Affirmative action and the Supreme Court ruling

The podcast episode begins with a discussion on the recent Supreme Court decision regarding affirmative action in university admissions. The court ruled that race-based affirmative action is unconstitutional, which was seen as a positive development by guest Thomas Sowell. Sowell emphasizes the need to wait and see how this decision will be applied and highlights the history of affirmative action, tracing its origins to executive orders in the 1960s. He argues that affirmative action has often led to negative consequences, such as admitting black students to institutions where they struggle to succeed, resulting in lower graduation rates. Sowell also critiques the idea that attending a higher-rated institution necessarily leads to a better education, pointing out that teaching quality is not necessarily reflected in rankings.