| Policy Type | Purpose/Description | Recent Status |
|---|---|---|
| Inclusive Hiring Practices | Expand recruitment and minimize bias in hiring and promotions[8] | Eliminated (2025)[3] |
| Equity Action Plans | Set goals for fair representation and pay equity[8] | Terminated[3] |
| DEI Training | Educate workforce on bias, inclusion, and cultural awareness[8][9] | Ended[3] |
| Accessibility/Accommodations | Mandate reasonable accommodations for disabilities[8][9] | Policy review ongoing[5] |
| Employee Resource Groups | Support for underrepresented employees, peer advice[8] | Disbanded in some agencies[5] |
| Supplier Diversity | Encourage contracts with minority- or women-owned businesses[8] | Ended[3][4] |
These shifts reflect ongoing debates about the role and value of DEI in public administration, with data-driven and legal arguments on both sides[6][4].
However, DEI policies are not inherently in opposition to merit-based hiring; rather, they are designed to address the structural biases that often prevent a truly meritocratic system from functioning as intended [1][2][3].
The core idea behind DEI is to ensure that every candidate has a fair opportunity, and that hidden biases (such as affinity bias, network favoritism, or discrimination based on names, gender, or race) do not distort the selection or promotion of the most qualified individuals [3][4][2].