IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/econom/v211y2019i2p560-588.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Inference on Difference-in-Differences average treatment effects: A fixed-b approach

Author

Listed:
  • Sun, Yu
  • Yan, Karen X.

Abstract

This paper provides an analysis of the standard errors proposed by Driscoll and Kraay (1998) (DK) in linear Difference-in-Differences (DD) models with fixed effects and individual-specific time trends. The analysis is accomplished within the fixed-b asymptotic framework developed by Kiefer and Vogelsang (2005) for heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent (HAC) covariance matrix estimator based tests. For both the fixed-N, large-T, and large-N, large-T cases, it is shown that fixed-b asymptotic distributions of test statistics constructed using the DD estimator and the DK standard errors are different from the results found by Kiefer and Vogelsang (2005) and Vogelsang (2012). The newly derived fixed-b asymptotic distributions depend on the date of policy change, individual-specific trend functions as well as the choice of kernel and bandwidth. Monte Carlo simulations illustrate the performance of the fixed-b approximations in practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Sun, Yu & Yan, Karen X., 2019. "Inference on Difference-in-Differences average treatment effects: A fixed-b approach," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 211(2), pages 560-588.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:econom:v:211:y:2019:i:2:p:560-588
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeconom.2019.04.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304407619300545
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jeconom.2019.04.001?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kim, Min Seong & Sun, Yixiao, 2013. "Heteroskedasticity and spatiotemporal dependence robust inference for linear panel models with fixed effects," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 177(1), pages 85-108.
    2. Bunzel, Helle & Vogelsang, Timothy J., 2005. "Powerful Trend Function Tests That Are Robust to Strong Serial Correlation, With an Application to the Prebisch-Singer Hypothesis," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 23, pages 381-394, October.
    3. Thompson, Samuel B., 2011. "Simple formulas for standard errors that cluster by both firm and time," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 1-10, January.
    4. Vogelsang, Timothy J., 2012. "Heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation, and spatial correlation robust inference in linear panel models with fixed-effects," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 166(2), pages 303-319.
    5. Kelejian, Harry H. & Prucha, Ingmar R., 2007. "HAC estimation in a spatial framework," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 140(1), pages 131-154, September.
    6. A. Colin Cameron & Jonah B. Gelbach & Douglas L. Miller, 2011. "Robust Inference With Multiway Clustering," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 238-249, April.
    7. P. C. B. Phillips & S. N. Durlauf, 1986. "Multiple Time Series Regression with Integrated Processes," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 53(4), pages 473-495.
    8. Yixiao Sun & Min Seong Kim, 2015. "Asymptotic F-Test in a GMM Framework with Cross-Sectional Dependence," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 97(1), pages 210-233, March.
    9. John C. Driscoll & Aart C. Kraay, 1998. "Consistent Covariance Matrix Estimation With Spatially Dependent Panel Data," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 80(4), pages 549-560, November.
    10. Kim, Min Seong & Sun, Yixiao, 2011. "Spatial heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent estimation of covariance matrix," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 160(2), pages 349-371, February.
    11. Nigar Hashimzade & Timothy J. Vogelsang, 2008. "Fixed‐b asymptotic approximation of the sampling behaviour of nonparametric spectral density estimators," Journal of Time Series Analysis, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 142-162, January.
    12. Hansen, Christian B., 2007. "Asymptotic properties of a robust variance matrix estimator for panel data when T is large," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 141(2), pages 597-620, December.
    13. Marianne Bertrand & Esther Duflo & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2004. "How Much Should We Trust Differences-In-Differences Estimates?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 119(1), pages 249-275.
    14. Sun, Yixiao, 2014. "Let’s fix it: Fixed-b asymptotics versus small-b asymptotics in heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation robust inference," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 178(P3), pages 659-677.
    15. Kiefer, Nicholas M. & Vogelsang, Timothy J., 2005. "A New Asymptotic Theory For Heteroskedasticity-Autocorrelation Robust Tests," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(6), pages 1130-1164, December.
    16. Arellano, M, 1987. "Computing Robust Standard Errors for Within-Groups Estimators," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 49(4), pages 431-434, November.
    17. Newey, Whitney & West, Kenneth, 2014. "A simple, positive semi-definite, heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation consistent covariance matrix," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 33(1), pages 125-132.
    18. Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, 2003. "Cluster-Sample Methods in Applied Econometrics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(2), pages 133-138, May.
