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Another Look at the Identification of Dynamic Discrete Decision Processes: With an Application to Retirement Behavior

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  • Victor Aguirregabiria

Abstract

This paper deals with the estimation of the behavioral and welfare effects of counterfactual policy interventions in dynamic structural models where all the primitive functions are nonparametrically specified (i.e., preferences, technology, transition rules, and distribution of unobserved variables). It proves the nonparametric identification of agents' decision rules, before and after the policy intervention, and of the change in agents' welfare. Based on these results we propose a nonparametric procedure to estimate the behavioral and welfare effects of a general class of counterfactual policy interventions. The nonparametric estimator can be used to construct a test of the validity of a particular parametric specification. We apply this method to evaluate hypothetical reforms in the rules of a public pension system using a model of retirement behavior and a sample of workers in Sweden.

Suggested Citation

  • Victor Aguirregabiria, 2007. "Another Look at the Identification of Dynamic Discrete Decision Processes: With an Application to Retirement Behavior," Working Papers tecipa-282, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tor:tecipa:tecipa-282
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    Cited by:

    1. Aguirregabiria, Victor & Mira, Pedro, 2010. "Dynamic discrete choice structural models: A survey," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 156(1), pages 38-67, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Dynamic discrete decision processes; Nonparametric identification; Counterfactual policy interventions; Retirement behavior.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C13 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Estimation: General
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities

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