Impact Evalutaion Syllabus Deepti Goel, Delhi School of Economics
407 Structural Modelling for Policy Analysis
Semester 3, 2014, Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics
Instructor Deepti Goel
Course Description
The course intends to equip you with tools required to tease out the causal effect of public programs on outcomes of interest. It starts with a discussion of randomized experiments, considered to be the benchmark for obtaining average treatment effects. It then moves on to discuss other methods that can be applied to data collected routinely using large scale surveys. These include matching, difference in differences, panel data and instrument
variables. The assumptions needed for each technique, along with the nature of the parameter that is estimated in each case will be discussed.
Essential Pre-requisite
Course 003 Introductory Econometrics. It is essential to have cleared this course in order to register for 407.
Reference Text Books
• Angrist and Pischke 2009, Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist's Companion, Princeton University Press
• Wooldridge 2002, Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data, The MIT Press
In addition, additional readings in the form of journal articles and working papers will be uploaded in the course folder.
Evaluation
• Internal Exam 50%. Two midterms.
• Final Exam 50%
Meeting me
You can always meet me immediately after class or you can make an appointment via email.
Impact Evalutaion Syllabus Deepti Goel, Delhi School of Economics
Topics and Detailed References
This outline is tentative. I will probably modify the structure somewhat as the course progresses. However, this will give you a good picture of what is to follow.
1. Program Evaluation Introduction and the Ideal Experiment a. Angrist and Pischke 2009
Chapter 1 Questions about Questions Chapter 2 The Experimental Ideal
b. Ravallion, M. 2001, "The Mystery of the Vanishing Benefits: An Introduction to Impact Evaluation", World Bank Economic Review, 15(1), 115-40 (Self-Reading) Journal Papers:
2004 Econometrica, Chattopadhyay Duflo, Women as Policy Makers: Evidence from a Randomized Policy Experiment in India
2011 JPE, Muralidharan Sundaram, Teacher Performance Pay: Experimental Evidence from India
2. Ordinary Least Squares Estimation a. Wooldridge 2002
Chapter 4 The Single Equation Linear Model and OLS Estimation: Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
b. Angrist and Pischke 2009
Chapter 3 Making Regressions Make Sense, 3.1 and 3.2
3. Instrumental Variables a. Wooldridge 2002
Chapter 5 Instrumental Variables Estimation of Single Equation Linear Models:
Sections 5.1, 5.2 (5.2.1 - 5.2.3), 5.3 b. Wooldridge 2002
Chapter 18 Estimating Average Treatment Effects: Sections 18.1, 18.2, 18.3.1, 18.4 c. Angrist and Pischke 2009
Chapter 4 Instrumental Variables in Action: Sometimes: Sections: 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5 Journal Papers:
1996 QJE, Levitt, The Effect of Prison Population Size on Crime Rates: Evidence from Prison Overcrowding Litigation
2011 JDE, Miguel Roland, The long-run impact of bombing Vietnam 4. Panel Data and Difference in Differences
a. Wooldridge 2002
Chapter 10 Basic Linear Unobserved Effects Panel Data Models: Sections 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4 (10.4.1, 10.4.2), 10.5 (10.5.1, 10.5.2, 10.5.5), 10.6.1
b. Angrist and Pischke 2009
Chapter 5 Parallel Worlds: Fixed Effects, Differences-in-Differences, and Panel Data Journal Papers:
Impact Evalutaion Syllabus Deepti Goel, Delhi School of Economics
2012 Oxford Bulletin, Slater Davis Burgess, Do Teachers Matter? Measuring the Variation in Teacher Effectiveness in England
2010, Kingdon and Teal, Teacher Unions, Teacher Pay and Student performance in India: A Pupil Fixed Effects Approach
2001 AER, Duflo, Schooling and Labor Market Consequences of School Construction in Indonesia: Evidence from an Unusual Policy Experiment
2005 JPE, Galiani Gertler Schargrodsky, Water for Life: The Impact of the Privatization of Water Services on Child Mortality
