Which term describes claims that non-marginalized groups are unfairly disadvantaged by affirmative action policies?

• A. Reverse Discrimination
• B. Bias-Based Policing
• C. Discrimination
• D. Fourteenth Amendment

Answer: (A)

This question centers on the label people use for the idea that those not in historically marginalized groups are unfairly disadvantaged by affirmative action policies. The correct term is reverse discrimination, which captures the notion that preferences given to certain groups can come at the expense of others who don’t share those characteristics.

Think about why this term fits best: affirmative action is designed to address past injustice by giving some people or groups a boost in opportunities. When someone feels they were passed over or treated unfairly because they didn’t belong to a favored group, they describe the effect as reverse discrimination. It’s a way to name the perceived shift in disadvantage from one group to another.

Discrimination, in a broad sense, describes unfair treatment based on protected characteristics but doesn’t specify the direction or the policy mechanism that creates a perceived disadvantage for non-marginalized groups. Bias-based policing relates to prejudices influencing policing decisions, which is unrelated to affirmative action. The Fourteenth Amendment is about equal protection under the law and provides a legal framework, not the specific term for these perceived effects of affirmative action.