Affirmative Action

Q1. The 'more sophisticated' proponent argument described in the passage holds that:

1. Affirmative action is justified because historically disadvantaged groups deserve reparations
2. Test scores measure merit accurately but affirmative action compensates for unequal preparation
3. Merit is not a neutral measure — what counts as merit reflects the cultural assumptions of those who designed the selection process, systematically favouring the dominant group
4. Affirmative action is the most efficient way to allocate places in competitive institutions

Q2. The critics' 'most powerful response' to the sophisticated proponent argument is that:

1. Social construction of merit is impossible to prove empirically
2. If merit is entirely socially constructed, there is no principled basis for any selection at all — the argument undermines itself
3. Affirmative action harms the individuals it purports to help by placing them in environments where they are underprepared
4. The costs of affirmative action are borne disproportionately by lower-income members of non-target groups

Q3. The 'practical resolution' most democratic societies have reached, as described in the passage, includes which of the following elements?

1. Merit is entirely socially constructed and selection systems must be redesigned from scratch
2. Affirmative action should be permanent to address deep-rooted structural disadvantage
3. Merit is imperfect but not meaningless, and affirmative action should be time-limited and targeted at identifiable structural disadvantages
4. Affirmative action should be replaced with universal income support that improves preparation for all groups

Q4. The basic proponent argument (as distinct from the sophisticated version) holds that affirmative action is justified because:

1. Meritocratic selection alone cannot overcome structural disadvantages in preparation for selection
2. Merit measurement is culturally biased toward dominant groups
3. Selection systems must reflect the diversity of the societies they serve
4. Historical injustice creates a debt that can only be repaid through preferential policies

Q5. Which of the following best illustrates the critics' concern that the sophisticated proponent argument 'proves too much'?

1. If test scores reflect preparation inequality, correcting for preparation is a better response than adjusting the test itself
2. If merit is so thoroughly socially constructed that it reflects nothing but cultural advantage, then even a reformed selection process would itself be a social construction open to the same critique, leaving no stable basis for selection
3. Affirmative action beneficiaries may perform less well in institutions where selection criteria are not adjusted
4. The social construction of merit is a claim that cannot be empirically falsified and is therefore not a valid basis for policy

Q6. The passage's overall structure presents affirmative action as a debate between proponents and critics and then offers a 'practical resolution.' The author's implicit stance appears to be:

1. Strongly in favour of comprehensive and permanent affirmative action
2. Strongly opposed to affirmative action as a violation of merit principles
3. In favour of a moderate, time-limited, and structurally targeted form of affirmative action
4. Agnostic — the passage presents both sides without indicating any authorial position