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Reverse Discrimination and Efficiency in Education

Author

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  • Gianni De Fraja

    (University of Leicester
    Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR))

Abstract

This paper shows that reverse discrimination policies can find a justification purely on efficiency grounds. We study the optimal provision of education when households belong to different groups, differing in the distribution of the potential to benefit from education among individuals, which is private information. The main result is that the high potential individuals from groups with relatively few high potential individuals should receive more education than otherwise identical individuals from groups with a more favourable distribution of these benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • Gianni De Fraja, 2003. "Reverse Discrimination and Efficiency in Education," CEIS Research Paper 38, Tor Vergata University, CEIS.
    • Handle: RePEc:rtv:ceisrp:38
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Dahm, Matthias & Esteve-González, Patricia, 2018. "Affirmative action through extra prizes," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 123-142.
    2. Kuehn Zoë & Landeras Pedro, 2014. "The Effect of Family Background on Student Effort," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 14(4), pages 1337-1403, October.
    3. De Fraja, Gianni, 2011. "The source of differences in population distributions," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 130-132, September.
    4. Elena del Rey & María Racionero, 2008. "An efficiency argument for affirmative action in higher education," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 187(4), pages 41-48, December.
    5. Alessandro Tampieri, 2016. "Social background effects on school and job opportunities," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(5), pages 496-510, September.
    6. Schneider, Andrea, 2010. "Redistributive taxation vs. education subsidies: Fostering equality and social mobility in an intergenerational model," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 597-605, August.
    7. Hugh Gravelle & Luigi Siciliani, 2009. "Third degree waiting time discrimination: optimal allocation of a public sector healthcare treatment under rationing by waiting," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(8), pages 977-986, August.
    8. Dur, Robert & Glazer, Amihai, 2008. "Subsidizing Enjoyable Education," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 1023-1039, October.
    9. Lommerud, Kjell Erik & Straume, Odd Rune & Vagstad, Steinar, 2015. "Mommy tracks and public policy: On self-fulfilling prophecies and gender gaps in hiring and promotion," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 540-554.
    10. Tampieri Alessandro, 2024. "University Admission: Is Achievement a Sufficient Criterion?," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 24(3), pages 799-833.
    11. Andrew M. Francis & Maria Tannuri-Pianto, 2012. "Using Brazil’s Racial Continuum to Examine the Short-Term Effects of Affirmative Action in Higher Education," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 47(3), pages 754-784.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Reverse discrimination; Affirmative action; Education policy; Minorities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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