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A societal structure based on merit sounds appealing. The idea that working hard directly brings success, comfort and recognition is idyllic.

However, the notion that a capitalist society is inherently a merit-based system is ill-conceived, and the misconception that the United States is a true meritocracy is rooted in intentional ignorance.

The concept of meritocracy as a political ideology is contradictory. Selections based on merit declare personal achievement of utmost importance but, in practical application, often leave historical biases out of the equation.

U.S. policies have attempted to achieve meritocracy and effectively place qualifications above other factors as a society in two ways. First, to embrace our differences; or second, to pretend they don’t exist.

What we should be doing is acknowledging historical biases and creating opportunities for historically marginalized communities to achieve positions of power and success.

By prioritizing equitable practices in our political, economic and social worlds, we deliberately dismantle ingrained and systemic exclusions of people based on identity. The continual practice of this inclusive and rightful mindset brings us closer to a fair meritocracy.

President Donald Trump’s administration follows the other option, though, driven by the delusional ideology of “colorblindness.”

Stemming from the end of the Civil Rights Movement, the idea of a colorblind society supposedly rejects race as an important facet of American society. But race is an inherent characteristic that has historically and presently determined one’s rights, restrictions on accessing success and a high quality of life.

The false and dangerous mindset of racial colorblindness ignores long-standing discrimination, but it doesn’t stop there. It rejects shared cultural values and practices formed by oppressed communities that benefit and shape society daily.

Taking race out of the political and social equation is a method of erasure on many levels.

For one, it furthers inequality by removing the crucial accountability white Americans must take in combating white supremacy, which has plagued our systems since the foundational days of our nation.

But now, the practice of rejecting the nuances of identity in all elements of American society poses more risk than ever. Trump’s dismantling of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives across critical U.S. institutions massively hurts social progress because, paired with recent technological advancements, it’s influencing new forms of discrimination.

When companies use artificial intelligence softwares to efficiently make hiring choices, the software uses historical hiring data to make so-called “objective” decisions about the qualifications of candidates. However, this automated process still ignores the struggles faced by non-white, non-male applicants and reinforces a bigoted hegemony.

Amazon demonstrated a bias against women when using this practice, which came from the machine’s recognition of a historic preference for male applicants.

For years, researchers have found that the use of AI in hiring processes and college applicant selection poses threats to fairness because of the biases humans encode into machines. But currently, the Trump administration’s erasure of recorded history from the internet, the 2023 removal of affirmative action and Trump’s proximity to the most powerful men in technology have further distanced us from living as a society that’s built on and driven by merit.

While the sparse diversity in Trump’s cabinet may offer an appearance of representation without DEIA initiatives, this doesn’t reflect meritocracy — only a prioritization of career advancement over genuine equality.

Alex Levy | Design Editor

Trump’s cabinet is less racially diverse than that of the past several presidents, but in his rare appointments of officials who are people of color or women, like Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard, he’s formed a team that falsely symbolizes the idea that meritocracy is possible in a colorblind society.

In reality, Trump’s cabinet picks have little to do with merit and much to do with loyalty. So, hiring a few women and people of color may be convenient for Trump’s image, but actually shows the true lack of diversity that persists. Elsewhere, the scrubbing of DEIA works to further embed racism and sexism into our systems.

But the irony of the issue runs even deeper. While applicants of color can no longer self-identify on their applications due to the ban of affirmative action, many colleges still prioritize legacy admissions. This selection method favors white students, as higher education policies historically excluded people of color from attending college.

As Trump’s administration eradicates the breadth of online information about DEIA from the internet, algorithmic decision-making will further tilt our society away from selecting the most qualified applicants, whether it’s for a job or higher education opportunity. Not only is Trump’s administration backpedaling our progress, it’s fueling racism in our increasingly digital world.

While it’s not the role of college students to reverse these threats ourselves, it’s vital that we recognize the dangerous fallacies in Trump’s idea of merit. We can’t let immutable aspects of American identity like race and gender be dismissed in front of our eyes.

Maya Aguirre is a junior magazine news digital major. Her column appears bi-weekly. She can be reached at msaguirr@syr.edu.

Published on March 25, 2025 at 11:21 pm