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Discrimination and State Capacity: Evidence from WWII U.S. Army Enlistment

By: Nancy Qian and Marco Tabellini
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:71
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Abstract

This paper investigates the empirical relationship between inclusion and state capacity during wartime. We document that racial discrimination against Black Americans had a large, negative effect on the quantity and quality of Black men who volunteered for the U.S. Army immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor. We also show evidence consistent with a relationship between discrimination and enlistment rates for Japanese American men, who were also strongly discriminated against during World War II. We interpret the results as evidence that racial discrimination discouraged Black men from enlisting, and provide evidence against alternative explanations.

Keywords

State Capacity; Institutions; War; Race; Prejudice and Bias; Government Administration; United States

Citation

Qian, Nancy, and Marco Tabellini. "Discrimination and State Capacity: Evidence from WWII U.S. Army Enlistment." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-005, July 2020. (Revised June 2022. Available also from KelloggInsight, HBS Working Knowledge, and NBER.)

About The Author

Marco E. Tabellini

Business, Government and the International Economy
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