Answer: Affirmative action in the United States is a set of laws, policies, guidelines, and administrative practices "intended to end and correct the effects of a specific form of discrimination" that include government-mandated, government-sanctioned and voluntary private programs.
The critics of affirmative action point to a number of perceived failures in its policies—including the cost of the programs, the possibility of hiring less qualified candidates, and lack of historical progress in changing the representation of targeted groups.
