This paper proposes a class of origin-smooth approximators of indicators underlying the sum-of-negative-part statistic for testing multiple inequalities. The need for simulation or bootstrap to obtain test critical values is thereby obviated. A simple procedure is enabled using fixed critical values. The test is shown to have correct asymptotic size in the uniform sense that supremum finite-sample rejection probability over null-restricted data distributions tends asymptotically to nominal significance level. This applies under weak assumptions allowing for estimator covariance singularity. The test is unbiased for a wide class of local alternatives. A new theorem establishes directions in which the test is locally most powerful. The proposed procedure is compared with predominant existing tests in structure, theory and simulation.
Centre for microdata methods and practice