Browse IFS
Publication types
cemmap Working Papers
April 2010 CWP08/10
Article
Comparing IV with structural models: what simple IV can and cannot identify
Type: cemmap Working Papers
Authors: James Heckman and Sergio Urzua

This paper compares the economic questions addressed by instrumental variables estimators with those addressed by structural approaches. We discuss Marschak's Maxim: estimators should be selected on the basis of their ability to answer well-posed economic problems with minimal assumptions. A key identifying assumption that allows structural methods to be more informative than IV can be tested with data and does not have to be imposed.

Download full version (PDF 392 KB)

Search

Title (or part of title)
Author surname (or part of surname)