Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Slater

**Adarand Constructors v. Slater: Supreme Court Case on Affirmative Action Programs** This case involved a construction company that challenged the federal government's affirmative action contracting programs. Adarand Constructors argued that the Department of Transportation's programs giving preferences to minority-owned businesses in federal contracts violated their constitutional rights to equal treatment under the law. The company claimed these programs amounted to illegal race discrimination against non-minority contractors. The Supreme Court did not make a final ruling on whether these programs were legal or illegal. Instead, the Court sent the case back to lower courts with instructions to apply "strict scrutiny" - the highest level of constitutional review - when examining federal affirmative action programs. This meant lower courts had to determine whether the government's programs served a compelling interest and were narrowly tailored to achieve that goal. This decision matters for workers because it affects how the government can structure programs designed to increase opportunities for minority-owned businesses and their employees. The ruling established that all federal affirmative action programs must meet very high constitutional standards, potentially making it harder for the government to maintain programs that aim to address workplace discrimination or promote diversity in federal contracting.