INFERENCE on TWO-COMPONENT MIXTURES under TAIL RESTRICTIONS

Abstract

Many econometric models can be analyzed as finite mixtures. We focus on two-component mixtures, and we show that they are nonparametrically point identified by a combination of an exclusion restriction and tail restrictions. Our identification analysis suggests simple closed-form estimators of the component distributions and mixing proportions, as well as a specification test. We derive their asymptotic properties using results on tail empirical processes and we present a simulation study that documents their finite-sample performance.