Quotas are Outdated in Affirmative Action Programs Affirmative action legislation has helped in the fight for equality for minorities and women in the American society; however, time has come for new legislation to replace or abolish affirmative action as we know it. In affirmative action's beginning, the government needed laws to help aid the blending of minorities and women in American economics and culture. In a world economy that grows more competitive with every passing day, our quota system is a dead weight to the American businesses that are trying to survive. Not only is advancement based on race and gender but also it is costly and time c