Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 September 2014
In this paper, we derive the asymptotic properties of the system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator in dynamic panel data models with individual and time effects when both N and T, the dimensions of cross-section and time series, are large. Specifically, we show that the two-step system GMM estimator is consistent when a suboptimal weighting matrix where off-diagonal blocks are set to zero is used. Such consistency results theoretically support the use of the system GMM estimator in large N and T contexts even though it was originally developed for large N and small T panels. Simulation results indicate that the large N and large T asymptotic results approximate the finite sample behavior reasonably well unless persistency of data is strong and/or the variance ratio of individual effects to the disturbances is large.
This paper is a revision of the second chapter of my Ph.D. thesis submitted to Hitotsubashi University. I am deeply grateful to my advisers Taku Yamamoto and Eiji Kurozumi for their guidance and suggestions. I also acknowledge Guido Kuersteiner (co-editor), two anonymous referees, Katsuto Tanaka, In Choi, Ryo Okui, Hiroaki Chigira, and the participants of the European Meeting of Econometric Society in Milan, a research seminar at HKUST, and the Kansai Econometrics Conference for their helpful comments. Part of this paper was written while the author is visiting University of Cambridge as a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow for Research Abroad. I acknowledge the financial support from the JSPS Fellowship and the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI 20830056, 22730178) provided by the JSPS. However, all remaining errors are my own.