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A Causal Inference Framework for Data Rich Environments

Alberto Abadie, Anish Agarwal, Devavrat Shah

arXiv 2 Apr 2025 · Econometrics

arXiv:2504.01702 · PDF · Extracted main text

Abstract

We propose a formal model for counterfactual estimation with unobserved confounding in "data-rich" settings, i.e., where there are a large number of units and a large number of measurements per unit. Our model provides a bridge between the structural causal model view of causal inference common in the graphical models literature with that of the latent factor model view common in the potential outcomes literature. We show how classic models for potential outcomes and treatment assignments fit within our framework. We provide an identification argument for the average treatment effect, the average treatment effect on the treated, and the average treatment effect on the untreated. For any estimator that has a fast enough estimation error rate for a certain nuisance parameter, we establish it is consistent for these various causal parameters. We then show principal component regression is one such estimator that leads to consistent estimation, and we analyze the minimal smoothness required of the potential outcomes function for consistency.

Citation extraction

18
references
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distinct cited
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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
1Agarwal, A. and Singh, R (2021) Causal inference with corrupted data: Measurement error, missing values, discretization, and differential privacy self0.69371100%
2Xu, J (2018) Rates of convergence of spectral methods for graphon estimation0.64441100%
3Bai, J (2009) Panel data models with interactive fixed effects0.58531100%
4Agarwal, A., Shah, D., and Shen, D (2023) Synthetic interventions self0.51121100%
5Vershynin, R (2018) High-Dimensional Probability: An Introduction with Applications in Data Science0.51121100%
6Agarwal, A. and Singh, R (2021) Causal inference with corrupted data: Measurement error, missing values, discretization, and differential privacy self0.40511100%
7Agarwal, A., Dahleh, M., Shah, D., and Shen, D (2023) Causal matrix completion self0.40511100%
8Agarwal, A., Shah, D., Shen, D., and Song, D (2019) On robustness of principal component regression self0.40511100%
9Agarwal, A., Shah, D., and Shen, D (2020) On model identification and out-of-sample prediction of principal component regression: Applications to synthetic controls self0.40511100%
10Agarwal, A., Harris, K., Whitehouse, J., and Wu, Z. S (2023) Adaptive principal component regression with applications to panel data self0.40511100%

Showing the top 10 of 18 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 Average Treatment Effects in Nonparametric Panel Models0.40511
2Synthetic Survival Control: Extending Synthetic Controls for “When-If” Decision0.40511
3On Evolution-Based Models for Experimentation Under Interference0.40511