Definition

Proper noun: - A landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action: The Bakke decision refers to the 1978 case Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. The Court ruled that the use of strict racial quotas in university admissions was unconstitutional but that race could be one of several factors in an admissions policy to achieve the compelling interest of a diverse student body.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Bakke decision established an important legal precedent for affirmative action in higher education.
  • For decades, admissions officers relied on the principles outlined in the Bakke decision.
  • The legal framework from the Bakke decision was later challenged and refined by other Supreme Court cases.

Advanced Usage

• "The legacy of the Bakke decision": Refers to the long-term impact and legal doctrine established by the ruling.
  • The legacy of the Bakke decision shaped college admissions for over 40 years.
• "Post-Bakke": Used to describe the period or legal landscape following the 1978 ruling.
  • Post-Bakke, universities developed holistic review processes that considered race as a "plus factor."

Variants and Related Words

• Affirmative action (noun phrase): A policy aimed at increasing opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups.
• (proper noun): The full, formal name of the court case.
• Holistic admissions (noun phrase): A comprehensive review process considering multiple aspects of an applicant, which the helped legitimize.

Synonyms

• Landmark ruling / Landmark case: A court decision that establishes an important new legal principle.
• Precedent: A prior legal decision that serves as an authoritative rule for future similar cases.

Related Legal Concepts

• Strict scrutiny (noun phrase): The highest standard of judicial review, which the Court applied to racial classifications in the .
• Compelling governmental interest (noun phrase): A necessary and crucial goal, such as educational diversity, which can justify the use of race as a factor.
• Racial quota (noun phrase): A fixed number or percentage of spots reserved for a specific racial group, which the invalidated.

Noun

1. a ruling by the Supreme Court on affirmative action; the Court ruled in 1978 that medical schools are entitled to consider race as a factor in their admission policy