Affirmative Action and Human Capital Investment

Affirmative Action and Human Capital Investment PDF Author: Christopher Cotton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Pre-College human capital investment occurs within a competitive environment and depends on market incentives created by Affirmative Action (AA) in college admissions. These policies affect mechanisms for rank-order allocation of college seats, and alter the relative competition between blacks and whites. We present a theory of AA in university admissions, showing how the effects of AA on human capital investment differ by student ability and demographic group. We then conduct a field experiment designed to mimic important aspects of competitive investment prior to the college market. We pay students based on relative performance on a mathematics exam in order to test the incentive effects of AA, and track study efforts on an online mathematics website. Consistent with theory, AA increases average human capital investment and exam performance for the majority of disadvantaged students targeted by the policy, by mitigating so-called "discouragement effects." The experimental evidence suggests that AA can promote greater equality of market outcomes and narrow achievement gaps at the same time.

A Solid Investment

A Solid Investment PDF Author: United States. Federal Glass Ceiling Commission
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Affirmative action
Languages : en
Pages : 68

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Pre-College Human Capital Investments and Affirmative Action

Pre-College Human Capital Investments and Affirmative Action PDF Author: Aaron Bodoh-Creed
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 53

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Book Description
We study a structural model of college admissions framed as a contest between a continuum of students for enrollment in a continuum of colleges where the contest outcome is decided by the students' choice of human capital (HC). Students have private information about their learning costs, and colleges have heterogeneous, observable qualities. Our economic model is inspired by methods from the empirical auctions literature and allow us to separately identify the roles of school quality, HC, and unobserved learning costs on post-college household income. We use our estimates to conduct counterfactual experiments comparing different college admissions rules including color-blind admissions, a proportional quota for minority students, and means-tested affirmative action (AA). An AA ban would result in a large migration of minority students out of the best schools and into the lowest quality schools with a corresponding reduction in household income and mean graduation rates. However, the signs and magnitudes of changes to HC investment and individual graduation rate depend on the demographics and learning cost type of the particular student in question. We also argue that a means-tested AA plan does not significantly increase racial diversity. Finally, our estimates imply that the competitive incentive to accrue HC is stronger than the productive incentive for all but the top 4% achieving students.

The Economics of Affirmative Action

The Economics of Affirmative Action PDF Author: Harry J. Holzer
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 742

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Book Description
A selection of articles from various sources.

Shifting Competition, Affirmative Action, and Human Capital Accumulation

Shifting Competition, Affirmative Action, and Human Capital Accumulation PDF Author: Brent Hickman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
We analyze a theoretical model in which many heterogeneous agents invest in productive human capital as they compete for better college seats or employment opportunities. We derive theoretical predictions about how intensity of market competition and/or preferential treatment allocation policies change the distribution of effort and human capital accumulation across different population groups. Our main results highlight how Spence-like incentives still play a significant role in many important market settings with dominant Beckerian incentives, where effort produces intrinsically valuable human capital. We show that the findings are robust to a range of assumptions, and discuss policy implications of these results.

Women, Men, and Human Capital Development in the Public Sector

Women, Men, and Human Capital Development in the Public Sector PDF Author: Bonnie G. Mani
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 0739144006
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 134

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Book Description
This study analyzes factors, both legal and illegal, that lead to inequities in the pay and status of men and women. Due to American culture, the wage gap may never close, but investments in human capital development may facilitate women's career advancement and narrow the gap. The author develops specific strategies for narrowing the wage gap, and explores avenues of implementation.

Affirmative Action, Shifting Competition, and Human Capital Accumulation

Affirmative Action, Shifting Competition, and Human Capital Accumulation PDF Author: Christopher Cotton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
We develop a model in which many heterogeneous agents invest in human capital as they compete for better college admission slots or employment opportunities. The model provides theoretical predictions about how affirmative action or preferential treatment policies change the distribution of effort, human capital accumulation, and job/college slot allocations across different population groups. Our findings deliver two key insights. First, incentives to invest in human capital depends substantially on the strength of one's competition. Second, we find evidence of a counter-intuitive role for preferential treatment in promoting overall human capital development.

Opportunity 2000

Opportunity 2000 PDF Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1568061714
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 194

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Affirmative Action and Pre-College Human Capital

Affirmative Action and Pre-College Human Capital PDF Author: Mitra Akhtari
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Racial affirmative action policies are widespread in college admissions. Yet, evidence on their effects before college is limited. Using four data sets, we study a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that reinstated affirmative action in three states. Using nationwide SAT data for difference-in-differences and synthetic control analyses, we separately identify the aggregate effects of affirmative action for whites and for underrepresented minorities. Using state-wide Texas administrative data, we measure the effect of affirmative action on racial gaps across the pre-treatment test score distribution. When affirmative action is re-instated, racial gaps in SAT scores, grades, attendance, and college applications fall. Average SAT scores for both whites and minorities increase, suggesting that reductions in racial gaps are driven by improvements in minorities' outcomes. Increases in pre-college human capital and college applications are concentrated in the top half of the test score distribution.

Opportunity 2000

Opportunity 2000 PDF Author: Hudson Institute
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Affirmative action programs
Languages : en
Pages : 204

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Book Description