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Empirical welfare analysis for discrete choice: Some general results

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  • Debopam Bhattacharya

Abstract

This paper develops nonparametric methods for welfare‐analysis of economic changes in the common setting of multinomial choice. The results cover (a) simultaneous price‐change of multiple alternatives, (b) introduction/elimination of an option, (c) changes in choice‐characteristics, and (d) choice among nonexclusive alternatives. In these cases, Marshallian consumer surplus becomes path‐dependent, but Hicksian welfare remains well‐defined. We demonstrate that under completely unrestricted preference‐heterogeneity and income‐effects, the distributions of Hicksian welfare are point‐identified from structural choice‐probabilities in scenarios (a), (b), and only set‐identified in (c), (d). In program‐evaluation contexts, our results enable the calculation of compensated‐effects, that is, the program's cash‐equivalent and resulting deadweight‐loss. They also facilitate a theoretically justified cost‐benefit comparison of interventions targeting different outcomes, for example, a tuition‐subsidy and a health‐product subsidy. Welfare analyses under endogeneity is briefly discussed. An application to data on choice of fishing‐mode illustrates the methods.

Suggested Citation

  • Debopam Bhattacharya, 2018. "Empirical welfare analysis for discrete choice: Some general results," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 9(2), pages 571-615, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:quante:v:9:y:2018:i:2:p:571-615
    DOI: 10.3982/QE931
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    Cited by:

    1. Romuald Meango & Esther Mirjam Girsberger, 2023. "Identification of Ex ante Returns Using Elicited Choice Probabilities: an Application to Preferences for Public-sector Jobs," Papers 2303.03009, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2024.
    2. Steven T. Berry & Philip A. Haile, 2024. "Nonparametric Identification of Differentiated Products Demand Using Micro Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 92(4), pages 1135-1162, July.
    3. Debopam Bhattacharya & Pascaline Dupas & Shin Kanaya, 2024. "Demand and Welfare Analysis in Discrete Choice Models with Social Interactions," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 91(2), pages 748-784.
    4. Vishal Kamat & Samuel Norris, 2020. "Estimating Welfare Effects in a Nonparametric Choice Model: The Case of School Vouchers," Papers 2002.00103, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2024.
    5. Romauld Méango, 2023. "Identification of ex ante returns using elicited choice probabilities," Economics Series Working Papers 1007, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    6. Paolo Delle Site & André de Palma & Karim Kilani, 2021. "Consumers’ welfare and compensating variation: survey and mode choice application," THEMA Working Papers 2021-11, THEMA (THéorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), Université de Cergy-Pontoise.
    7. Steven T. Berry & Philip A. Haile, 2021. "Foundations of Demand Estimation," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2301, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    8. Bart Capéau & Liebrecht De Sadeleer & Sebastiaan Maes & André Decoster, 2020. "Nonparametric welfare analysis for discrete choice: levels and differences of individual and social welfare," Working Papers of Department of Economics, Leuven 674666, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Department of Economics, Leuven.
    9. Debopam Bhattacharya, 2021. "The Empirical Content of Binary Choice Models," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 89(1), pages 457-474, January.
    10. Lee, Ying-Ying & Bhattacharya, Debopam, 2019. "Applied welfare analysis for discrete choice with interval-data on income," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 211(2), pages 361-387.
    11. Sebastiaan Maes & Raghav Malhotra, 2023. "Robust Hicksian Welfare Analysis under Individual Heterogeneity," Papers 2303.01231, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2023.
    12. Alessandro Iaria, & Wang, Ao, 2021. "An Empirical Model of Quantity Discounts with Large Choice Sets," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1378, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    13. Debopam Bhattacharya & Tatiana Komarova, 2021. "Incorporating Social Welfare in Program-Evaluation and Treatment Choice," Papers 2105.08689, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2022.
    14. KANEKO Shinji & KAWATA Keisuke & YIN Ting, 2019. "Estimating Family Preference for Home Elderly-care Services: Large-scale Conjoint Survey Experiment in Japan," Discussion papers 19092, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    15. Debopam Bhattacharya & Anders Kjelsrud & Rohini Somanathan, 2021. "Estimating the Welfare Gains from Public Schools in Rural India," Sankhya B: The Indian Journal of Statistics, Springer;Indian Statistical Institute, vol. 83(2), pages 430-443, November.
    16. John K. Dagsvik, 2020. "Marginal compensated effects and the slutsky equation for discrete choice models," Discussion Papers 930, Statistics Norway, Research Department.

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