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Este documento analiza las causas que obstaculizan la representación de las mujeres en el ámbito de la toma de decisiones como una exigencia de congruencia entre los principios democráticos y el ejercicio pleno de la ciudadanía.Para ello se utiliza el enfoque de género, que permite explicar conceptualmente la inequidad social y política prevaleciente entre hombres y mujeres. Asimismo, evidencia la subrepresentación de las mujeres en los cargos públicos, tales como diputaciones, senadurías y alcaldías, producto de las prácticas sexistas de índole histórico. / This paper analyzes the causes that hinder the representation of women in the field of decision-making, as a requirement of consistency with demo-cratic principles and the full exercise of citizenship. It applies the gender approach, that allows to theoretically explaining the prevailing political and social inequality between men and women. It also highlights the underrepre-sentation of women in public posts and bodies such as the Chambers of Deputies and the Senate, and county councils, due to historical sexist practices.

In this article we examine the current status of affirmative action in postsecondary admissions through a concurrent review of recent court rulings, state legislation, and higher education enrollment data. Analyzing each of these factors in the context of the others is important because the court decisions and state-level legislation interact to affect enrollment. We not only present the state of the law, but also examine several outcomes of affirmative action case law and ballot initiatives as well as political implications for the future of affirmative action. From a broad philosophical and legal perspective, then, we ask first, what is the current legal and political status of race-conscious policy in higher education admissions?And second, given that current status, what is the likelihood that by 2028 affirmative action will no longer be needed to further the goals of diversity and equality on college and university campuses? Our methods include analyses of prominent court decisions and state legislation, as well as analyses of enrollment data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System to examine the racial/ethnic diversity of first-time, degree-seeking undergraduates at several state flagship institutions from 1994 to 2005 and compare that to the racial/ethnic diversity of the same undergraduate students attending all 2- and 4-year degree granting public and private institutions in the flagship’s state. In states potentially facing anti-affirmative action ballot initiatives, these analyses provide one approach to examining the current need for affirmative action in admissions and the likely consequences if the ballot initiatives pass.