So does the nonprofit American Association for Affirmative Action. Companies can now purchase computer programs that calculate the availability of people by category in certain occupations in defined regions. Political figures from Jesse Jackson to Gerald Ford point out that affirmative action is not about hiring people who fall below the grade. Even Ward Connerly, arch opponent of quotas, has publicly endorsed classical affirmative action. For many, the rub occurs when a well-qualified candidate from one of the designated groups is hired, retained, or promoted instead of another candidate who seems to be even better qualified.
Tests sometimes contain bias.
A raft of research studies document the persistence of bias in both the construction and the administration of numerous screening and other tests. Consider the studies showing that African Americans must meet more stringent requirements for housing mortgages than white Americans. If one has reason to suspect that bias may have crept into a test, then it is only fair to adjust the scores to correct for the bias. Moreover, diversity in talents and backgrounds is usually important to organizational vigor. When affirmative action operates through monitoring and correction, slow steady progress is made for women workers and for ethnic minorities.