AWay Out of the DEI Wars

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai

A Way Out of the DEI Wars argues that while diversity, equity, and inclusion goals are grounded in noble civil-rights principles, many existing DEI policies in education and employment have become illiberal. It criticizes coercive enforcement, ideological indoctrination, oversimplified narratives, rigid racial-result equality, curtailed free speech, and attacks on merit—citing political backlash and counterproductive outcomes. It also notes that some anti-DEI responses are equally restrictive, including book removals and limits on teaching.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages34

Reading Time1 h 26 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Why Democrats Should Not Defend Existing DEI Programs

Illiberal Effects of DEI Policies

Illiberal Responses to DEI and Book Bans

AWay Out of the DEI Wars RICHARD D. KAHLENBERG PROGRESSIVE POLICY INSTITUTE FEBRUARY 2025 @ppi | @progressivepolicyinstitute | /progressive-policy-institute AWay Out of the DEI Wars A WAY OUT OF THE DEI WARS RICHARD D. KAHLENBERG FEBRUARY 2025 INTRODUCTION Donald Trump’s second act as president has begun with so many unthinkable policies—from seeking to eliminate birthright citizenship guaranteed in the Fourteenth Amendment to pardoning January 6 rioters who attacked police officers—that it is tempting to assume that his moves to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies can easily be dismissed as wrongheaded.1 The manner in which Trump has gone about his assault on DEI further enhances the impulse for Democrats to push back very hard. After a tragic airplane crash, at a moment when the president should have been consoling the country, Trump cast blame on DEI policies despite lacking any evidence. The administration also hired an acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy who wrote in October,“Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work.”2 As outlined below, Trump issued anti-DEI executive orders that were vague, and his purge of DEI staff in the federal government swept up some people who had merely attended DEI sessions.3 He has targeted for elimination not only racial preference polices, but also President Lyndon B. Johnson’s requirement that, before firms evaluate candidates in a race-neutral fashion, they engage in outreach efforts to make sure a diverse group of applicants are aware of opportunities. Trump has claimed to defend “merit” and then appointed cabinet members who are utterly unqualified. In short, if one wanted to find someone to make a principled case against DEI excesses, it is hard to think of a worse candidate than Donald Trump. Furthermore, it is enticing to defend current DEI policies because the goals are noble. America’s ability to draw diverse populations from all over the world is undoubtedly one of the country’s great strengths, the nation’s “superpower.”4 Genuine equal opportunity and nondiscrimination are cherished values. And educational institutions and A WAY OUT OF THE DEI WARS employers should foster inclusive environments that are welcoming to people of all backgrounds. Thought of in those terms, lower-case diversity, equity, and inclusion values can be considered outgrowths of the nation’s heroic civil rights movement. Having said all that, it would be an enormous mistake for Democrats to launch a strong defense of existing DEI programs whose means to achieving positive goals are deeply problematic. To begin with, Trump has laid a political trap. He would love nothing better than for Democrats to spend a lot of time and energy supporting politically toxic DEI policies that have alienated large numbers of voters, especially those from working-class backgrounds.5 Moreover, on the merits, many DEI policies and practices in education and employment have become frighteningly illiberal and stand as a counterpoint to the historic fight for civil rights. At their worst, DEI policies have promoted mandatory ideological indoctrination about how people should think, backed up by an enforcement mechanism to make sure students, educators, and employees suffer consequences if they don’t adopt the “right”views. Too many DEI programs have oversimplified complex controversies into Manichean struggles between “oppressors” and the “oppressed,” and have advanced race essentialist thinking that equates skin color with certain sets of values. These poorly thought-out programs have been shown to sow division and resentment, and they have promoted a troubling victim mindset that is disempowering to the very populations DEI is aimed at assisting. DEI programs have often pursued rigid equality of racial group results by fiat, imposed illiberal loyalty oaths in college faculty hiring, curtailed free speech rights, and denigrated merit.

FAQs

What does the report say is problematic about many current DEI programs?

It argues that some DEI efforts rely on coercive enforcement, require ideological conformity, curtail free speech, and reduce complex disputes to simplistic race narratives.

How does the report describe the political risk of defending DEI?

It contends that aggressive defense can play into a political trap by pushing Democratic supporters into positions that alienate working-class voters.

Does the report only criticize DEI, or does it address anti-DEI measures too?

It also criticizes anti-DEI actions that restrict academic freedom, remove books, and limit what educators may teach, saying both sides suppress free speech.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai