This article brings together an archive of survey experiments to document and explain racial discrimination between Black and White targets in the United States.
📊 What was compiled and how it was analyzed
- An archive of survey experiments conducted in the United States that manipulate the race of targets and measure respondent reactions across social, economic, and political domains (published and unpublished studies included).
- Analyses use pooled experimental estimates and meta-analytic models to summarize average effects and to examine how design and sample features affect measured discrimination.
🔍 What the evidence shows
- Across a wide range of outcomes, respondents display systematically less favorable responses to Black targets than to White targets, although the size of this Black–White gap varies.
- Measured discrimination differs by context: some domains show larger and more consistent effects than others (for example, interpersonal attitudes versus policy preferences or behavioral measures).
- Study design and sample characteristics moderate findings: features such as the type of manipulation, outcome measurement, respondent population, and survey mode influence whether and how large racial differences appear.
❗ Why this matters
- Aggregating experimental evidence clarifies where discrimination is most robust and where measurement choices shape conclusions, informing both substantive debates about inequality and best practices for experimental research.
- The archive highlights areas where additional, better-powered experiments are needed and points to design features that improve detection and comparability of racial discrimination effects.
The article provides a resource for researchers and policymakers seeking a consolidated experimental picture of Black–White discrimination in the United States and guidance on interpreting heterogeneous experimental results.
