Reverse Discrimination and Efficiency in Education

27 Pages Posted: 19 Oct 2003

See all articles by Gianni De Fraja

Gianni De Fraja

Universita' di Roma; University of Nottingham; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Date Written: October 2003

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.

Keywords: Reverse discrimination, Affirmative action, Education policy, Minorities

JEL Classification: I28, D63

Suggested Citation

De Fraja, Gianni and De Fraja, Gianni, Reverse Discrimination and Efficiency in Education (October 2003). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=459584 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.459584

Gianni De Fraja (Contact Author)

Universita' di Roma ( email )

Dipartimento SEFEMEQ
Via Columbia n.2
Rome, Rome 00133
Italy

HOME PAGE: http://www.economia.uniroma2.it/docenti

University of Nottingham ( email )

University Park
Nottingham, NG8 1BB
United Kingdom

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

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