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Social Equity

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Social equity is the fair and just management of all institutions serving the public, distribution of public services, and implementation of public policy; and the commitment to promote fairness, justice, and equity in policymaking. RAND research examines the compounding effects of racial bias; equity in schools, workplaces, the military, and the justice system; equity in disaster preparation, response, and recovery; equity in infrastructure planning; and equity in climate resilience.

Report
Identifying Research Needs to Support Fair and Equitable Public Defense in the United States
The systems that provide counsel for indigent defendants vary considerably across states, localities, and judicial jurisdictions. Researchers identified information gaps or research priorities that, if addressed, could advance knowledge around effective public defense strategies.
Aug 30, 2023
Report
Are Income Share Agreements a Viable Alternative to Student Loans?
Under an income share agreement (ISA), the student promises a share of their future income to a funder for a set period in exchange for money for school. ISAs have benefits, but their contract terms vary, they exist in a legal gray zone, and there are equity implications.
Aug 22, 2023

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Infographic
The IntegratED Programme: Key findings and lessons learned from a multi-year evaluation
The Porticus IntegratED Programme aimed to reduce preventable exclusion from school and improve the quality of alternative provision. Evaluations by RAND Europe and NFER identify key Programme achievements and lessons for other philanthropic funders.
Nov 6, 2023
Journal Article
Police Bias and Low Relatability and Diet Quality: Examining the Importance of Psychosocial Factors in Predominantly Black Communities
Police bias and low relatability may play a role in community connection, social status, and ultimately dietary disparities for Black Americans. Addressing police bias and low relatability is a continuing and pressing public health issue.
Nov 6, 2023
Report
Evaluation of the IntegratED Programme: Summary report
The Porticus IntegratED Programme aimed to reduce preventable exclusion from school and improve the quality of alternative provision. Evaluations by RAND Europe and NFER identify key Programme achievements and lessons for other philanthropic funders.
Nov 6, 2023
Report
Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Technical Violations of Probation or Parole Supervision
Probation and parole staff exercise considerable discretion in responding to technical violations—instances of noncompliance with the conditions of supervision. An expert panel explored ways to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in handling technical violations.
Nov 6, 2023
Essay
Why Are U.S. Military Families Experiencing Food Insecurity?
Around a quarter of active-duty service members qualify as “food insecure.” But what's causing that, how to fix it—even what it means—is not clear. Food insecurity is a multifaceted problem that needs multifaceted solutions.
Nov 6, 2023
Report
Vetting National Security Personnel: What Contributes to Bias and Inequity?
Applicants for the national security workforce must provide detailed personal information—such as race or ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and neurodivergence—in order to gain a security clearance. What potential bias or inequities exist within this vetting process?
Oct 31, 2023
Journal Article
Examining the Effects of Perceptions of Police Effectiveness, Procedural Justice, and Legitimacy on Racial Differences in Anticipated Cooperation With Law Enforcement in Pennsylvania
This study used data from a representative sample of PA residents to measure public perceptions of police. The authors examined racial differences in these perceptions and whether normative or instrumental assessments can explain these differences.
Oct 27, 2023
Report
Crime-Free Housing Policies Increase Evictions in Minority and Low-Income Neighborhoods, but Do Not Lead to Reductions in Crime
Policies that encourage landlords to evict tenants who have involvement with the criminal justice system do not appear to reduce crime, while increasing evictions among Black residents and people with lower incomes.
Oct 20, 2023
Blog
Risks of AI, Israel Faces Hard Choices, China 'Doesn't Get It': RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the risks of artificial intelligence, tough choices facing the Israeli government, China's blunders on the international stage, and more.
Oct 20, 2023
Journal Article
The Gender Gap in Performance Reviews
I examine gender differences in 100,000+ performance reviews for 170 companies across 12 industries. I find that women rate their performance lower than men, and these differences persist when accounting for manager and peer reviews of the worker.
Oct 16, 2023
Journal Article
The Widening Achievement Gap Between Rich and Poor in a Nordic Country
We study a decade of achievement gaps for fifth-, eighth-, and 10th-grade students in Norway using administrative population data.
Oct 16, 2023
Journal Article
Housing Insecurity and Sleep Among Welfare Recipients in California
The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of housing insecurity on sleep duration and sleep quality.
Oct 16, 2023
Journal Article
Using a Narrow Cost Analysis to Inform Payment Rates: A Brief for CCDF Lead Agencies
This brief describes how Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies can use cost data when setting payment rates. It covers two main topics: analyzing gaps between costs and payment rates and exploring strategies to close gaps.
Oct 16, 2023
Commentary
A Case for Promoting Infrastructure Equity for the Olympics
In 2028, Los Angeles will host the Olympic Games for the third time. A critical factor for successfully hosting will be for planners to ask hard questions early, so the community can collaborate with the organizing committee, informing its response to critical themes such as homes, health, transport, jobs, society, and culture.
Oct 16, 2023
Report
Will We Hold Algorithms Accountable for Bad Decisions?
As artificial intelligence algorithms become incorporated into more decision processes that affect individuals' welfare and well-being, public perceptions of the technology will have many implications, including for jury judgments about algorithmic liability and support for AI regulation.
Oct 12, 2023
Report
What Is the Housing Cost Burden Among U.S. Veterans?
Fewer veteran households than nonveteran ones are financially burdened by housing costs. Veterans are more likely to be homeowners than nonveterans are, and have lower housing costs than nonveteran homeowners. Veterans who are younger, are female, live in high-cost housing markets, or rent are the ones most in need of housing support.
Oct 12, 2023
Journal Article
Think Global, Act Local: Using a Translocal Approach to Understand Community-Based Organisations' Responses to Planetary Health Crises During COVID-19
We used a translocal learning approach to co-develop insights on community-based responses to complex health and environmental and economic crises.
Oct 12, 2023
Journal Article
Longitudinal Associations Between Sleep and BMI in a Low-Income, Predominantly Black American Sample
This study provides further evidence that, among a sample of low-income Black adults, sleep problems are not longitudinally predictive of BMI.
Oct 9, 2023
Journal Article
A Formal Framework For Incorporating Equity Into Health Care Quality Measurement
We propose equity weighting, a new measurement framework to advance equity on multiple fronts that addresses the shortcomings of existing approaches and explicitly calibrates incentives to align with equity goals.
Oct 9, 2023
News Release
Rise in Overdose Deaths Increasingly Affects Those with Lower Educational Attainment
Drug overdose deaths increased sharply among Americans without a college education and nearly doubled over a three-year period among those who don't have a high school diploma. The findings further highlight a potential association between the rise in drug overdose deaths and barriers to education access, a social determinant of health.
Oct 6, 2023

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Kankan Zhang

Analyst

Kankan Zhang (she/her) is an analyst at RAND Europe. Working primarily in the area of home affairs and social policy, her research interests include education, employment, family policy and social includsion. Prior to joining RAND, Zhang completed a Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge which…
Zuzanna Marciniak-Nuqui

Analyst

Zuzanna Marciniak-Nuqui is an analyst at RAND Europe focusing on health care innovation research. She is particularly interested in using qualitative methods in health care research. She has experience in conducting ethnography (participant observation), formal and informal interviews, focus…

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