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Inference with a single treated cluster

Andreas Hagemann

arXiv 8 Oct 2020 · Econometrics · publishedThe Review of Economic Studies (2025) · 9 citations (OpenAlex)

arXiv:2010.04076 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text

Abstract

I introduce a generic method for inference about a scalar parameter in research designs with a finite number of heterogeneous clusters where only a single cluster received treatment. This situation is commonplace in difference-in-differences estimation but the test developed here applies more generally. I show that the test controls size and has power under asymptotics where the number of observations within each cluster is large but the number of clusters is fixed. The test combines weighted, approximately Gaussian parameter estimates with a rearrangement procedure to obtain its critical values. The weights needed for most empirically relevant situations are tabulated in the paper. Calculation of the critical values is computationally simple and does not require simulation or resampling. The rearrangement test is highly robust to situations where some clusters are much more variable than others. Examples and an empirical application are provided.

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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
1Conley, T. G. and C. R. Taber (2011) difference in differences1.000203100%
2Garthwaite, C., T. Gross, and M. J. Notowidigdo (2014) Public health insurance, labor supply, and employment lock0.874142100%
3Canay, I., J. P. Romano, and A. M. Shaikh (2017) Randomization tests under an approximate symmetry assumption0.84333100%
4Bester, C. A., T. G. Conley, and C. B. Hansen (2011) Inference with dependent data using cluster covariance estimators0.64422100%
5Ferman, B (2020) Inference in differences-in-differences with few treated units and spatial correlation0.64422100%
6Ferman, B. and C. Pinto (2019) Inference in differences-in-differences with few treated groups and heteroskedasticity0.64422100%
7Hagemann, A (2019) Permutation inference with a finite number of heterogeneous clusters self0.64422100%
8El Machkouri, M., D. Volný, and W. B. Wu (2013) A central limit theorem for stationary random fields0.51121100%
9Bertrand, M., E. Duflo, and S. Mullainathan (2004) How much should we trust differences-in-differences estimates?0.40511100%
10Cameron, A. C., J. B. Gelbach, and D. L. Miller (2008) Bootstrap-based improvements for inference with clustered errors0.40511100%

Showing the top 10 of 25 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
1Cluster-robust inference with a single treated cluster using the t-test1.000286
2Inference with few treated units0.69351
3What's Trending in Difference-in-Differences? A Synthesis of the Recent Econometrics Literature0.58531
4Wild Bootstrap Inference for Instrumental Variables Regressions with Weak and Few Clusters0.51121
5Inference for Synthetic Controls via Refined Placebo Tests0.51121
6Gradient Wild Bootstrap for Instrumental Variable Quantile Regressions with Weak and Few Clusters0.51121
7Inference in Difference-in-Differences with Few Treated Units and Spatial Correlation0.40511
8Assessing the Sensitivity of Synthetic Control Treatment Effect Estimates to Misspecification Error0.40511
9Extensions for Inference in Difference-in-Differences with Few Treated Clusters0.40511