Current working papers / work-in-progress

Hessami, Z. and S. Schirner (2024). Immigration Shocks and Shifting Social Group Boundaries. IZA Discussion Paper No. 17343. Economic Journal, revise & resubmit.

Hessami, Z. and T. Khasanboev (2024). Gender Bias in the Reelection of Politicians (When a Crisis Strikes). IZA Discussion Paper No. 17081.

Baskaran, T., Z. Hessami, and A. Sohl (2025). Populist Policymakers. CESifo Working Paper No. 12199.

Blesse, S.,  Z. Hessami, and C. Wobbe (2026). The (Ir)Relevance of Institutional Proliferation: Evidence from Foreigners' Advisory Councils.

Hessami, Z., M. Thomas, and G. Thunecke (2025). Expenditure Cuts versus Tax Hikes: Economic Effects of Consolidation Strategies.

Publications in peer-reviewed journals

[21] Hessami, Z., S. Schirner, and C. Wobbe (2025). Asylum Seekers, New Businesses, and Job Creation. Journal of Population Economics, 38(87), 1-30. [Coverage in Die Zeit, n-tv, Handelsblatt, Tagesspiegel,  STERN, Stuttgarter Zeitung]

[20] Baskaran, T. and Z. Hessami (2025). Women in Political Bodies as Policymakers. Review of Economics and Statistics, 107(6), 1501-1517. [Coverage in FAZ, n-tv, VoxEU, Oekonomenstimme]

[19] Hessami, Z., T. Häcker, and M. Thomas (2025). Public Administrators as Politicians in Office. International Tax and Public Finance, 32, 1960-1987.

[18] Baskaran, T., Hessami, Z., and S. Schirner (2024). Young Versus Old Politicians and Public Spending Priorities. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 225, 88-106.

[17] Baskaran, T., Hessami, Z., and T. Khasanboev (2023). Political Selection When Uncertainty is High. Kyklos, 76(2), 161-178.

[16] Baskaran, T. and Z. Hessami (2022). The Gender Recontest Gap in Elections. European Economic Review, 145, 104111.

[15] Hessami, Z. and M. Lopes da Fonseca (2020). Female Political Representation and Substantive Effects on Policies: A Literature Review. European Journal of Political Economy, 63, 101896. [Coverage in n-tv] 

[14] Hessami, Z. and S. Resnjanskij (2019). Complex Ballot Propositions, Individual Voting Behavior, and Status Quo Bias. European Journal of Political Economy, 58(3), 82-101. 

[13] Baskaran, T. and Z. Hessami (2018). Does the Election of a Female Leader Clear the Way for More Women in Politics? American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 10(3), 95-121. [Coverage in n-tv, Oekonomenstimme, AEA Resarch Highlights] 

[12] Hessami, Z. (2018). Accountability and Incentives of Appointed and Elected Public Officials. Review of Economics and Statistics, 100(1), 51-64.

[11] Baskaran, T. and Z. Hessami (2017). Monetary Integration, Soft Budget Constraints, and the EMU Sovereign Debt Crises. Economics and Politics, 29(3), 252-275.

[10] Baskaran, T. and Z. Hessami (2017). Political Alignment and Intergovernmental Transfers in Parliamentary Systems: Evidence from Germany. Public Choice, 171(1), 75-98.

[9] Hessami, Z. (2016). How Do Voters React to Complex Choices in a Direct Democracy? Evidence from Switzerland. Kyklos, 69(2), 263-293.

[8] Hessami, Z. and S. Uebelmesser (2016). A Political-Economy Perspective on Social Expenditures: Corruption and In-Kind versus Cash Transfers. Economics of Governance, 17(1), 71-100.

[7] Eisenkopf, G., Hessami, Z., Fischbacher, U., H. W. Ursprung (2015). Academic Performance and Single-Sex Schooling: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Switzerland. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 115, 123-143.

[6] Hessami, Z. and T. Baskaran (2015). Has Globalization Affected Collective Bargaining? An Empirical Test, 1980 - 2009. World Economy, 38, 1880-1911.

[5] Hessami, Z. (2014). Political Corruption, Public Procurement, and Budget Composition: Theory and Evidence from OECD Countries. European Journal of Political Economy, 34, 372-389.

[4] Hessami, Z. and S. Uebelmesser (2013). Empirical Determinants of In-Kind Redistribution: Partisan Biases and the Role of Inflation. Economics Letters, 118, 318-320.

[3] Baskaran, T. and Z. Hessami (2012). Public Education Spending in a Globalized World: Is There a Shift in Priorities Across Educational Stages? International Tax and Public Finance, 19, 677-707. [Coverage in Times Higher Education] 

[2] Hessami, Z. (2011). Globalization's Winners and Losers - Evidence from Life Satisfaction Data, 1975 - 2001. Economics Letters, 112, 250-253.

[1] Hessami, Z. (2010). The Size and Composition of Government Spending in Europe and Its Impact on Well-Being. Kyklos, 63, 346-382.

Contributions in edited volumes / Policy papers

Albrecht, C., Bayram, A. E., Hessami, Z., Schirner, S., and C. Wobbe (2025). ifo Migrationsmonitor: Migrantische Unternehmensgründungen. ifo Schnelldienst, 78(12), 51-57.

Baskaran, T. and Z. Hessami (2013). Fiscal Decentralization and Budgetary Stability: Transitory Effects and Long‑Run Equilibria, in: Fiscal relations across government levels in times of crisis – making compatible fiscal decentralization and budgetary discipline, pp. 79-103, Brussels: European Commission, DG ECFIN.

Baskaran, T., Bigsten, A., and Z. Hessami (2013). Political Decentralization and the Effectiveness of Aid, in: Arne Bigsten (ed.), Globalization and Development: Rethinking Interventions and Governance, pp. 43-72, New York: Routledge.

Feld, L.P., Hessami, Z., and L. Reil (2011). Direkte Demokratie in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland? Ergebnisse einer Umfrage zur Einführung direkter Volksrechte auf Bundesebene, in: Lars P. Feld, Peter M. Huber, Otmar Jung, Christian Welzel, and Fabian Wittreck (eds.), Jahrbuch für direkte Demokratie, pp. 107-134, Baden-Baden: Nomos.