IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/azt/cemmap/23-24.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Treatment effects with targeting instruments

Author

Listed:
  • Sokbae (Simon) Lee
  • Bernard Salanie

Abstract

Multivalued treatments are commonplace in applications. We explore the use of discrete-valued instruments to control for selection bias in this setting. Our discussion revolves around the concept of targeting: which instruments target which treatments. It allows us to establish conditions under which counterfactual averages and treatment effects are point- or partially-identified for composite complier groups. We illustrate the usefulness of our framework by applying it to data from the Head Start Impact Study. Under a plausible positive selection assumption, we derive informative bounds that suggest less beneficial effects of Head Start expansions than the parametric estimates of Kline and Walters (2016).

Suggested Citation

  • Sokbae (Simon) Lee & Bernard Salanie, 2024. "Treatment effects with targeting instruments," CeMMAP working papers 23/24, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
  • Handle: RePEc:azt:cemmap:23/24
    DOI: 10.47004/wp.cem.2024.2324
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cemmap.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CWP2324-Treatment-effects-with-targeting-instruments.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.47004/wp.cem.2024.2324?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sokbae Lee & Bernard Salanié, 2018. "Identifying Effects of Multivalued Treatments," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 86(6), pages 1939-1963, November.
    2. Cattaneo, Matias D., 2010. "Efficient semiparametric estimation of multi-valued treatment effects under ignorability," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 155(2), pages 138-154, April.
    3. Patrick Kline & Christopher R. Walters, 2016. "Evaluating Public Programs with Close Substitutes: The Case of HeadStart," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(4), pages 1795-1848.
    4. Désiré Kédagni & Ismael Mourifié, 2020. "Generalized instrumental inequalities: testing the instrumental variable independence assumption," Biometrika, Biometrika Trust, vol. 107(3), pages 661-675.
    5. Philip Oreopoulos & Daniel Lang & Joshua Angrist, 2009. "Incentives and Services for College Achievement: Evidence from a Randomized Trial," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(1), pages 136-163, January.
    6. Ismael Mourifié & Yuanyuan Wan, 2017. "Testing Local Average Treatment Effect Assumptions," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 99(2), pages 305-313, May.
    7. Kamat, Vishal, 2024. "Identifying the effects of a program offer with an application to Head Start," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 240(1).
    8. Orazio Attanasio & Sarah Cattan & Emla Fitzsimons & Costas Meghir & Marta Rubio-Codina, 2020. "Estimating the Production Function for Human Capital: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Colombia," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(1), pages 48-85, January.
    9. Edward Vytlacil & James J. Heckman, 2001. "Policy-Relevant Treatment Effects," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(2), pages 107-111, May.
    10. Imbens, Guido W & Angrist, Joshua D, 1994. "Identification and Estimation of Local Average Treatment Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 62(2), pages 467-475, March.
    11. James J. Heckman & Sergio Urzua & Edward Vytlacil, 2006. "Understanding Instrumental Variables in Models with Essential Heterogeneity," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 88(3), pages 389-432, August.
    12. Jack Mountjoy, 2022. "Community Colleges and Upward Mobility," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(8), pages 2580-2630, August.
    13. Huang, Liquan & Khalil, Umair & Yıldız, Neşe, 2019. "Identification and estimation of a triangular model with multiple endogenous variables and insufficiently many instrumental variables," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 208(2), pages 346-366.
    14. Philipp Eisenhauer & James J. Heckman & Edward Vytlacil, 2015. "The Generalized Roy Model and the Cost-Benefit Analysis of Social Programs," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 123(2), pages 413-443.
    15. Sun, Zhenting, 2023. "Instrument validity for heterogeneous causal effects," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 237(2).
    16. Nibbering, Didier & Oosterveen, Matthijs & Silva, Pedro Luís, 2022. "Clustered Local Average Treatment Effects: Fields of Study and Academic Student Progress," IZA Discussion Papers 15159, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Heckman, James, 2013. "Sample selection bias as a specification error," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 31(3), pages 129-137.
    18. Bhuller, Manudeep & Sigstad, Henrik, 2024. "2SLS with multiple treatments," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 242(1).
