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Presentation Title: The Short- and Long-Run Effects of Affirmative Action: Evidence from Imperial China
Abstract:
We examine the short- and long-run effects of affirmative action in the setting of China. The most academically talented individuals were chosen to take official jobs in imperial China through a centrally regulated, multi-stage examination process. Because of the stark differences in exam performance across the country, a reform to minimize the disparities in access to these positions was initiated in 1712. As acceptance rates were made equitable among the provinces, more candidates from underrepresented provinces were chosen. Using a novel dataset on the exam performance and career outcome of successful candidates, we show that there was no deterioration in the quality or outcome of candidates selected from underrepresented provinces following the intervention. A divergent trend between sub-provincial units suggests greater inequality within provinces, but this disparity was mitigated by the existence of non-governmental organizations that covered exam-related travel expenses. We show that the gap between the underrepresented provinces and other provinces reopened when the reform was abandoned in 1905. Nonetheless, some of the reform's effects persisted. Additionally, we show that the intervention had spillover effects that reached all the way down to secondary education.
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