Universal, Indirect, or Direct: Assessing the Comparative Impact of Policies and Programs to Reduce the Black-White Wealth Gap
Summary
We propose a comprehensive examination of policies that have been advanced to eliminate black-white wealth inequality in the United States. We consider three broad categories of policies: universal programs, applicable to all Americans, that, ostensibly, will have a disproportionate benefit for black American wealth accumulation, indirect programs targeted exclusively at black American wealth accumulation (e.g., financial literacy training, community economic development programs, education and housing subsidies), and direct monetary payments to support black American wealth accumulation.