Publications

2024 | Travel cost on Election Day and voter-turnout in Chile: Exploring university students' willingness to cast a hypothetical online vote

Andrés Acuña-Duarte and César A. Salazar.

SAGE Open, in-press. DOI: 10.1177/21582440241252057.

Abstract. An i-voting system may promote electoral participation by reducing travel cost and time to polling places, especially among youth who are more accustomed to technological changes. We study the linkage between travel costs on election day and voter turnout by comparing past electoral participation with stated voting behavior in a hypothetical i-voting system. We believe that the link between transportation costs, i-voting, and voter-turnout emerges as an interesting opportunity to disentangle the mechanism behind the expected increase in political participation after diversifying voting channels. Data were collected using an online questionnaire that was disseminated among Chilean university students. Binary and bivariate probit estimates show that conventional turnout probability among university students is negatively affected by travel costs on election day. Interestingly, whereas political interest and democracy valuation still augment the probability of voter turnout with i-voting, travel-to-polling-station costs are not statistically relevant.

2024 | Satisfaction with public goods provision and citizen preferences for institutional changes: Evidence from the dictatorship-era constitution in Chile

Andrés Acuña-Duarte, Javier A. León, and César A. Salazar.

Kyklos, in-press. DOI: 10.1111/kykl.12385.

Abstract. We argue that a deficient provision of public goods may influence citizen satisfaction with the status quo, thereby encouraging demands for institutional changes. We formalize and test this relationship using prior data related to the recent constitutional process carried out in Chile to replace its dictatorship-era constitution. Individual-level data from the Chile 2016/17 AmericasBarometer survey are used to estimate ordered and multinomial probit models to study the determinants of citizen preferences for constitutional change, distinguishing between amendment and replacement. The main findings reveal that preferences for reforming the Chilean constitution can be driven by greater discontent with public goods provision. These results remain robust when estimating pseudo-panel models using cohort-level data and examining coefficient stability. Moreover, higher levels of corruption are associated with a stronger demand for constitutional replacement, suggesting a potential rupture in the shared social contract due to poor governance and lower political equality.

Read-only version:  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/author/I3JKR989I5SIH8NZYKUG?target=10.1111/kykl.12385

2023 | Corporate social responsibility and the willingness to eco-innovate among Chilean firms

Luis E. Villegas, Andrés Acuña-Duarte, and César A. Salazar.

Sustainability, 15(12), 9832. DOI: 10.3390/su15129832.

Abstract. Adopting social responsibility can be a key strategy for firms to mitigate the impact of production on the environment, contributing to a more sustainable business model. Based on the triple bottom line perspective, we analyze the effect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on the willingness to allocate resources to eco-innovation among companies in a developing country. Firm-level data from the Fifth Longitudinal Survey of Chilean Firms are used to estimate a binary probit model for the willingness to eco-innovate and a Heckman sample-selection model for total expenditures and investment in eco-innovation. Results confirm that legal regulations and R&D efforts are drivers of eco-innovation among Chilean firms. Larger-sized and export-oriented firms also exhibit a higher willingness to eco-innovate. The main findings show a positive influence of CSR policy on the willingness to eco-innovate and on the resulting resource allocation decision. Interestingly, the evidence reveals that while financial and environmental CSR dimensions only affect the probability of adopting eco-innovation, the social CSR dimension also increases the amount firms spend on eco-innovation. This result suggests that social CSR may act as a complement to other CSR dimensions. These results are robust when controlling for firm-level specific effects under sample-selection models.

2023 | Drought shocks and price adjustments in local food markets in Chile: Do product quality and marketing channel matter?

César Salazar, Andrés Acuña-Duarte, and José María Gil.

Agricultural Economics, 54(3), 349-363. DOI: 10.1111/agec.12760.

Abstract. Lately, economies have been facing an increase in the frequency and magnitude of droughts, which come with potential consequences on food prices. This article aims to analyze how drought disturbances affect price differences in local food markets. Special attention is paid to differences in product quality and marketing channels. To study the mechanism behind price differences, our analysis is framed within the food market integration theory. Our methodology follows a dyadic regression approach, which allows us to exploit the panel data structure of our market price data. We use monthly Asterix potato and long shelf-life tomato market prices from traditional markets and supermarkets in Chile. To measure drought intensity, we use remote sensing data to construct a drought index. Results show that drought shocks reduce market price differentials around harvesting and commercialization periods, which is supported by the existence of market integration. We also find that prices of high-quality products, less perishable products, and those taken from traditional markets respond more intensively to droughts and take more time to be transmitted. A direct link between droughts and crop quality, as well as supermarkets’ larger capacity for buffer stock, may be behind these interpretations. Product differentiation and retail price rigidity arguments are also discussed.

