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Reich's advice to Democrats

American Public Media's Marketplace asks, What aren't the Democrats proposing that they ought to be?

Robert Reich answers that Democrats ought to advocate changing affirmative action from race-based to income-based.

Of course the point of affirmative action is identity politics, and not bald-faced redistribution of wealth. While I suspect that most Americans would support Reich's point, I wonder what Reich thinks would happen if government-mandated affirmative action were simply done away with, and not replaced with anything. I mean, he's been a college professor at a few prestigious schools. Surely he recognizes that merit is a better predictor of academic success than race or socioeconomic status. And surely he recognizes that universities would continue to recruit students who look different, in the name of diversity and education.

Closing thought... would he mean to apply this new brand of affirmative action to government hiring policies? After all, affirmative action covers a lot more than college admission policies.