Taught by me, Kirill Borusyak, at UC Berkeley's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Fall 2025
Please email me at k.borusyak@berkeley.edu if you notice typos, mistakes, or have other suggestions for how to improve the course.
Course outline:
A. Introduction: regression and causality
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A1. Key facts about regression
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A2. Potential outcomes and randomized control trials
B. Selection on observables and covariate adjustment (summary)
C. Instrumental variables (IVs)
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C1. IV idea and mechanics. Weak instruments
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C2. IV with heterogeneous effects
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C3. Examiner designs (“judge IVs”)
D. Panel data methods
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D1. Linear panel data methods
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D2. Canonical difference-in-differences (DiD) and event studies
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D3. DiD with staggered adoption
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D4. DiD: Extensions
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D5. Synthetic control methods and factor models
E. Regression discontinuity (RD) designs
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E1. Sharp RD designs
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E2. RD extensions: fuzzy RD, spatial RD, RD extrapolation, and more
F. Spillover effects. Shift-share and formula instruments, recentering
G. Models with multiplicative effects and Poisson regression
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Materials are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
