Power calculations for regression-discontinuity designs

Matias Cattaneo, Rocio Titiunik and Gonzalo Vazquez-Bare ()
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Gonzalo Vazquez-Bare: University of California, Santa Barbara

Stata Journal, 2019, vol. 19, issue 1, 210-245

Abstract: In this article, we introduce two commands, rdpow and rdsampsi, that conduct power calculations and survey sample selection when using local polyno- mial estimation and inference methods in regression-discontinuity designs. rdpow conducts power calculations using modern robust bias-corrected local polynomial inference procedures and allows for new hypothetical sample sizes and bandwidth selections, among other features. rdsampsi uses power calculations to compute the minimum sample size required to achieve a desired level of power, given estimated or user-supplied bandwidths, biases, and variances. Together, these commands are useful when devising new experiments or surveys in regression-discontinuity designs, which will later be analyzed using modern local polynomial techniques for estimation, inference, and falsification. Because our commands use the community- contributed (and R) package rdrobust for the underlying bandwidths, biases, and variances estimation, all the options currently available in rdrobust can also be used for power calculations and sample-size selection, including preintervention covariate adjustment, clustered sampling, and many bandwidth selectors. Finally, we also provide companion R functions with the same syntax and capabilities.

Keywords: rdpow; rdsampsi; regression-discontinuity designs; power calculations; local polynomial methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (37)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tsj:stataj:v:19:y:2019:i:1:p:210-245

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DOI: 10.1177/1536867X19830919

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