Affirmative Action and Its Mythology

For more than three decades, critics and supporters of affirmative action have fought for the moral high ground through ballot initiatives and lawsuits, in state legislatures, and in varied courts of public opinion. The goal of this paper is to show the clarifying power of economic reasoning to disp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of economic perspectives 2005-07, Vol.19 (3), p.147-162
Main Authors: Fryer, Roland G., Loury, Glenn C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Admissions policies
Affirmative action
College admission
Colleges
Economic analysis
Economic policy
Economic resources
Economic theory
Economics of education
Education
Education policy
Employers
Employment
Employment discrimination
Equal opportunities
Fines & penalties
Hiring
Hispanic Americans
Incentives
Investment
Law enforcement
Minority group students
Opportunity equality
Presidents
Quotas
Race
Race relations
Social policy
U.S.A
Universities
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Summary:For more than three decades, critics and supporters of affirmative action have fought for the moral high ground through ballot initiatives and lawsuits, in state legislatures, and in varied courts of public opinion. The goal of this paper is to show the clarifying power of economic reasoning to dispel some myths and misconceptions in the racial affirmative action debates. We enumerate seven commonly held (but mistaken) views one often encounters in the folklore about affirmative action (affirmative action may involve goals and timelines, but definitely not quotas, e.g.). Simple economic arguments reveal these seven views to be more myth than fact.
ISSN:0895-3309
1944-7965
DOI:10.1257/089533005774357888