Testing Spatial Causality in Cross-section Data

Abstract

The paper shows a new non-parametric test, based on symbolic entropy, which permits detect spatial causality in cross-section data. The test is robust to the functional form of the relation and has a good behaviour in samples of medium to large size. We illustrate the use of test with the case of relationship between migration and unemployment, using data on 3,108 U.S. counties for the period 2003-2008