Dr. Turner Philosophy 431 17 September 2001 Is Affirmative Action a Workable Matrix? Affirmative Action policies are used in the United States to increase opportunities for minorities by favoring them in hiring, promotion, contracting and school admissions. Minorities are defined by race, ethnicity, or gender. Affirmative action has been accepted by governments, businesses, and educational institutions to remedy the effects of past discrimination against a group. It has been widely criticized for creating reverse discrimination in the workplace …showed first 75 words of 886 total…

…showed last 75 words of 886 total…and universities receiving federal funds to establish affirmative action goals for hiring females and minorities. By the early 1970s the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had taken the position that all employers within its jurisdiction, not just those receiving federal funds, must institute result-oriented affirmative action programs. Local governments and private businesses soon followed the federal government's lead and made voluntary efforts to diversify their workforce, having found that affirmative action could help raise profits.