Michigan and popular constituionalism/political question

[Bill Rose]

I would confirm Professor Watry's characterization of the popular
confusion around what Proposal 2 was "banning."  Most students that I
come into contact with believe that the University of Michigan
maintained a race-based quota system to foster preferential treatment of
racial minorities.  They were opposed to that, and, I suspect, voted on
Proposal 2 accordingly.  

I believe the proponents of Proposal 2 sought to exploit such
confusions - arguing that diversity programs at the U of M Law School
and elsewhere were 'covers' for race-based preferential programs.



William Rose  
Associate Professor of Political Science and 
Director of the Law, Justice, & Society Concentration
Albion College
Albion, Michigan  49224

>>> Ruth Ann Watry <rwatry at nmu.edu> 11/09/06 12:13 PM >>>
I live in Michigan, and have to state that one large reason that the
ballot
initiative passed in Michigan was that the wording was so confusing,
many
people voted to ban affirmative action, believing that they were voting
in
favor of it. In addition, it was sold as a policy of getting rid of
quotas
(although we know those have been unconstitutional for years) so there
were
additional voters who merely believed that they were voting to get rid
of
quotas.   Interestingly, both our Republican and Democratic candidate
for
governor were against it.

 

I spoke against the ballot initiative in several venues, an in every
case
had audience members who came up and thanked me - because they were
initially in favor of banning affirmative action, now that they
understood
what it meant, wanted affirmative action to continue.

 

Ruth Ann Watry

Associate Professor

Political Science - Northern Michigan Univeristy

(906) 227-1824

rwatry at nmu.edu 

  _____  

From: owner-LAWCOURTS-L at usc.edu [mailto:owner-LAWCOURTS-L at usc.edu] On
Behalf
Of MARK STEIN
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 12:02 PM
To: Scott Gerber; Samuel Bagenstos
Cc: conlawprof at lists.ucla.edu; lawcourts-l at usc.edu 
Subject: Re: Michigan and popular constituionalism/political question

 


If affirmative action is as unpopular as has been suggested, why have
the
Republicans not made it a national issue?  Is it impossible to do so
without
alienating the white moderate (including white moderates who themselves
vote
against affirmative action in ballot initiatives like Michigan's)?  

Mark