The Objectivity of Academia

Is academic success meritocratic? To a large degree, it is, but not completely:

Faculty with earlier surname initials are significantly more likely to receive tenure at top ten economics departments, are significantly more likely to become fellows of the Econometric Society, and, to a lesser extent, are more likely to receive the Clark Medal and the Nobel Prize.

From a recent paper by Liran Einav and Leeat Yariv.

From now on, I will use the name N. Gregory Aaamankiw.