim Crow have in common?

A) They both deny people the right to vote.
B) They both exclude people from jury service.
C) They both impose fees and fines.
D) All of the above

Question 72

Why does the fact that some African Americans have experienced great success in recent years not mean that the United States has become a color-blind, "post-racial" society, according to Alexander? Do you agree with Alexander on this point? Why or why not?

Question 73

Alexander claims that the mass incarceration of people of color in the United States amounts to a new racial caste system specifically tailored to the political, economic, and social challenges of our time. What does she mean by this exactly and how does she make her case? Do you find her case compelling? Why or why not?

Question 74

Why does Alexander think so many Americans-including her former self-are in denial about the racial caste system in America? Are you persuaded by her analysis? Why or why not?

Question 75

According to Hausman, our best evidence suggests that the consequences of preferential hiring and admissions are

A) mostly beneficial.
B) mostly harmful.
C) equally beneficial and harmful.
D) None of the above (There isn't enough good evidence to know.)

Question 76

The racism in reverse argument claims that "race is almost always not a qualification." Hausman thinks that this claim is debatable because

A) race is a qualification when hiring actors to portray people of color.
B) diversity arguably serves legitimate goals of universities and some firms.
C) segregation arguably serves legitimate goals of universities and some firms.
D) None of the above

Question 77

According to Hausman, rectification of an injustice requires that

A) the world be restored to how it would have been had that injustice not occurred.
B) society as a whole compensate the victim of the injustice.
C) the perpetrator of the injustice be punished.
D) All of the above

Question 78

Which of the following does Hausman identify as a reason why preferential hiring and admissions policies are not a defensible way of paying reparations?

A) Preferential hiring and admissions unjustly discriminates against white people.
B) Preferential hiring and admissions does not focus on those who have been most harmed by past injustices.
C) Preferential hiring and admissions imposes costs upon the descendants of white people who did not utilize enslaved labor.
D) All of the above

Question 79

Hausman argues that those concerned with equal opportunity should be concerned with

A) opportunities to acquire one or another immediate benefit or burden.
B) lifetime opportunities.
C) opportunities of individuals' ancestors.
D) All of the above

Question 80

What does Hausman think is the most serious problem with the racism in reverse argument?

A) It is not always wrong in hiring or admissions to consider something other than the applicant's qualifications.
B) Preferential hiring and admissions does not necessarily take applicants' race into account.
C) Race almost always is a qualification.
D) None of the above