Which act established a federal Civil Rights Commission to investigate civil rights violations?

• A. Civil Rights Act of 1957
• B. Civil Rights Act of 1964
• C. Voting Rights Act of 1965
• D. 24th Amendment

Answer: (A)

The key idea is recognizing which law created a federal body to actively investigate civil rights violations. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 did just that by establishing the United States Commission on Civil Rights, a bipartisan five‑member panel empowered to investigate allegations of civil rights abuses and report findings to Congress. This made it the first federal mechanism focused specifically on examining and monitoring civil rights violations since Reconstruction, signaling a move toward federal oversight in civil rights issues, especially voting rights.

The other acts serve different purposes: the 1964 Act mainly outlawed segregation and discrimination and set up enforcement mechanisms like the EEOC; the 1965 Voting Rights Act targeted voting barriers and broadened federal enforcement in elections; the 24th Amendment banned poll taxes. None of these created a standing federal civil rights commission to investigate violations.