Abstract Davidson and MacKinnon’s J-test was developed to test non-nested model specification. In empirical applications, however, when the alternate specifications fit the data well the J test may fail to distinguish between the true and false models: the J test will either reject, or fail to...

This paper derives necessary and sufficient conditions for nonparametric transformation models to be (i) correctly specified, and (ii) identified. Our correct specification conditions come in a form of partial differential equations; when satisfied by the true distribution, they ensure that the...

The most popular econometric models in the panel data literature are the class of linear panel data models with unobserved individual- and/or time-specific effects. The consistency of parameter estimators and the validity of their economic interpretations as marginal effects depend crucially on...

The paper examines volatility activity and its asymmetry and undertakes further specification analysis of volatility models based on it. We develop new nonparametric statistics using high-frequency option-based VIX data to test for asymmetry in volatility jumps. We also develop methods for...

This paper suggests an identification and estimation approach based on quantile regression to recover the underlying distribution of bidders' private values in ascending auctions under the IPV paradigm. The quantile regression approach provides a flexible and convenient parametrization of the...

Understanding the informal sector – that represents about 60–90% of urban employment in developing countries – has a significant importance for any strategy and policy interventions aiming to alleviate poverty and improve welfare. I formulate and estimate a model of entrepreneurial choice...

This paper is concerned with inference about a function g that is identified by a conditional quantile restriction involving instrumental variables. The paper presents a test of the hypothesis that g belongs to a finite-dimensional parametric family against a nonparametric alternative. The test...