Academic Journal

Treatment Effects in Market Equilibrium

Bibliographic Details
Title: Treatment Effects in Market Equilibrium
Authors: Munro, Evan, Kuang, Xu, Wager, Stefan
Source: American Economic Review. 115:3273-3321
Publication Status: Preprint
Publisher Information: American Economic Association, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Subject Terms: Methodology (stat.ME), FOS: Economics and business, FOS: Computer and information sciences, Econometrics (econ.EM), 0101 mathematics, 01 natural sciences, Statistics - Methodology, Economics - Econometrics
Description: Policy-relevant treatment effect estimation in a marketplace setting requires assessing both the direct treatment benefit and spillovers induced by changes to the market equilibrium. We show how to identify and estimate policy-relevant treatment effects using a unit-randomized trial run within a single large market. A Bernoulli-randomized trial allows consistent estimation of direct effects and of treatment-heterogeneity measures that enable welfare-improving targeting. Estimating spillovers—and providing confidence intervals for the direct effect—requires estimates of price elasticities, which we provide using an augmented experimental design. We illustrate our results using a simulation calibrated to a conditional cash-transfer experiment in the Philippines. (JEL C21, C51, I32, I38, O15)
Document Type: Article
Language: English
ISSN: 1944-7981
0002-8282
DOI: 10.1257/aer.20230039
DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2109.11647
Access URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2109.11647
Rights: arXiv Non-Exclusive Distribution
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....5231ddbb98a7f49f393091550922f29d
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
ISSN:19447981
00028282
DOI:10.1257/aer.20230039