Affirmative action in the United States tends to focus on issues such as education and employment, specifically granting special consideration to racial minorities, Native Americans, and women who have been historically excluded groups in America. Reports have shown that minorities and women have faced discrimination in schools and businesses for many years and this discrimination produced unfair advantages for whites and males in education and employment. The impetus toward affirmative action is redressing the disadvantages associated with past and present discrimination. Further impetus is a desire to ensure public institutions, such as universities, hospitals, and police forces, are more representative of the populations they serve. 

Affirmative action is a subject of controversy. Some policies adopted as affirmative action, such as racial quotas or gender quotas for collegiate admission, have been criticized as a form of reverse discrimination, and such implementation of affirmative action has been ruled unconstitutional by the majority opinion of Gratz v. Bollinger. Affirmative action as a practice was upheld by the Supreme Court's decision in Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003. Affirmative action policies were developed in order to correct decades of discrimination stemming from the Reconstruction Era by granting disadvantaged minorities opportunities. Many believe that the diversity of current American society suggests that affirmative action policies succeeded and are no longer required. Opponents of affirmative action argue that these policies are outdated and lead to reverse discrimination which entails favoring one group over another based upon racial preference rather than achievement.
where is affirmative action?
what is the disadvantage?
where is it used?
who?
when did it start?
is it widely accepted?
where was it decided?
how long has discrimination been going on?
is it still discrimination?
where did it come from
United States
Affirmative action in the United States tends to focus on issues such as education and employment,
discrimination
The impetus toward affirmative action is redressing the disadvantages associated with past and present discrimination
employment
 focus on issues such as education and employment, specifically granting special consideration
women
Native Americans, and women who have been historically excluded groups in America
2003
Affirmative action as a practice was upheld by the Supreme Court's decision in Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003
no
have been criticized as a form of reverse discrimination, and such implementation of affirmative action has been ruled unconstitutional
Supreme Court
Affirmative action as a practice was upheld by the Supreme Court's decision in Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003.
decades
Affirmative action policies were developed in order to correct decades
no
Opponents of affirmative action argue that these policies are outdated
Reconstruction Era
Affirmative action policies were developed in order to correct decades of discrimination stemming from the Reconstruction Era