How to Control Controlled School Choice

Echenique, Federico; Yenmez, M. Bumin

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2189706

How to Control Controlled School Choice

39 Pages Posted: 16 Dec 2012 Last revised: 22 Nov 2014

See all articles by Federico Echenique

Federico Echenique

California Institute of Technology - Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences

M. Bumin Yenmez

Boston College

Date Written: October 23, 2014

Abstract

We characterize choice rules for schools that regard students as substitutes while expressing preferences for a diverse student body. The stable (or fair) assignment of students to schools requires the latter to regard the former as substitutes. Such a requirement is in conflict with the reality of schools' preferences for diversity. We show that the conflict can be useful, in the sense that certain unique rules emerge from imposing both considerations. We also provide welfare comparisons for students when different choice rules are employed.

Keywords: Controlled School Choice, Diversity, Gross Substitutes, Axiomatic Characterization

JEL Classification: C78, D47, D71, D78

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Echenique, Federico and Yenmez, M. Bumin, How to Control Controlled School Choice (October 23, 2014). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2189706 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2189706