EconBase
← All papers

Identifying the Effects of a Program Offer with an Application to Head Start

Vishal Kamat

arXiv 6 Nov 2017 · Econometrics · publishedJournal of Econometrics (2024) · 10 citations (OpenAlex)

arXiv:1711.02048 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text

Abstract

I propose a treatment selection model that introduces unobserved heterogeneity in both choice sets and preferences to evaluate the average effects of a program offer. I show how to exploit the model structure to define parameters capturing these effects and then computationally characterize their identified sets under instrumental variable variation in choice sets. I illustrate these tools by analyzing the effects of providing an offer to the Head Start preschool program using data from the Head Start Impact Study. I find that such a policy affects a large number of children who take up the offer, and that they subsequently have positive effects on test scores. These effects arise from children who do not have any preschool as an outside option. A cost-benefit analysis reveals that the earning benefits associated with the test score gains can be large and outweigh the net costs associated with offer take up.

Citation extraction

40
references
67
in-text mentions
40
distinct cited
0
self-citations
10,550
main-text words

appendix boundary found by none_found · 100% of the source is main text. Read the extracted text to check this.

Most heavily cited references

The works this paper leans on most, across its whole bibliography — not restricted to papers in our corpus. Ranked by composite intensity, which combines how often a work is mentioned, how many sections mention it, and how much of that falls in the main text rather than the appendix.

ReferenceIntensityMentionsSectionsMain text
1Manski, C. F (2007) Partial identification of counterfactual choice probabilities0.92843100%
2Puma, M., Bell, S., Cook, R., Heid, C., Shapiro, G., Broene, P., Jen… (2010) Head start impact study. final report0.92843100%
3Kline, P. and Walters, C. R (2016) Evaluating public programs with close substitutes: The case of head start0.874142100%
4Feller, A., Grindal, T., Miratrix, L. and Page, L. C (2016) Compared to what? variation in the impacts of early childhood education by alternative care type0.73732100%
5Heckman, J. J. and Vytlacil, E. J (2007) Econometric evaluation of social programs, part i: Causal models, structural models and econometric policy evaluation0.73732100%
6Angelucci, M., Karlan, D. and Zinman, J (2015) Microcredit impacts: Evidence from a randomized microcredit program placement experiment by compartamos banco0.64422100%
7Charnes, A. and Cooper, W. W (1962) Programming with linear fractional functionals0.64422100%
8Bugni, F. A., Canay, I. A. and Shi, X (2017) Inference for subvectors and other functions of partially identified parameters in moment inequality models0.58531100%
9Abaluck, J. and Adams, A (2018) What do consumers consider before they choose? identification from asymmetric demand responses0.40511100%
10Angrist, J. D. and Imbens, G. W (1995) Two-stage least squares estimation of average causal effects in models with variable treatment intensity0.40511100%

Showing the top 10 of 40 scored citations.

Cited by, within the corpus

arXiv econ.EM papers that cite this one, ranked by how heavily they lean on it.

Citing paperIntensityMentionsSections
1Identification of Long-Term Treatment Effects via Temporal Links, Observational, and Experimental Data0.64422
2Estimating Welfare Effects in a Nonparametric Choice Model: The Case of School Vouchers0.40511
3Treatment Effects with Targeting Instruments0.40511
4Generalized Lee Bounds0.40511
5Identification in Multiple Treatment Models under Discrete Variation0.40511
6Adaptive Estimation of Aggregated Values of Conditional Linear Programs0.40511