Comparing Bakke and Gratz, how did the cases differ in their treatment of race in admissions?

Comparing Bakke and Gratz, how did the cases differ in their treatment of race in admissions?

• A. Bakke allowed quotas; Gratz allowed automatic points
• B. Bakke banned race entirely; Gratz banned quotas
• C. Bakke allowed race as a factor but banned quotas; Gratz struck down automatic points for race
• D. Bakke and Gratz both upheld race-based admissions

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how the court treats race in admissions—whether it can be used at all, and if so, how it must be used. In Bakke, the Court invalidated a quota-like portion of the medical school’s admissions program that set aside fixed seats for minority applicants. But it did not ban considering race entirely; it allowed race to be one factor among many in a holistic review of applicants, as long as it wasn’t used to create a strict quota. Gratz, by contrast, struck down the University of Michigan’s undergraduate policy because it automatically awarded a set number of points based on race. That made race a mechanical advantage rather than a nuanced, individualized consideration, effectively creating a quota. So the difference is: Bakke permitted race as a factor within a broader, individualized process, while Gratz rejected an automatic, race-based point system.

The idea being tested is how the court treats race in admissions—whether it can be used at all, and if so, how it must be used.

In Bakke, the Court invalidated a quota-like portion of the medical school’s admissions program that set aside fixed seats for minority applicants. But it did not ban considering race entirely; it allowed race to be one factor among many in a holistic review of applicants, as long as it wasn’t used to create a strict quota.

Gratz, by contrast, struck down the University of Michigan’s undergraduate policy because it automatically awarded a set number of points based on race. That made race a mechanical advantage rather than a nuanced, individualized consideration, effectively creating a quota.

So the difference is: Bakke permitted race as a factor within a broader, individualized process, while Gratz rejected an automatic, race-based point system.