Racial Equity Advancement Initiative
January 20, 2021
Executive Order 13985 directed federal agencies to assess equity in their programs, set racial equity goals, and develop action plans to address disparities affecting communities of color. The order aimed to embed equity considerations throughout federal administrative operations and resource allocation. The executive order did not explicitly mandate race-conscious affirmative action but directed equity-focused policy analysis and priority-setting. Implementation raised constitutional questions about whether race-conscious approaches to federal spending and administration constitute unlawful racial classifications under the Equal Protection Clause. The constitutional tension involved whether federal executive action advancing equity goals through race-conscious analysis violates equal protection principles, or whether such action represents legitimate implementation of civil rights obligations and constitutional values of equal protection. The 14th Amendment's remedial purpose became central to the debate.
CFI Score
66Moderate Alignment
Constitutional Floor
ClearNo broad agreement on tension
Lens Agreement
Moderate AgreementSome disagreement across lenses
Steelman Defense
+13.6Stronger defense than consensus
Key Constitutional Issues
Dimensional Extremes
Strongest: Welfare
Mean score +1.4 — 5 of 5 lenses scored positively
Weakest: Rights
Mean score +0.4 — No major tensions identified
Dimensional Profile
Dimension Scores by Lens
Scoring Matrix
| Dimension | Textualist | Originalist | Doctrinalist | Living | Pragmatist | Steelman |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rights | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| Equal | -1 | 0 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| Separation | +1 | +1 | 0 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| Due Process | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| Welfare | +1 | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 |
| Sovereignty | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | +1 | +1 |
Lens Narratives
Click to expand each constitutional lens's reasoning.
Steelman Analysis
The President possesses broad executive authority to direct agencies toward equity-focused administration of federal programs. The Fourteenth Amendment empowers federal officials to advance equal protection through active remedial measures. Executive authority to implement constitutional values supports directing agencies to advance equity goals.