The early 20th-century American government policy of sterilizing mentally retarded females is an example of ____.

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The early 20th-century American government policy of sterilizing mentally retarded females is an example of eugenics, which is the belief in improving the genetic quality of the human population through selective breeding or by promoting reproduction among those with desired traits and discouraging or preventing reproduction among those with undesirable traits. Sterilization of mentally retarded individuals was seen as a way to prevent them from passing on their perceived deficiencies to future generations. This policy was based on the flawed notion that some people were biologically superior to others, and it resulted in the forced sterilization of thousands of individuals without their consent or knowledge.

The Early 20th-Century American Government Policy of Sterilizing Mentally Retarded