Final answer:
Negative eugenics aimed at preventing certain people from reproducing to improve genetic quality. Examples include forced sterilization in the United States and the Nazi eugenics program in Germany, targeting marginalized groups and those with disabilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Negative eugenics refers to the pseudoscientific efforts aimed at improving the genetic quality of the human population by preventing reproduction among individuals deemed inferior. Historical examples of negative eugenics include forced sterilization programs, which targeted various marginalized groups.
One egregious example of forced sterilization occurred in the early twentieth century within the United States, where the government funded forced sterilization programs in 32 states, affecting tens of thousands of women, especially those of color. The underlying belief was that selective breeding should be used to improve society and was supported by prominent organizations and academics. Unfortunately, this led to a range of coercive measures classified as medical exploitation.
Another stark representation of negative eugenics was the Nazi eugenics program of the 1930s and 1940s, where hundreds of thousands of people deemed "unfit"—including those with disabilities—were forcibly sterilized or even murdered in an attempt to create a genetically 'superior' Aryan race.