2022 | Government performance, geophysical-related disasters, and institutional trust: A comparison of Chilean and Haitian responses after an earthquake

Gustavo A. Cisterna, Andrés Acuña-Duarte, and César Salazar.

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 75, article 102950. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102950.

Abstract. This article investigates the effect of government performance assessment after the 2010 earthquakes in Chile and Haiti on institutional trust. Available data from the 2010/2012 AmericasBarometer survey are used to estimate the immediate effects and those linked to the rebuilding process. Results show that performance assessment of Chilean institutions' ability to manage the earthquake positively affected institutional trust, whereas the above relationship only holds for Haitian municipalities and the National Police. The evidence reveals the relevance of strengthening the crisis-handling skills displayed by local and national governments to avoid erosion in institutional social capital, a key aspect for development.

Free access until June 8, 2022:  https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1exFo7t2zZ9aaY

2019 | Interaction between crop insurance and technology adoption decisions: The case of wheat farmers in Chile

César Salazar, Marcela Jaime, Cristián Pinto, and Andrés Acuña.

Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 63(3), pp. 593-619. DOI: 10.1111/1467-8489.12307.

Abstract. This paper examines relationships between crop insurance and input technology decisions among Chilean wheat farmers. Using nationwide farm-level data, a bivariate probit model is estimated. We investigate the extent to which the adoption of production input technologies is associated with farmers’ participation in the insurance program. We find that relationships between insurance and technology decisions are significant only for family farmers. In particular, there is a negative relationship between participation in the insurance program and the adoption of modern irrigation. Interpretations based on the role of input technologies on insurance adoption and adverse selection behaviours are discussed.

2019 | ¿Qué influye en la confianza en las instituciones? Evidencia empírica para Chile [What has an influence on confidence in institutions? Empirical evidence for Chile]

Fabián Riffo, Daniela Pérez, César Salazar, and Andrés Acuña.

Revista Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, 27(2), pp. 83-104. DOI: 10.18359/rfce.3517.

Abstract.  This research estimates an ordered probit model with data from the 2014 LAPOP survey to explore the factors that explain confidence in institutions in Chile. Results show an increased lack of confidence from the original peoples toward security institutions, probably due to the Mapuche Conflict. There is also a positive effect of democracy and performance variables that unveils differences in responsibilities between the executive power and the municipalities. Results also support the importance of citizen participation for levels of confidence and a positive assessment of the armed forces in corruption scenarios. Finally, it is evidenced that people in favor of legal abortion have lower levels of confidence in the evangelical church, which may be attributed to a more conservative stance in this religion.

2019 | Gasto municipal en educación y su efecto en la distribución de ingresos a nivel local en Chile [Local government expenditure on education and its effect on income inequality at the county-level in Chile]

Felipe Gutiérrez-Garrido and Andrés Acuña-Duarte.

Ecos de Economía: A Latin American Journal of Applied Economics, 23(49), pp. 83-104. DOI: 10.17230/ecos.2019.49.1.

Abstract.  In this paper we analyze the effect of per-capita education expenditure on the distribution of autonomous income among Chilean counties, where income inequality is measured through Gini and Theil indices, and the S80/S20 and S90/S10 ratios. The longitudinal study considers 307 Chilean counties in order to estimate a fractional response Probit model for Gini index and random-effects Tobit models for the remaining indicators of inequality. Main findings indicate that an increasing per-capita education expenditure would reduce the income inequality among Chilean counties. Moreover, the estimates show that the above negative effect is not immediate but it would take from 3 to 5 years in reducing income inequality at the county level. Finally, the evidence suggests that indigenous people in Chile would be exposed to a larger income inequality when the latter is quantified by Theil index.

2018 | Actividades de debate en el proceso de aprendizaje. Experiencias e implicancias desde procesos de formación de estudiantes de economía [Debate activities in the learning process. Experiences and implications from the formation process of economics students]

César Salazar and Andrés Acuña.

Revista Educación (Costa Rica), 42(2), pp. 205-227. DOI: 10.15517/revedu.v42i2.24956.

