eprintid: 10087228 rev_number: 27 eprint_status: archive userid: 608 dir: disk0/10/08/72/28 datestamp: 2021-08-23 16:48:40 lastmod: 2021-10-13 23:21:54 status_changed: 2021-08-23 16:48:40 type: working_paper metadata_visibility: show creators_name: Giacomini, R creators_name: Kitagawa, T creators_name: Read, M title: Robust Bayesian Inference in Proxy SVARs ispublished: pub divisions: UCL divisions: B03 divisions: C03 divisions: F24 note: This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. abstract: We develop methods for robust Bayesian inference in structural vector autoregressions (SVARs) where the impulse responses or forecast error variance decompositions of interest are set-identified using external instruments (or ‘proxy SVARs’). Existing Bayesian approaches to inference in proxy SVARs require researchers to specify a single prior over the model’s parameters. When parameters are set-identified, a component of the prior is never updated by the data. Giacomini and Kitagawa (2018) propose a method for robust Bayesian inference in set-identifed models that delivers inference about the identified set for the parameter of interest. We extend this approach to proxy SVARs, which allows researchers to relax potentially controversial point-identifying restrictions without having to specify an unrevisable prior. We also explore the effect of instrument strength on posterior inference. We illustrate our approach by revisiting Mertens and Ravn (2013) and relaxing the assumption that they impose to obtain point identification. date: 2019-07-23 publisher: Institute for Fiscal Studies official_url: https://doi.org/10.1920/wp.cem.2019.3819 full_text_type: pub language: eng verified: verified_manual elements_id: 1725922 doi: 10.1920/wp.cem.2019.3819 lyricists_name: Giacomini, Raffaella lyricists_name: Kitagawa, Toru lyricists_name: Read, Matthew lyricists_id: RGIAC09 lyricists_id: TKITA87 lyricists_id: MJREA03 actors_name: Kitagawa, Toru actors_id: TKITA87 actors_role: owner full_text_status: restricted series: Cemmap Working Paper number: 38/19 place_of_pub: London, UK pages: 41 citation: Giacomini, R; Kitagawa, T; Read, M; (2019) Robust Bayesian Inference in Proxy SVARs. (Cemmap Working Paper 38/19). Institute for Fiscal Studies: London, UK. document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10087228/7/Kitagawa_CW3819-Robust-Bayesian-Inference-in-Proxy-SVARs.pdf