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Four Parameters of Interest in the Evaluation of Social Programs

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  • Heckman, J J
  • Tobias, Justin
  • Vytlacil, Ed

Abstract

This paper reviews four treatment parameters which have become commonly used in the program evaluation literature: the Average Treatment Effect (ATE), the effect of Treatment on the Treated (TT), the Local Average Treatment Effect (LATE) and the Marginal Treatment Effect (MTE). We derive simply computed closed-form expressions for these treatment parameters in a latent variable framework with Gaussian error terms. We also briefly describe recent work which seeks to go beyond mean effects and estimate the {distributions} associated with various outcome gains.

Suggested Citation

  • Heckman, J J & Tobias, Justin & Vytlacil, Ed, 2001. "Four Parameters of Interest in the Evaluation of Social Programs," Staff General Research Papers Archive 12022, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:isu:genres:12022
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    5. James J. Heckman & Jeffrey Smith & Nancy Clements, 1997. "Making The Most Out Of Programme Evaluations and Social Experiments: Accounting For Heterogeneity in Programme Impacts," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 64(4), pages 487-535.
    6. Heckman, James J. & Vytlacil, Edward J., 2000. "The relationship between treatment parameters within a latent variable framework," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 33-39, January.
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