The Public Sector and Resource Allocation, Friday, October 29, 2021

In what ways do the effects of historically discriminatory government policies linger today, and what scope exists to reduce their remaining harms? And does under-representation of minority groups in the ranks of government officials necessarily undermine the de facto fairness of de jure impartial institutions? Recent research provides insight into these questions, as well as into the implications of changing the way that race itself is conceptualized in empirical discrimination research.

Session 1 Registration

Morning Session

  • Date and Time: Friday October 29, 2021 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST
  • Registration: Zoom registration required in advance

The October 29th sessions on “The Public Sector and Resource Allocation” begin in the morning with studies considering the long-run impacts of racially and ethnically influenced government housing and educational policies, as well as the potential for gains to be achieved by shifting to more equitable practices.

Discussants: Marcus Casey, Sun Kyoung Lee and Tomás Monarrez

Afternoon Session

  • Date and Time: Friday October 29, 2021 1:30 - 4:00 PM EST
  • Registration: Zoom registration required in advance

The afternoon session includes research examining how citizens’ experiences with the government – and their ultimate well-being – may be influenced by how well their identities align with those of public-facing officials who possess discretionary decision-making power, in contexts as varied as the allocation of veterans’ benefits in the 19th century United States and judicial proceedings in modern India. Finally, the session concludes with a discussion of the implications of formally incorporating racial identity as a social construct, rather than implicitly as a biological fact, for empirical research on discrimination.

Discussants: Rebecca (Linchi) Hsu, Yusuf Neggers and William Bunting