College Admission with Multidimensional Privileges: The Brazilian Affirmative Action Case

TY - JOUR

T1 - College Admission with Multidimensional Privileges: The Brazilian Affirmative Action Case

AU - Aygün, Orhan

AU - Lanari Bo, Inacio

PY - 2020/7/9

Y1 - 2020/7/9

N2 - In 2012 Brazilian public universities were mandated to use affirmative action policies for candidates from racial and income minorities. We show that the policy makes the students' affirmative action status a strategic choice, and may reject high-achieving minority students while admitting low-achieving majority students. Empirical data shows evidence consistent with this type of unfairness in more than 49\% of the programs. We propose a selection criterion and an incentive-compatible mechanism that, for a wider range of similar problems and the one in Brazil in particular, removes any gain from strategizing over the privileges claimed and is fair.

AB - In 2012 Brazilian public universities were mandated to use affirmative action policies for candidates from racial and income minorities. We show that the policy makes the students' affirmative action status a strategic choice, and may reject high-achieving minority students while admitting low-achieving majority students. Empirical data shows evidence consistent with this type of unfairness in more than 49\% of the programs. We propose a selection criterion and an incentive-compatible mechanism that, for a wider range of similar problems and the one in Brazil in particular, removes any gain from strategizing over the privileges claimed and is fair.

KW - mechanism design

KW - matching with contracts

KW - college admissions

KW - affirmative action

KW - diversity

U2 - 10.1257/mic.20170364

DO - 10.1257/mic.20170364

M3 - Article

SN - 1945-7669

JO - American Economic Journal: Microeconomics

JF - American Economic Journal: Microeconomics

ER -