Showing papers by "David S. Lee published in 2002"
TL;DR: This paper proposed a trimming procedure that yields the tightest bounds on average treatment effects consistent with the observed data, assuming a monotonicity restriction on how the assignment to treatment effects selection is performed.
Abstract: Empirical researchers routinely encounter sample selection bias whereby 1) the regressor of interest is assumed to be exogenous, 2) the dependent variable is missing in a potentially non-random manner, 3) the dependent variable is characterized by an unbounded (or very large) support, and 4) it is unknown which variables directly affect sample selection but not the outcome. This paper proposes a simple and intuitive bounding procedure that can be used in this context. The proposed trimming procedure yields the tightest bounds on average treatment effects consistent with the observed data. The key assumption is a monotonicity restriction on how the assignment to treatment effects selection -- a restriction that is implicitly assumed in standard formulations of the sample selection problem.
83 citations
Posted Content•
TL;DR: This paper proposed a trimming procedure that yields the tightest bounds on average treatment effects consistent with the observed data, assuming a monotonicity restriction on how the assignment to treatment effects selection is performed.
Abstract: Empirical researchers routinely encounter sample selection bias whereby 1) the regressor of interest is assumed to be exogenous, 2) the dependent variable is missing in a potentially non-random manner, 3) the dependent variable is characterized by an unbounded (or very large) support, and 4) it is unknown which variables directly affect sample selection but not the outcome. This paper proposes a simple and intuitive bounding procedure that can be used in this context. The proposed trimming procedure yields the tightest bounds on average treatment effects consistent with the observed data. The key assumption is a monotonicity restriction on how the assignment to treatment effects selection -- a restriction that is implicitly assumed in standard formulations of the sample selection problem.
51 citations
Posted Content•
TL;DR: In this article, the causal effect of unionization of employer closure by exploiting the fact that most employers become "unionized" as a partial consequence of a secret ballot election among the workers is investigated.
Abstract: Using data on more than 27,000 establishments (1983-1999) in the United States, this paper produces estimates of the causal effect of unionization of employer closure by exploiting the fact that most employers become 'unionized' as a partial consequence of a secret ballot election among the workers. If employers where unions barely won the election (e.g. by one vote) are ex ante comparable in all other ways to employers where unions barely lost (by one vote), differences in their subsequent outcomes should represent the true impact of union recognition. The regression discontinuity analysis finds little or no union effect on short- and long-run employer survival rates over 1- to 18-year horizons. We thus conclude that evidence of large effects of unions would more likely be found 1) along the within-employer (intensive margin) of employment and/or 2) in analyses of union threat effects.
37 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the causal effect of unionization on the probability of establishment closure was investigated using data on more than 27,000 establishments (1983-1999) in the United States, and the regression discontinuity analysis found a negligible effect on short and long-run establishment survival rates.
Abstract: Using data on more than 27,000 establishments (1983-1999) in the United States, this paper exploits an institutional feature of the union organizing process in order to generate an estimate of the causal effect of unionization on the probability of establishment closure. In the U.S., most establishments become “unionized” as a partial consequence of a secret ballot election among the workers. If employers where unions barely won the election are ex ante comparable in all other ways to employers where unions barely lost, differences in their subsequent outcomes should represent the true impact of union recognition. The regression discontinuity analysis finds a negligible effect on short- and long-run establishment survival rates – suggesting that distortions that are necessarily implied by the monopoly union model would more likely be found along the intensive margin of employment.
32 citations
Journal Article•
9 citations