By 1979 many had come to accept affirmative action. Practices were deeply institutionalized at corporate employers who had adopted goals and timetables to comply with Exec. Order and to avoid Title VII liability. The strongest confirmation of this view is the abortive attempt of the Reagan administration to scuttle goals and timetables. Business groups raised a ruckus and idea died a quiet death.
Goals provide a predictable and manageable approach to compliance.
This approache is analogous to compelling justification and narrowly tailored under constitutional strict scrutiny. Copyright 1999 by J. Hoult Verkerke.