May 29, 2024
DOI: 10.34932/w0fv-7977
The Costs of Affirmative Action: Evidence from a Medical School Lottery
It is possible to promote diversity among student populations without the use of lottery selection. This is shown by research from the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) on fair algorithms that was published on the 29th of May.
Lotteries are often proposed as a means to promote equality of opportunity, for example in the case of admission to medical school. However, that is not the only way in which inequality of opportunity can be combated, and certainly not the most effective. An alternative method is to reserve places for specific groups, such as men or people with a migration background, and then select the most suitable candidates from each group. This approach ensures that effective selection can take place, while at the same time promoting diversity.
For more information, see the Discussion Paper (English), or the ESB article (Dutch) based on the research.
Downloads
Authors
Related
The added value of machine learning for macroeconomic forecasting in the NetherlandsDe voorspellende waarde van toetsen uit het leerlingvolgsysteem voor de eindtoetsDe relatie tussen de arbeidsmarkt en studie-inschrijvingenCausal forests with fixed effects for treatment effect heterogeneity in difference-in-differencesDoes replacing grants by income-contingent loans harm enrolment? New evidence from a reform in Dutch higher education