Working Papers


Abstract: We examine how foreign aid relates to citizens’ trust in political institutions by combining geocoded information on development projects with geolocated survey data from 22 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (2010–2016). Motivated by the idea that locally visible interventions may generate signals about domestic institutional performance, we exploit spatial proximity and variation in the timing of project implementation to compare individuals residing near projects implemented prior to the survey with individuals residing near projects implemented only later, and complement this design with within-municipality difference-in-differences estimates. Exposure to implemented aid projects is associated with higher trust in a broad set of political institutions.  This relationship varies systematically with time since implementation and is sharply heterogeneous across project types and institutional environments. Socially oriented interventions are most strongly linked to trust in political institutions, and the positive relationship is concentrated in countries with lower levels of democratic consolidation, while it is muted in more consolidated democracies. These findings suggest that locally visible development interventions can shape institutional trust in ways that depend on regime context.


Abstract: Building on social identity theory, we suggest that natives from stereotyped groups tend to value cultural distance more and think that immigrants are not good for the economy and the fiscal system. We draw upon research showing that overweight and obese individuals suffer from social stigma and discrimination and we investigate the relationship between high body mass and attitudes toward immigrants in Europe. We exploit the appointment of the Belgian Minister of Health to provide causal evidence that stigmatization and stereotyping contribute to negative attitudes toward immigrants. Furthermore, a survey experiment shows that individuals with a higher body mass index prioritize cultural factors over economic ones when facing immigrants.


         Non-technical summary: Medium


Abstract: This paper empirically tests Max Weber’s thesis on how religious narratives, particularly the Protestant Ethic, influence attitudes toward wealth redistribution. Weber suggested that the Protestant Reformation, led to the belief that economic success was a sign of divine favor, legitimizing wealth inequality. Using a variation of the dictator game with "blessed" framing, we measure how participants’ redistribution behaviors change when primed with this narrative. Our results show that low-income Protestants exposed to the "blessed" narrative are less likely to redistribute wealth compared to Catholics, supporting Weber’s idea that Protestants justify inequality through divine providence. Furthermore, a narrative analysis reveals that Protestants interpret “blessing” as divine election, while Catholics focus more on well-being. These findings suggest that religious narratives significantly shape economic behaviors and preferences for redistribution, providing empirical support for Weber’s thesis.



Abstract: This study investigates the impact of the Italian Legality Rating (LR) on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in public procurement. The LR, issued by the Italian Antitrust Authority, evaluates firms based on fiscal transparency, anti-corruption practices, corporate responsibility, and sustainability. While larger firms are more likely to obtain higher LR scores, SMEs benefit significantly from holding the certification. Using firm-level data and a Regression Discontinuity Design, we find that the LR increases SMEs’ tender-winning probabilities by 12.9 percentage points, highlighting its role as a strong institutional signal. Our findings emphasize the LR’s potential to enhance SME competitiveness in public procurement.

Work in progress