English

Bayesian Robustness Values for Modern Causal Panel Estimators via Riesz Representations

Methodology 2026-07-11 v1 Econometrics

Abstract

We develop a sensitivity-analysis workflow for causal panel estimators, covering synthetic difference-in-differences, matrix completion, fixed-effect imputation, and group-time average treatment effects. The workflow combines Riesz-representation omitted-variable-bias bounds with partial-R2R^2 robustness values and separates two reporting routes. Route A gives a direct sensitivity profile for additive or projected confounding summarized by outcome-side and Riesz-side partial R2R^2 values. Route B treats observed-covariate benchmarks as auxiliary data only when benchmark-count, alpha-side alignment, model-check, dependence, and dominance diagnostics are credible; otherwise its main role is demotion. We derive estimator-specific Riesz diagnostics and clarify which are fixed-weight, target-level, or first-stage-conditional rather than full derivatives of regularized training maps. Monte Carlo stress tests distinguish calibrated benchmark settings from dominance failure, coarse alpha-side benchmarks, benchmark dependence, noisy covariates, and concentrated SDID weights. In the California tobacco-control panel, the SDID estimate is 15.60-15.60 packs per capita; corrected finite-donor placebo inference gives standard error 9.49 and add-one p=0.051p=0.051. A refit-weight finite-difference audit changes the Route A nullification robustness value from 0.054 to 0.045, leaving the low-single-digit conclusion unchanged. A county-level minimum-wage application applies the same profile to a multi-cohort staggered panel.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.10276,
  title  = {Bayesian Robustness Values for Modern Causal Panel Estimators via Riesz Representations},
  author = {Makoto Nakakita and Takahiro Hoshino},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.10276},
  year   = {2026}
}