No Arabic abstract
We study the causal interpretation of regressions on multiple dependent treatments and flexible controls. Such regressions are often used to analyze randomized control trials with multiple intervention arms, and to estimate institutional quality (e.g. teacher value-added) with observational data. We show that, unlike with a single binary treatment, these regressions do not generally estimate convex averages of causal effects-even when the treatments are conditionally randomly assigned and the controls fully address omitted variables bias. We discuss different solutions to this issue, and propose as a solution anew class of efficient estimators of weighted average treatment effects.
Datasets from field experiments with covariate-adaptive randomizations (CARs) usually contain extra baseline covariates in addition to the strata indicators. We propose to incorporate these extra covariates via auxiliary regressions in the estimation and inference of unconditional QTEs under CARs. We establish the consistency, limiting distribution, and validity of the multiplier bootstrap of the regression-adjusted QTE estimator. The auxiliary regression may be estimated parametrically, nonparametrically, or via regularization when the data are high-dimensional. Even when the auxiliary regression is misspecified, the proposed bootstrap inferential procedure still achieves the nominal rejection probability in the limit under the null. When the auxiliary regression is correctly specified, the regression-adjusted estimator achieves the minimum asymptotic variance. We also derive the optimal pseudo true values for the potentially misspecified parametric model that minimize the asymptotic variance of the corresponding QTE estimator. We demonstrate the finite sample performance of the new estimation and inferential methods using simulations and provide an empirical application to a well-known dataset in education.
In nonseparable triangular models with a binary endogenous treatment and a binary instrumental variable, Vuong and Xu (2017) show that the individual treatment effects (ITEs) are identifiable. Feng, Vuong and Xu (2019) show that a kernel density estimator that uses nonparametrically estimated ITEs as observations is uniformly consistent for the density of the ITE. In this paper, we establish the asymptotic normality of the density estimator of Feng, Vuong and Xu (2019) and show that despite their faster rate of convergence, ITEs estimation errors have a non-negligible effect on the asymptotic distribution of the density estimator. We propose asymptotically valid standard errors for the density of the ITE that account for estimated ITEs as well as bias correction. Furthermore, we develop uniform confidence bands for the density of the ITE using nonparametric or jackknife multiplier bootstrap critical values. Our uniform confidence bands have correct coverage probabilities asymptotically with polynomial error rates and can be used for inference on the shape of the ITEs distribution.
This paper discusses the problem of estimation and inference on the effects of time-varying treatment. We propose a method for inference on the effects treatment histories, introducing a dynamic covariate balancing method combined with penalized regression. Our approach allows for (i) treatments to be assigned based on arbitrary past information, with the propensity score being unknown; (ii) outcomes and time-varying covariates to depend on treatment trajectories; (iii) high-dimensional covariates; (iv) heterogeneity of treatment effects. We study the asymptotic properties of the estimator, and we derive the parametric convergence rate of the proposed procedure. Simulations and an empirical application illustrate the advantage of the method over state-of-the-art competitors.
This paper provides a method to construct simultaneous confidence bands for quantile functions and quantile effects in nonlinear network and panel models with unobserved two-way effects, strictly exogenous covariates, and possibly discrete outcome variables. The method is based upon projection of simultaneous confidence bands for distribution functions constructed from fixed effects distribution regression estimators. These fixed effects estimators are debiased to deal with the incidental parameter problem. Under asymptotic sequences where both dimensions of the data set grow at the same rate, the confidence bands for the quantile functions and effects have correct joint coverage in large samples. An empirical application to gravity models of trade illustrates the applicability of the methods to network data.
In non-experimental settings, the Regression Discontinuity (RD) design is one of the most credible identification strategies for program evaluation and causal inference. However, RD treatment effect estimands are necessarily local, making statistical methods for the extrapolation of these effects a key area for development. We introduce a new method for extrapolation of RD effects that relies on the presence of multiple cutoffs, and is therefore design-based. Our approach employs an easy-to-interpret identifying assumption that mimics the idea of common trends in difference-in-differences designs. We illustrate our methods with data on a subsidized loan program on post-education attendance in Colombia, and offer new evidence on program effects for students with test scores away from the cutoff that determined program eligibility.