Replication data for: The Multi-unit Assignment Problem: Theory and Evidence from Course Allocation at Harvard

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Eric Budish; Estelle Cantillon

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified
Data-Appendix			09/14/2021 02:11:PM
LICENSE.txt	text/plain	14.6 KB	10/11/2019 01:48:PM

Project Citation:

Budish, Eric, and Cantillon, Estelle. Replication data for: The Multi-unit Assignment Problem: Theory and Evidence from Course Allocation at Harvard. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2012. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2019-10-11. https://doi.org/10.3886/E112547V1

Project Description

Summary: We use theory and field data to study the draft mechanism used to allocate courses at Harvard Business School. We show that the draft is manipulable in theory, manipulated in practice, and that these manipulations cause significant welfare loss. Nevertheless, we find that welfare is higher than under its widely studied strategyproof alternative. We identify a new link between fairness and welfare that explains why the draft performs well despite the costs of strategic behavior, and then design a new draft that reduces these costs. We draw several broader lessons for market design, regarding Pareto efficiency, fairness, and strategyproofness. (JEL D63, D82, I23)

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: Matching; Assignment; Combinatorial Allocation; Course Allocation; Survey Data

JEL Classification:
      D63 Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
      D82 Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
      I23 Higher Education; Research Institutions

Data Type(s): survey data; administrative records data; other:

Methodology

Unit(s) of Observation: Truthful and Strategic Preferences,

Related Publications

Download this project

Published Versions

V1 [2019-10-11]

Export Metadata

Dublin Core

DDI 2.5

Report a Problem

Found a serious problem with the data, such as disclosure risk or copyrighted content? Let us know.

This material is distributed exactly as it arrived from the data depositor. ICPSR has not checked or processed this material. Users should consult the investigator(s) if further information is desired.