The Civil Rights Act of 1957 created a federal commission in which department?

• A. Department of Education
• B. Department of Transportation
• C. Justice Department
• D. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Answer: (C)

The question tests your understanding of how the federal government organized civil rights oversight in the late 1950s. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 created a federal civil rights commission to study, investigate, and report on civil rights conditions and to advise Congress on remedies. This commission was placed within the Department of Justice so that civil rights issues—especially those involving voting rights and enforcement of federal law—could be coordinated with the department that prosecutes violations of those laws and oversees federal enforcement. The other departments listed—Education, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development—handle policy in very different areas and were not the home for this new civil rights commission created by the 1957 act.