    19. Zhenting Sun, 2020. "Instrument Validity for Heterogeneous Causal Effects," Papers 2009.01995, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2023.
    20. Magne Mogstad & Andres Santos & Alexander Torgovitsky, 2018. "Using Instrumental Variables for Inference About Policy Relevant Treatment Parameters," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 86(5), pages 1589-1619, September.
    21. Wallice Ao & Sebastian Calonico & Ying-Ying Lee, 2021. "Multivalued Treatments and Decomposition Analysis: An Application to the WIA Program," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 358-371, January.
    22. Feng, Junlong, 2024. "Matching points: Supplementing instruments with covariates in triangular models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 238(1).
    23. Alexander Torgovitsky, 2015. "Identification of Nonseparable Models Using Instruments With Small Support," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 83(3), pages 1185-1197, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bhuller, Manudeep & Sigstad, Henrik, 2024. "2SLS with multiple treatments," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 242(1).
    2. Salanié, Bernard & Lee, Sokbae, 2020. "Filtered and Unfiltered Treatment Effects with Targeting Instruments," CEPR Discussion Papers 15092, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Sokbae Lee & Bernard Salani'e, 2020. "Treatment Effects with Targeting Instruments," Papers 2007.10432, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2024.
    4. Leonard Goff, 2024. "When does IV identification not restrict outcomes?," Papers 2406.02835, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2025.
    5. Sokbae Lee & Bernard Salanié, 2018. "Identifying Effects of Multivalued Treatments," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 86(6), pages 1939-1963, November.
    6. Mogstad, Magne & Torgovitsky, Alexander & Walters, Christopher R., 2024. "Policy evaluation with multiple instrumental variables," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 243(1).
    7. Bartalotti, Otávio & Kédagni, Désiré & Possebom, Vitor, 2023. "Identifying marginal treatment effects in the presence of sample selection," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 234(2), pages 565-584.
    8. Yuehao Bai & Shunzhuang Huang & Max Tabord-Meehan, 2024. "Sharp Testable Implications of Encouragement Designs," Papers 2411.09808, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2025.
    9. Pereda-Fernández, Santiago, 2023. "Identification and estimation of triangular models with a binary treatment," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 234(2), pages 585-623.
    10. Vishal Kamat & Samuel Norris & Matthew Pecenco, 2023. "Identification in Multiple Treatment Models under Discrete Variation," Papers 2307.06174, arXiv.org.
    11. Jorge Rodríguez & Fernando Saltiel & Sergio Urzúa, 2022. "Dynamic treatment effects of job training," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(2), pages 242-269, March.
    12. Zhewen Pan & Zhengxin Wang & Junsen Zhang & Yahong Zhou, 2024. "Marginal treatment effects in the absence of instrumental variables," Papers 2401.17595, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2024.
    13. Feng, Junlong, 2024. "Matching points: Supplementing instruments with covariates in triangular models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 238(1).
    14. Fusejima, Koki, 2024. "Identification of multi-valued treatment effects with unobserved heterogeneity," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 238(1).
    15. Humlum, Anders & Munch, Jakob R. & Rasmussen, Mette, 2023. "What Works for the Unemployed? Evidence from Quasi-Random Caseworker Assignments," IZA Discussion Papers 16033, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Cornelissen, Thomas & Dustmann, Christian & Raute, Anna & Schönberg, Uta, 2016. "From LATE to MTE: Alternative methods for the evaluation of policy interventions," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 47-60.
    17. Nadja van 't Hoff, 2023. "Identifying Causal Effects of Discrete, Ordered and ContinuousTreatments using Multiple Instrumental Variables," Papers 2311.17575, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2024.
    18. Manu Navjeevan & Rodrigo Pinto & Andres Santos, 2023. "Identification and Estimation in a Class of Potential Outcomes Models," Papers 2310.05311, arXiv.org.
    19. Patrick Kline & Christopher R. Walters, 2019. "On Heckits, LATE, and Numerical Equivalence," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 87(2), pages 677-696, March.
    20. Vitor Possebom, 2021. "Crime and Mismeasured Punishment: Marginal Treatment Effect with Misclassification," Papers 2106.00536, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2023.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:azt:cemmap:23/24. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dermot Watson (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ifsssuk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.