Abstract. The change in the dynamics of the national economy and its business environment require modifications in the educational models and methodologies compatible with an ongoing learning process based on the student towards the development of necessary generic competences for a good job performance. is study aims at designing, implementing and systematizing debate experiences in course syllabuses for economics being updated following a student-centered educational model. The activities were carried out at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Bio-Bio, Chile. Alternative versions of debates based on group characteristics and a specific a set of evaluation criteria were proposed. In addition, a protocol containing the phases of the activity, logistics and equipment use was developed. The results suggest that student motivation is a key factor for a successful debate when the formation of groups is intentional. This experience proves that it is possible to carry out debates in numerous courses defining alternative protocols and giving incentives based on rewards and penalties in the correct direction. It can also be concluded that activities must be conducted systematically throughout the training process. It is also necessary to foster the active participation of academics and explicitly specify the "debate" as a formal activity as part of the evaluation criteria in the proposed -course syllabi.

2017 | Electoral apathy among Chilean youth: New evidence for the voter registration dilemma

Andrés Acuña-Duarte.

Estudios Gerenciales, 33(145), pp. 341-351. DOI: 10.1016/j.estger.2017.11.005.

Abstract.  The decision of voter enrollment among Chilean youth is re-examined in this paper. Geographical and gender differences regarding what determines voter-registration rate among youth are also explored. Electoral and socioeconomic data are collected from 272 Chilean counties in order to estimate the fractional-response and the random-effects Tobit models. The results indicate that the voter registration rate is higher among lower-income youth, which differs from earlier studies, and redefines the implications of a class-biased electorate in Chile. Furthermore, the evidence suggests an increasing political disaffection among indigenous youth that reside in rural counties.

2017 | Ensayo: Reflexiones sobre el fortalecimiento de la participación democrática en Chile y el diseño de política pública [Essay: Reflections on the strengthening of democratic engagement in Chile and public-policy design]

Andrés Acuña-Duarte.

Horizontes Empresariales, 16(1), pp. 55-62. Link: http://revistas.ubiobio.cl/index.php/HHEE/article/view/2817.

Abstract.  After the return to democracy in 1989, Chile has experienced a noticeable decline in electoral engagement, an increasing political disaffection, and an emerging crisis of trust toward institutions following  the  recent  corruption  scandals. This  essay  discusses  the  scope  of  strengthening of democratic engagement in Chile and identifies structural subjects that public policy could intervene in order to guarantee an effective rise of civic-engagement indicators, thus protecting the stability of the Chilean democratic system. These subjects include the role of social capital, valuation of public goods, civic engagement among youth, gender and geographical gaps, quality and renewal of political leaders, and mechanisms for citizen assessment.

2015 | Efectos de las decisiones de política del Banco Central sobre los retornos de la Bolsa de Comercio en Chile [The effect of Central Bank policy decisions on stock market returns in Chile]

Andrés Acuña and Cristián Pinto.

Ecos de Economía: A Latin American Journal of Applied Economics, 19(40), pp. 48-65. DOI: 10.17230/ecos.2015.40.3.

Abstract.  This paper analyzes the stock-market response to monetary policy decisions made by the Central Bank of Chile.  We use a methodology designed for the study of low frequency events and monthly data from September 2001 to December 2013 to estimate the effect of anticipated and unanticipated changes in the Chilean monetary policy interest rate on stock returns.  In contrast to the research findings in the literature for the U.S., we find no evidence that monetary surprises affect Chilean stock returns.

2015 | Diferencias territoriales en el retorno a la educación en Chile: Evidencia para las regiones del Biobío y Metropolitana [Territorial differences in the return to education in Chile: Evidence for the Biobio and Metropolitana regions]

Genaro E. Candia and Andrés Acuña.

Horizontes Empresariales, 14(1), pp. 30-53. Link: http://revistas.ubiobio.cl/index.php/HHEE/article/view/2399.

Abstract. This paper addresses the differences in the return to education between two regions with the greatest number of higher-education institutions in Chile, Biobio and Metropolitana. Several variants of the Mincer equation are estimated under the Heckit approach using data from the CASEN survey of 2000 and 2011. The results confirm the existence of territorial differences to the detriment of the Biobio region, which are observed in the returns to education, labor experience, and credential effect. Furthermore, the evidence supports the idea of a strong gender gap in earnings inside both regions and the presence of ethnic discrimination in the Metropolitana region.