This paper uses an original dataset covering the presence of local news in medium-large Italian cities in the period 1993–2010.

The wage paid to politicians affects both the choice of citizens to run for an elective office and the performance of those who are appointed.

We use transparent statistical methodology for data driven case studies to investigate the impact of economic liberalization on real GDP per capita in a worldwide sample of countries.

We investigate a channel through which social capital may improve economic wellbeing and the functioning of institutions: political accountability.

The paper studies the effect of additional government revenues on political corruption and on the quality of politicians, both with theory and data.

This article uses a regression discontinuity design in close electoral races to disclose purely political reasons in the allocation of intergovernmental transfers in a federal state.

We introduce a theoretical model where ideological parties select and allocate high-valence (experts) and low-valence (party loyalists) candidates into electoral districts.

We investigate the effect of trade openness on economic growth in transition countries using a transparent statistical methodology that leads to data-driven case studies.

When the political and market sectors are not mutually exclusive, a trade-off arises between the quality of elected officials and the time they devote to political life.