By Samuel J. Abrams | Ray Rodrigues
August 07, 2023
Federalism is one of our nation’s greatest virtues; states’ discretion to pursue their own policies is a hallmark of the American republic. And state schools offer potent examples of how states can dramatically differ in their quality of governance. Consider higher education. Florida’s remarkable success with its top-ranked public colleges and universities stands as a testament to how higher education can thrive and achieve real diversity without affirmative action. For nearly a quarter of a century, Florida has maintained color-blind admissions to its post-secondary schools while still yielding a diverse student body. The genuine diversity of the Sunshine State’s public colleges and universities serves as a valuable corrective to those who argue that diversity is threatened by the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, which ended affirmative action.