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Regression discontinuity aggregation, with an application to the union effects on inequality

Kirill Borusyak, Matan Kolerman-Shemer

arXiv 31 Dec 2024 · Econometrics · 2 citations (OpenAlex)

arXiv:2501.00428 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text

Abstract

We extend the regression discontinuity (RD) design to settings where each unit's treatment status is an average or aggregate across multiple discontinuity events. Such situations arise in many studies where the outcome is measured at a higher level of spatial or temporal aggregation (e.g., by state with district-level discontinuities) or when spillovers from discontinuity events are of interest. We propose two novel estimation procedures - one at the level at which the outcome is measured and the other in the sample of discontinuities - and show that both identify a local average causal effect under continuity assumptions similar to those of standard RD designs. We apply these ideas to study the effect of unionization on inequality in the United States. Using credible variation from close unionization elections at the establishment level, we show that a higher rate of newly unionized workers in a state-by-industry cell reduces wage inequality within the cell.

Citation extraction

112
references
224
in-text mentions
112
distinct cited
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main-text words

appendix boundary found by appendix_command · 72% 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
1Brigham R. Frandsen (2021) The surprising impacts of unionization: Evidence from matched employer-employee data0.92815380%
2Henry S Farber, Daniel Herbst, Ilyana Kuziemko, and Suresh Naidu (2021) Unions and inequality over the twentieth century: New evidence from survey data0.92810380%
3Stephanie Riegg Cellini, Fernando Ferreira, and Jesse Rothstein (2010) The value of school facility investments: Evidence from a dynamic regression discontinuity design0.9285380%
4John DiNardo and David S Lee (2004) Economic impacts of new unionization on private sector employers: 1984–20010.9285380%
5Sebastian Calonico, Matias D Cattaneo, and Rocio Titiunik (2014) Robust nonparametric confidence intervals for regression-discontinuity designs0.87452100%
6Pat Akey (2015) Valuing changes in political networks: Evidence from campaign contributions to close congressional elections0.8434375%
7Melissa Dell and Pablo Querubin (2018) Nation building through foreign intervention: Evidence from discontinuities in military strategies0.8434375%
8Olle Folke (2014) Shades of brown and green: party effects in proportional election systems0.8434375%
9Kirill Borusyak and Peter Hull (2023) Nonrandom exposure to exogenous shocks self0.84333100%
10Kirill Borusyak, Peter Hull, and Xavier Jaravel (2022) Quasi-experimental shift-share research designs self0.81142100%

Showing the top 10 of 112 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
1Regression Discontinuity Design with Spillovers0.51121