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III. New Community -
Affirmative Action
Opportunity for Americans -- Building a Stronger Nation
Increasing opportunity for all Americans makes citizens more productive, building stronger communities and a stronger nation. This country has not yet achieved equality of opportunity or stamped out discrimination. We must help people develop their capacities so they can fully participate in our society.
This Administration is against quotas and guaranteed results. But we do need to guarantee a genuine equality of opportunity for all Americans.
There are affirmative action programs which have made a great deal of difference to the lives of Americans who have been disadvantaged and who, in turn, have made our country stronger.
The best example is the United States military, where an intense effort is made to develop peoples' capacities to fully participate and contribute as much as possible. Everyone has been given a chance to rise as high as their abilities can take them. In education, training, leadership, development, the military is a model -- it looks like America and it works.
Reviewing Affirmative Action Programs
The President has directed that the
Administration undertake a review of all Federal affirmative action programs and ask:
Does it work? Is it fair? Is it necessary? Does it achieve the desired objective or is there an alternative way to achieve the objective without giving a preference by race or gender?
Protecting All Citizens Against Discrimination
Improperly designed or implemented affirmative action plans weaken our national community. We want to support the programs that are working, but we want to get rid of ones that are not.