Discrimination against race, sex, religion, or other social characteristic occurs almost every day in all parts of the United States. Unfortunately, the United States has a history of extreme cases of discrimination, which have sparked controversy and, in the worst cases, violence. To discourage further adverse discrimination against certain individuals, the federal government imposed legislation called affirmative action. According to At Issue: Affirmative Action, "Affirmative action is designed to promote access to opportunities in education, employment, housing, and government contracts among certain designated groups, such as women and minorities" ( At Issue). This law is necessary in today's society to maintain equality and decrease discrimination against social groups throughout the United States. Inductive Reasoning Affirmative action has leveled the playing field for minorities in situations where they would normally experience disadvantages. Before affirmative action in 1965, UCLA Law School enrolled only four women and a small number of minorities, but since the legislation was passed, the school has seen nearly half of its students women and an increase in minorities (Blasi ). Greg Walton, a Stanford psychologist, emphasizes that “schools must take positive steps to level the playing field and make meritocratic decisions” (qtd. in Donald). Furthermore, Jeremy Blasi states in his statement to the LA Youth newspaper: “[The Glass Roof Commission] also found that companies do not recruit minorities and women. For every woman or person of color in a high-level job, there are three white men” (Blasi) to demonstrate that white males tend to be more employed in the workplace. Society needs affirmative... middle of paper... and we are unable to share different cultures, ideas and benefits that all citizens of all social groups can offer. Works Cited “Affirmative Action.” Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 2013. Web. 06 Nov 2013.Blasi, Jeremy. “We need positive action.” LA Youth, June/July 1995. 5. SIRS Discoverer. Network. 06 November 2013.Conners, Paul, ed. Affirmative action. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Print.Donald, Brooke. “Affirmative action is needed to get the best candidates, says Stanford psychologist.” Stanford News, April 26, 2012. Stanford University. Network. 06 November 2013.Plous, Scott. “Ten Myths About Affirmative Action.” NP, 2002-2013. Network. Nov 6, 2013ProQuest Staff. “At issue: affirmative action.” ProQuest LLC, 2013. SIRS Problem Researcher. Network. 06 Nov 2013Touré. “Why we still need affirmative action.” Ideas.time.com. TIME Inc, 2013. Web. 06 November 2013.