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Inference in Structural Vector Autoregressions identified with an external instrument

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  • Montiel Olea, José L.
  • Stock, James H.
  • Watson, Mark W.

Abstract

This paper studies Structural Vector Autoregressions in which a structural shock of interest (e.g., an oil supply shock) is identified using an external instrument. The external instrument is taken to be correlated with the target shock (the instrument is relevant) and to be uncorrelated with other shocks of the model (the instrument is exogenous). The potential weak correlation between the external instrument and the target structural shock compromises the large-sample validity of standard inference. We suggest a confidence set for impulse response coefficients that is not affected by the instrument strength (i.e., is weak-instrument robust) and asymptotically coincides with the standard confidence set when the instrument is strong.

Suggested Citation

  • Montiel Olea, José L. & Stock, James H. & Watson, Mark W., 2021. "Inference in Structural Vector Autoregressions identified with an external instrument," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(1), pages 74-87.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:econom:v:225:y:2021:i:1:p:74-87
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeconom.2020.05.014
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    6. Müller, Gernot & Georgiadis, Georgios & Schumann, Ben, 2021. "Global Risk and the Dollar," CEPR Discussion Papers 16245, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    7. McNeil, James, 2023. "Monetary policy and the term structure of inflation expectations with information frictions," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    8. Hiroyuki Kubota & Ichiro Muto & Mototsugu Shintani, 2022. "Monetary Policy, Labor Force Participation, and Wage Rigidity," IMES Discussion Paper Series 22-E-17, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan.
    9. Robin Braun & Ralf Brüggemann, 2017. "Identification of SVAR Models by Combining Sign Restrictions With External Instruments," Working Paper Series of the Department of Economics, University of Konstanz 2017-07, Department of Economics, University of Konstanz.
    10. Alfred A. Haug & India Power, 2022. "Government Spending Multipliers in Times of Tight and Loose Monetary Policy in New Zealand," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 98(322), pages 249-270, September.
    11. Wataru Miyamoto & Thuy Lan Nguyen & Dmitry Sergeyev, 2023. "How Oil Shocks Propagate: Evidence on the Monetary Policy Channel," Working Paper Series 2024-06, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
    12. Baker, John D. & Lam, Jean-Paul, 2022. "Assessing the credibility of central bank signals: The case of transitory inflation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    13. Ruhollah Eskandari & Morteza Zamanian, 2023. "Heterogeneous responses to corporate marginal tax rates: Evidence from small and large firms," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(7), pages 1018-1047, November.
    14. Piergiorgio Alessandri & Andrea Gazzani, 2023. "Natural gas and the macroeconomy: not all energy shocks are alike," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1428, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    15. Hiroyuki Kubota & Mototsugu Shintani, 2023. "Macroeconomic Effects of Monetary Policy in Japan: An Analysis Using Interest Rate Futures Surprises," CARF F-Series CARF-F-555, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo.
    16. Jonathan Hambur & Qazi Haque, 2023. "Can We Use High-Frequency Yield Data to Better Understand the Effects of Monetary Policy and Its Communication? Yes and No!," CAMA Working Papers 2023-26, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    17. Braun, Robin & Miranda-Agrippino, Silvia & Saha, Tuli, 2023. "Measuring monetary policy in the UK: the UK Monetary Policy Event‑Study Database," Bank of England working papers 1050, Bank of England.
    18. von Schweinitz, Gregor, 2023. "The importance of credit demand for business cycle dynamics," IWH Discussion Papers 21/2023, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
    19. Vassilios Bazinas & Bent Nielsen, 2022. "Causal Transmission in Reduced-Form Models," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-25, March.
    20. Francesco Cordoni & Nicolas Doremus & Alessio Moneta, 2023. "Identification of Vector Autoregressive Models with Nonlinear Contemporaneous Structure," LEM Papers Series 2023/07, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.

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