    19. Bester, C. Alan & Conley, Timothy G. & Hansen, Christian B., 2011. "Inference with dependent data using cluster covariance estimators," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 165(2), pages 137-151.
    20. Conley, T. G., 1999. "GMM estimation with cross sectional dependence," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 92(1), pages 1-45, September.
    21. Ibragimov, Rustam & Müller, Ulrich K., 2010. "t-Statistic Based Correlation and Heterogeneity Robust Inference," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 28(4), pages 453-468.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kan Wang & Li Lei & Shuai Qiu & Sen Guo, 2020. "Policy Performance of Green Lighting Industry in China: A DID Analysis from the Perspective of Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Yahui Wang & Qingyuan Yang & Liangjie Xin & Jingyu Zhang, 2019. "Does the New Rural Pension System Promote Farmland Transfer in the Context of Aging in Rural China: Evidence from the CHARLS," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-19, September.
    3. Qingshan Ma & Yuanmeng Zhang & Kexin Yang & Lingyun He, 2021. "Have China’s Pilot Free Trade Zones Improved Green Total Factor Productivity?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-20, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kim, Min Seong & Sun, Yixiao, 2013. "Heteroskedasticity and spatiotemporal dependence robust inference for linear panel models with fixed effects," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 177(1), pages 85-108.
    2. Vogelsang, Timothy J., 2012. "Heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation, and spatial correlation robust inference in linear panel models with fixed-effects," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 166(2), pages 303-319.
    3. Timothy Conley & Silvia Gonçalves & Christian Hansen, 2018. "Inference with Dependent Data in Accounting and Finance Applications," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(4), pages 1139-1203, September.
    4. Pakel, Cavit, 2019. "Bias reduction in nonlinear and dynamic panels in the presence of cross-section dependence," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 213(2), pages 459-492.
    5. Kaicheng Chen & Timothy J. Vogelsang, 2023. "Fixed-b Asymptotics for Panel Models with Two-Way Clustering," Papers 2309.08707, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2023.
    6. David Powell, 2017. "Inference with Correlated Clusters," Working Papers WR-1137-1, RAND Corporation.
    7. Ladislava Grochová & Luboš Střelec, 2013. "Heteroskedasticity, temporal and spatial correlation matter," Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, Mendel University Press, vol. 61(7), pages 2151-2155.
    8. Rho, Seunghwa & Vogelsang, Timothy J., 2021. "Inference in time series models using smoothed-clustered standard errors," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 224(1), pages 113-133.
    9. Hwang, Jungbin, 2021. "Simple and trustworthy cluster-robust GMM inference," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 222(2), pages 993-1023.
    10. Gupta, Abhimanyu, 2018. "Autoregressive spatial spectral estimates," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 203(1), pages 80-95.
    11. Bruno Ferman, 2023. "Inference in difference‐in‐differences: How much should we trust in independent clusters?," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(3), pages 358-369, April.
    12. Hidalgo, Javier & Schafgans, Marcia, 2021. "Inference without smoothing for large panels with cross-sectional and temporal dependence," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 223(1), pages 125-160.
    13. Bester, C. Alan & Conley, Timothy G. & Hansen, Christian B., 2011. "Inference with dependent data using cluster covariance estimators," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 165(2), pages 137-151.
    14. A. Colin Cameron & Douglas L. Miller, 2010. "Robust Inference with Clustered Data," Working Papers 318, University of California, Davis, Department of Economics.
    15. Hwang, Jungbin & Sun, Yixiao, 2018. "Should we go one step further? An accurate comparison of one-step and two-step procedures in a generalized method of moments framework," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 207(2), pages 381-405.
    16. Moscone, F. & Tosetti, Elisa, 2015. "Robust estimation under error cross section dependence," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 100-104.
    17. Hidalgo, Javier & Schafgans, Marcia, 2021. "Inference without smoothing for large panels with cross-sectional and temporal dependence," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 107426, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    18. Hansen, Bruce E. & Lee, Seojeong, 2019. "Asymptotic theory for clustered samples," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 210(2), pages 268-290.
    19. MacKinnon, James G. & Nielsen, Morten Ørregaard & Webb, Matthew D., 2023. "Cluster-robust inference: A guide to empirical practice," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 232(2), pages 272-299.
    20. Elif Guneren Genc & Ozlem Deniz Basar, 2017. "The Impact of OECD Countries¡¯ Macroeconomic Factors on Turkey¡¯s Foreign Trade," Research in World Economy, Research in World Economy, Sciedu Press, vol. 8(1), pages 24-36, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Difference-in-Differences; HAC estimator; Fixed-b asymptotics; Panel data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C12 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Hypothesis Testing: General
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:econom:v:211:y:2019:i:2:p:560-588. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jeconom .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.