Regression discontinuity designs based on population thresholds: pitfalls and solutions
<p>In many countries, important features of municipal government (such as the electoral system, mayors' salaries, and the number of councillors) depend on whether the municipality is above or below arbitrary population thresholds. Several papers have used a regression discontinuity desig...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
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Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
2015
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| _version_ | 1797090777365479424 |
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| author | Eggers, A Freier, R Grembi, V Nannicini, T |
| author_facet | Eggers, A Freier, R Grembi, V Nannicini, T |
| author_sort | Eggers, A |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p>In many countries, important features of municipal government (such as the electoral system, mayors' salaries, and the number of councillors) depend on whether the municipality is above or below arbitrary population thresholds. Several papers have used a regression discontinuity design (RDD) to measure the effects of these threshold-based policies on political and economic outcomes. Using evidence from France, Germany, and Italy, we highlight two common pitfalls that arise in exploiting population-based policies (compound treatment and sorting) and we provide guidance for detecting and addressing these pitfalls. Even when these problems are present, population-threshold RDD may be the best available research design for studying the effects of certain policies and political institutions. </p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:23:35Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:b8459265-d6da-466e-8346-0dbafbc4fcff |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:23:35Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:b8459265-d6da-466e-8346-0dbafbc4fcff2022-03-27T04:54:43ZRegression discontinuity designs based on population thresholds: pitfalls and solutionsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:b8459265-d6da-466e-8346-0dbafbc4fcffSymplectic Elements at OxfordInstitute for the Study of Labor (IZA)2015Eggers, AFreier, RGrembi, VNannicini, T <p>In many countries, important features of municipal government (such as the electoral system, mayors' salaries, and the number of councillors) depend on whether the municipality is above or below arbitrary population thresholds. Several papers have used a regression discontinuity design (RDD) to measure the effects of these threshold-based policies on political and economic outcomes. Using evidence from France, Germany, and Italy, we highlight two common pitfalls that arise in exploiting population-based policies (compound treatment and sorting) and we provide guidance for detecting and addressing these pitfalls. Even when these problems are present, population-threshold RDD may be the best available research design for studying the effects of certain policies and political institutions. </p> |
| spellingShingle | Eggers, A Freier, R Grembi, V Nannicini, T Regression discontinuity designs based on population thresholds: pitfalls and solutions |
| title | Regression discontinuity designs based on population thresholds: pitfalls and solutions |
| title_full | Regression discontinuity designs based on population thresholds: pitfalls and solutions |
| title_fullStr | Regression discontinuity designs based on population thresholds: pitfalls and solutions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Regression discontinuity designs based on population thresholds: pitfalls and solutions |
| title_short | Regression discontinuity designs based on population thresholds: pitfalls and solutions |
| title_sort | regression discontinuity designs based on population thresholds pitfalls and solutions |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT eggersa regressiondiscontinuitydesignsbasedonpopulationthresholdspitfallsandsolutions AT freierr regressiondiscontinuitydesignsbasedonpopulationthresholdspitfallsandsolutions AT grembiv regressiondiscontinuitydesignsbasedonpopulationthresholdspitfallsandsolutions AT nannicinit regressiondiscontinuitydesignsbasedonpopulationthresholdspitfallsandsolutions |