Refined Cluster Robust Inference

Abstract

It has become standard for empirical studies to conduct inference robust to cluster dependence and heterogeneity. With a small number of clusters, the normal approximation for the $t$-statistics of regression coefficients may be poor. This paper tackles this problem using a critical value based on the conditional Cramér-Edgeworth expansion for the $t$-statistics. The proposed critical value guarantees third-order refinement, and it does not require resampling because it is a closed-form function of the estimated score skewness and kurtosis. Simulations show that our proposal can make a difference in size control with as few as 10 clusters. Keywords: Cluster robust inference, Cramér-Edgeworth expansion, Asymptotic refinement