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Testing identifying assumptions in fuzzy regression discontinuity designs

Author

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  • Yoichi Arai

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies)

  • Yu-Chin Hsu

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies)

  • Toru Kitagawa

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies and University College London)

  • Ismael Mourifié

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies)

  • Yuanyuan Wan

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies)

Abstract

We propose a new specification test for assessing the validity of fuzzy regression discontinuity designs (FRD-validity). We derive a new set of testable implications, characterized by a set of inequality restrictions on the joint distribution of observed outcomes and treatment status at the cut-off. We show that this new characterization exploits all the information in the data useful for detecting violations of FRD-validity. Our approach differs from, and complements existing approaches that test continuity of the distributions of running variables and baseline covariates at the cut-off since ours focuses on the distribution of the observed outcome and treatment status. We show that the proposed test has appealing statistical properties. It controls size in large sample uniformly over a large class of distributions, is consistent against all fixed alternatives, and has non-trivial power against some local alternatives. We apply our test to evaluate the validity of two FRD designs. The test does not reject the FRD-validity in the class size design studied by Angrist and Lavy (1999) and rejects in the insurance subsidy design for poor households in Colombia studied by Miller, Pinto, and Vera-Hernández (2013) for some outcome variables, while existing density tests suggest the opposite in each of the cases.

Suggested Citation

  • Yoichi Arai & Yu-Chin Hsu & Toru Kitagawa & Ismael Mourifié & Yuanyuan Wan, 2019. "Testing identifying assumptions in fuzzy regression discontinuity designs," CeMMAP working papers CWP10/19, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
  • Handle: RePEc:ifs:cemmap:10/19
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    Cited by:

    1. Takuya Ishihara & Masayuki Sawada, 2020. "Manipulation-Robust Regression Discontinuity Designs," Papers 2009.07551, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2024.
    2. Colubi, Ana & Ramos-Guajardo, Ana Belén, 2023. "Fuzzy sets and (fuzzy) random sets in Econometrics and Statistics," Econometrics and Statistics, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 84-98.
    3. Santiago Acerenza & Otávio Bartalotti & Désiré Kédagni, 2023. "Testing identifying assumptions in bivariate probit models," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(3), pages 407-422, April.
    4. Matias D. Cattaneo & Rocío Titiunik, 2022. "Regression Discontinuity Designs," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 14(1), pages 821-851, August.
    5. Mario Fiorini & Katrien Stevens, 2021. "Scrutinizing the Monotonicity Assumption in IV and fuzzy RD designs," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 83(6), pages 1475-1526, December.
    6. Atı̇la Abdulkadı̇roğlu & Joshua D. Angrist & Yusuke Narita & Parag Pathak, 2022. "Breaking Ties: Regression Discontinuity Design Meets Market Design," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(1), pages 117-151, January.
    7. Matias D. Cattaneo & Luke Keele & Rocio Titiunik, 2023. "A Guide to Regression Discontinuity Designs in Medical Applications," Papers 2302.07413, arXiv.org, revised May 2023.
    8. Joshua D. Angrist, 2022. "Empirical Strategies in Economics: Illuminating the Path From Cause to Effect," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(6), pages 2509-2539, November.
    9. Hsu, Yu-Chin & Shiu, Ji-Liang & Wan, Yuanyuan, 2024. "Testing identification conditions of LATE in fuzzy regression discontinuity designs," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 241(1).
    10. Yingying DONG & Ying-Ying LEE & Michael GOU, 2019. "Regression Discontinuity Designs with a Continuous Treatment," Discussion papers 19058, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    11. Santiago Acerenza & Ot'avio Bartalotti & Federico Veneri, 2024. "Testing identifying assumptions in Tobit Models," Papers 2408.02573, arXiv.org.
    12. Blaise Melly & Rafael Lalive, 2020. "Estimation, Inference, and Interpretation in the Regression Discontinuity Design," Diskussionsschriften dp2016, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fuzzy regression discontinuity design; nonparametric test; inequality restriction; multiplier bootstrap;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C12 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Hypothesis Testing: General
    • C15 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Statistical Simulation Methods: General
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • C24 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Truncated and Censored Models; Switching Regression Models; Threshold Regression Models

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