Final answer:
Affirmative action refers to policies meant to increase employment and educational opportunities for minority groups. It is a government or business effort to provide special rights to minorities to address past discrimination and underrepresentation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Affirmative action refers to policies meant to increase employment and educational opportunities for minority groups—especially groups defined by race, ethnicity, or gender. Affirmative action is a government or business effort to provide special rights to minorities in hiring and promotion to address past discrimination and underrepresentation. It includes measures like recruitment of minority candidates and preferential selection based on race, ethnicity, or gender. The goal of affirmative action is to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce or educational system.