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Genuinely Robust Inference for Clustered Data

Harold D. Chiang, Yuya Sasaki, Yulong Wang

arXiv 20 Aug 2023 · Econometrics · 2 citations (OpenAlex)

arXiv:2308.10138 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text

Abstract

Conventional cluster-robust inference can be invalid when data contain clusters of unignorably large size. We formalize this issue by deriving a necessary and sufficient condition for its validity, and show that this condition is frequently violated in practice: specifications from 77% of empirical research articles in American Economic Review and Econometrica during 2020-2021 appear not to meet it. To address this limitation, we propose a genuinely robust inference procedure based on a new cluster score bootstrap. We establish its validity and size control across broad classes of data-generating processes where conventional methods break down. Simulation studies corroborate our theoretical findings, and empirical applications illustrate that employing the proposed method can substantially alter conventional statistical conclusions.

Citation extraction

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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
1MacKinnon, J. G., M. . Nielsen, and M. D. Webb (2022) Fast and reliable jackknife and bootstrap methods for cluster-robust inference0.8434375%
2Sasaki, Y. and Y. Wang (2023) Diagnostic Testing of Finite Moment Conditions for the Consistency and Root-$N$ Asymptotic Normality of the GMM and M Estimators self0.81142100%
3Geluk, J. L. and L. de Haan (2000) Stable probability distributions and their domains of attraction: a direct approach0.7373367%
4Bickel, P. J. and A. Sakov (2008) On the choice of m in the m out of n bootstrap and confidence bounds for extrema0.7373367%
5Knight, K (1989) On the bootstrap of the sample mean in the infinite variance case0.7373367%
6Bugni, F., I. Canay, A. Shaikh, and M. Tabord-Meehan (2024) Inference for cluster randomized experiments with non-ignorable cluster sizes0.73732100%
7Athreya, K (1987) Bootstrap of the mean in the infinite variance case0.64422100%
8Bai, Y., J. Liu, A. M. Shaikh, and M. Tabord-Meehan (2022) Inference in Cluster Randomized Trials with Matched Pairs0.64422100%
9Cavaliere, G., T. Mikosch, A. Rahbek, and F. Vilandt (2024) Tail behavior of ACD models and consequences for likelihood-based estimation0.64422100%
10Logan, B. F., C. Mallows, S. Rice, and L. A. Shepp (1973) Limit distributions of self-normalized sums0.5854325%

Showing the top 10 of 62 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
1When Can We Trust Cluster-Robust Inference?0.51121
2Inference in Regression Discontinuity Designs with Clustered Data This version: . We thank Debopam Bhattacharya, Morten Nielsen, Zhuan Pai and numerous seminar and conference participants for helpful comments and suggestions. The second author gratefully acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council ERC through grant SH-1852332. Author contact information: Claudia Noack, Department of Economics, University of Bonn0.40511
3Bootstrap Inference under General Two-way Clustering with Serially and Spatially Dependent Common Effects0.00011