Final answer:
Affirmative Action is designed to offset past discrimination by giving special rights to minorities in hiring and promotion. While it has been controversial, its enforcement is now mainly limited to federal contractors penalized for discrimination by the EEOC.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept being referred to in this question is Affirmative Action, which is aim of active efforts by government or businesses to provide special rights to minorities in terms of hiring, promotion, and access to education to make up for past discrimination. These policies were implemented to level the playing field for women and minority groups who have been historically discriminated against in hiring, employment, and wage practices. With the increasing diversity of the U.S. workforce, the goal is to offer equal employment opportunities and correct the effects of past wrongs. However, the approach to Affirmative Action has evolved over time and is now mostly applied to federal contractors as a result of lost discrimination lawsuits, as enforced by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).