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QUANTIFYING BIAS IN DRIVING‐UNDER‐THE‐INFLUENCE ENFORCEMENT
Author(s) -
HORN BRADY P.,
MCCLUSKEY JILL J.,
MITTELHAMMER RON C.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
economic inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1465-7295
pISSN - 0095-2583
DOI - 10.1111/ecin.12043
Subject(s) - commit , enforcement , law enforcement , racial profiling , suspect , econometrics , outcome (game theory) , economics , driving under the influence , blood alcohol , racial bias , omitted variable bias , test (biology) , criminology , psychology , racism , poison control , human factors and ergonomics , computer science , injury prevention , law , race (biology) , political science , medicine , environmental health , microeconomics , sociology , biology , database , gender studies , paleontology
As the marginal suspect and propensity to commit crime are unobserved across racial categories, it is difficult to quantify racial bias with law enforcement outcomes data. We test for racial bias in driving‐under‐the‐influence of alcohol enforcement. The assessment outcome variable, blood alcohol content (BAC), provides information about motorist's choices and allows for a more refined test for racial bias compared with other law enforcement outcome data. We find no evidence of racial bias in the relevant range where our model applies. However, we do find differences in find rates at the lowest levels of BAC, where there should be no impairment. (JEL J7, K42 )