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Choice with Affirmative Action

Author

Listed:
  • Battal Doğan

    (Department of Economics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 5BL, United Kingdom)

  • Kemal Yildiz

    (Department of Economics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey)

Abstract

A choice rule with affirmative action decides on the recipients of a limited number of identical objects by reconciling two objectives: respecting a priority ordering over the applicants and supporting a minority group. We extend the standard formulation of a choice problem by incorporating a type function and a priority ordering and introduce monotonicity axioms on how a choice rule should respond to variations in these parameters. We show that monotonic and substitutable affirmative action rules are the ones that admit a bounded reserve representation . As a prominent class of choice rules that satisfy the monotonicity axioms, we characterize lexicographic affirmative action rules that are prevalent both in the literature and in practice. Our axiomatic approach provides a novel way to think about reserve systems and uncovers choice rules that go beyond lexicographic affirmative action rules.

Suggested Citation

  • Battal Doğan & Kemal Yildiz, 2023. "Choice with Affirmative Action," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(4), pages 2284-2296, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:69:y:2023:i:4:p:2284-2296
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2022.4447
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    References listed on IDEAS

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