种族中立替代方案相对于基于种族的平权行动的效率：来自芝加哥考试学校的证据

中文摘要

若干K-12及大学系统已采用种族中立的平权行动来取代基于种族的替代方案。本文探讨了这些计划能否有效替代芝加哥公立学校（CPS）的种族配额，该系统目前在其选拔性考试高中实行基于地域的种族中立平权行动。与明确考虑种族的计划相比，CPS计划是无效的：在相同种族多样性水平下，顶尖学校平均入学分数的降幅中约有四分之三本可避免。此外，在增加低收入学生方面，CPS计划不如先前的种族配额制度有效。我们构建了一个理论框架，该框架基于种族中立政策在给定多样性水平下对学生准备度造成的扭曲来量化其无效率程度，并以此评估若干替代方案。CPS计划可通过多种方式改进，但任何种族中立政策都无法在不造成大幅更大扭曲的情况下将少数族裔代表性恢复至先前水平，这表明禁止明确使用种族会产生显著的效率成本。

Abstract

Several K-12 and university systems have adopted race-neutral affirmative action in place of race-based alternatives. This paper explores whether these plans are effective substitutes for racial quotas in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), which now employs a race-neutral, place-based affirmative action system at its selective exam high schools. The CPS plan is ineffective compared to plans that explicitly consider race: about three-quarters of the reduction in average entrance scores at the top schools could have been avoided with the same level of racial diversity. Moreover, the CPS plan is less effective at adding low-income students than was the previous system of racial quotas. We develop a theoretical framework that motivates quantifying the inefficiency of race-neutral policies based on the distortion in student preparedness they create for a given level of diversity and use it to evaluate several alternatives. The CPS plan can be improved in several ways, but no race-neutral policy restores minority representation to prior levels without substantially greater distortions, implying significant efficiency costs from prohibitions on the explicit use of race. (JEL H75, I21, I28, J15)