Robust Identification in Randomized Experiments with Noncompliance

Abstract

This paper considers a robust identification of causal parameters in a randomized experiment setting with noncompliance where the standard local average treatment effect assumptions could be violated. Following Li, K\'edagni, and Mourifi\'e (2024), we propose a misspecification robust bound for a real-valued vector of various causal parameters. We discuss identification under two sets of weaker assumptions: random assignment and exclusion restriction (without monotonicity), and random assignment and monotonicity (without exclusion restriction). We introduce two causal parameters: the local average treatment-controlled direct effect (LATCDE), and the local average instrument-controlled direct effect (LAICDE). Under the random assignment and monotonicity assumptions, we derive sharp bounds on the local average treatment-controlled direct effects for the always-takers and never-takers, respectively, and the total average controlled direct effect for the compliers. Additionally, we show that the intent-to-treat effect can be expressed as a convex weighted average of these three effects. Finally, we apply our method on the proximity to college instrument and find that growing up near a four-year college increases the wage of never-takers (who represent more than 70% of the population) by a range of 4.15% to 27.07%.