The Louisville and Seattle plans are precisely the kind of benign race-based policies that the court has long held to be constitutional.

A spate of upcoming court cases across the country may determine the future of race-based policies.

There are some who question whether affirmative action even needs to be a race-based policy.

Nonetheless, that is a race-based public policy.

Because race-neutral alternatives remain available, the university's race-based policy is unconstitutional.

Those two cardinal principles of equal protection each suffices to invalidate respondents' race-based policy.

"Diversity is a fine thing," Mr. Darling said, "but it's not a compelling state interest that can be forced by race-based policies."

A new book explains why the president is wary of using race-based policies to help minority groups.

And what do those race-based policies say to black kids?

But some analysts say fundamental changes are needed, like abolishing race-based policies and practising meritocracy in the economy.