Which directive required federal contractors to adopt affirmative action programs?

• A. Civil Rights Act 1964
• B. Voting Rights Act 1965
• C. Executive Order 11246
• D. Equal Employment Opportunity Act

Answer: (C)

Affirmative action requirements for federal contractors come from a presidential directive issued in 1965. Executive Order 11246 bars employment discrimination by federal contractors and requires those contractors to take affirmative steps to ensure equal opportunity. That means actively recruiting from underrepresented groups, creating written affirmative action programs, setting goals and timelines, and monitoring hiring practices, with enforcement carried out by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination and established the EEOC, but it does not mandate affirmative action programs for federal contractors. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 focuses on preventing voting discrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 strengthened EEOC enforcement and broadened coverage, but it is not the directive that required contractors to adopt affirmative action programs.