Black Economists on Race and Policy: Contributions to Education, Poverty and Mobility, and Public Finance
- (pp. 454-93)
Abstract
We explore the contributions of Black economists to research on major economic and social policy problems in the United States. We focus on applications in education, poverty and economic mobility, and public finance to extract common themes and patterns. The major themes that emerge include (i) Black economists' examination of individual versus structural explanations for economic outcomes, (ii) the role played by race and discrimination, (iii) the endogenous determination of race, and (iv) the nature of objectivity and positionality in economic research. A unifying theme is a willingness of many Black economists to engage critically on economic policy issues, using frameworks both from within as well as outside of mainstream neoclassical economics.Citation
Francis, Dania V., Bradley L. Hardy, and Damon Jones. 2022. "Black Economists on Race and Policy: Contributions to Education, Poverty and Mobility, and Public Finance." Journal of Economic Literature, 60 (2): 454-93. DOI: 10.1257/jel.20211686Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- A11 Role of Economics; Role of Economists; Market for Economists
- D72 Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
- I23 Higher Education; Research Institutions
- I28 Education: Government Policy
- I32 Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
- J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
- K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law