Assessing Affirmative Action

David Neumark and Harry Holzer

Journal of Economic Literature, 2000, vol. 38, issue 3, 483-568

Abstract: Economic research provides extensive evidence regarding discrimination against women and minorities, and some evidence on the redistributive effects of affirmative action. However, it provides much less evidence on affirmative action's impact on efficiency or performance, perhaps the key economic issue in the debate over affirmative action. This review covers all of these issues, but focuses on the efficiency/performance question, drawing on economics and other disciplines. The evidence suggests to us that affirmative action can be implemented with relatively little efficiency loss. Most importantly, the empirical case against affirmative action on the grounds of efficiency is weak at best.

JEL-codes: J15 J16 J78 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2000
Note: DOI: 10.1257/jel.38.3.483
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (219)

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Working Paper: Assessing Affirmative Action (1999)
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