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Estimating the distribution of welfare effects using quantiles

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  • Stefan Hoderlein
  • Anne Vanhems

Abstract

This paper proposes a framework to model welfare effects that are associated with a price change in a population of heterogeneous consumers. The framework is similar to that of Hausman and Newey (Econometrica, 1995, 63, 1445–1476), but allows for more general forms of heterogeneity. Individual demands are characterized by a general model that is nonparametric in the regressors, as well as monotonic in unobserved heterogeneity, allowing us to identify the distribution of welfare effects. We first argue why a decision maker should care about this distribution. Then we establish constructive identification, propose a sample counterparts estimator, and analyze its large‐sample properties. Finally, we apply all concepts to measuring the heterogeneous effect of a change of gasoline price using US consumer data and find very substantial differences in individual effects across quantiles.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefan Hoderlein & Anne Vanhems, 2018. "Estimating the distribution of welfare effects using quantiles," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 52-72, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:japmet:v:33:y:2018:i:1:p:52-72
    DOI: 10.1002/jae.2587
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    1. Laurens Cherchye & Bram De Rock & Frederic Vermeulen, 2007. "The Collective Model of Household Consumption: A Nonparametric Characterization," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 75(2), pages 553-574, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sam Cosaert & Thomas Demuynck, 2018. "Nonparametric Welfare and Demand Analysis with Unobserved Individual Heterogeneity," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 100(2), pages 349-361, May.
    2. Richard Blundell & Joel Horowitz & Matthias Parey, 2022. "Estimation of a Heterogeneous Demand Function with Berkson Errors," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 104(5), pages 877-889, December.
    3. Michael Bates & Seolah Kim, 2024. "Estimating the price elasticity of gasoline demand in correlated random coefficient models with endogeneity," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(4), pages 679-696, June.
    4. Cherchye, Laurens & Demuynck, Thomas & Rock, Bram De, 2019. "Bounding counterfactual demand with unobserved heterogeneity and endogenous expenditures," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 211(2), pages 483-506.
    5. Sebastiaan Maes & Raghav Malhotra, 2023. "Robust Hicksian Welfare Analysis under Individual Heterogeneity," Papers 2303.01231, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2023.
    6. Escanciano, Juan Carlos, 2023. "Irregular identification of structural models with nonparametric unobserved heterogeneity," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 234(1), pages 106-127.
    7. Richard Blundell & Joel L. Horowitz & Matthias Parey, 2018. "Estimation of a nonseparable heterogenous demand function with shape restrictions and Berkson errors," CeMMAP working papers CWP67/18, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies.

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