Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Concerns about “Ban the Box” are unwarranted. Though the results of some recent studies underscore the existence of race-based discrimination in hiring, they may be fragile and have been misinterpreted.  The determination of the treatment and control groups in Doleac and Hansen (2016), for example, raises questions about whether the authors are actually measuring the impact of Ban the Box laws. Even if the findings of “statistical discrimination” hold up under further review, the appropriate response to racebased discrimination by employers would be to address its root causes, not to repeal a policy that appears to be having its intended effects. We must design a full suite of policies that, rather than accommodating adverse employer responses to needed rules, holds employers accountable for responsible labor practices.