Selected Publications

2025 -"Discriminatory vs Non-discriminatory Procedures in Repeated Procurement with Unverifiable Quality ", with A. Iozzi and G. L. Albano, Journal of Economics, published online 25 July 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00712-025-00917-x.

2025 "Cartel Sustainability with Quality-Anchored Buyers"; with I. Bos and M. A. Marini. Economics Letters, published online 20 June 2025, 112449

2024  "Inter-municipal Cooperation in Public Procurement"; with G. Arachi, D. Assisi, M. Giuranno and F. Russo, Regional Studies, 30 May 2024.

2023 "Relational Voluntary Environmental Agreements with Unverifiable Emissions"; with A. D'Amato, The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, published online September 29.

2023 "Teaching an old dog a new trick: reserve price and unverifiable quality in repeated procurement"; with A. Iozzi and G.L. Albano, Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Vol. 32, No 2, 377-399.

2020 "Collusion in Public Procurement: the Role of Subcontracting"; with M. Lorusso, Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics (Economia Politica), Vol 37, 251-265. 

2019 "Transparency in Repeated Procurement: when Hiding is Better"; with A. Di Natale.  Economics Bulletin, Vol. 39, No. 1, 14-23.

2019 "Corruption in Environmental Policy: the Case of Waste"; with A. D'Amato and M. Zoli, Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics (Economia Politica), Vol 36(1), 65-78.

2017 "Repeated Procurement with Unverifiable Quality: The case for Discriminatory Competitive Procedures" ; with A. Iozzi and G. L. Albano. Journal of Public Economics,  Vol. 145, January, 14-26.

2016"Local university supply and distance: a welfare analysis with centralized and decentralized tuition fees", with E. Carroni and D. Paolini. Italian Economic Journal,  first online 25 April, 1-14.

2014 "Peer group and Distance: when Widening University Participation is better", with D. Paolini.The Manchester School, Vol. 82, S2 Dec., 110-132.

2012 "Regulating unverifiable quality by fixed-price contracts", with A. Iozzi and E. Valentini. The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, Vol. 12, n. 1, article 40.

2010 "Mergers Under Endogenous Minimum Quality Standard: a note"; Economics Bulletin, Vol. 30, n. 4.

2010 "Horizontal Mergers: a solution of the Insider's Dilemma"; Bulletin of Economic Research,  Vol. 62, n. 2, 171-180.  

Research in Progress

-"Contracting unverifiable quality in healthcare: the importance of political stability for relational contracts"; with M. Buso, Coretti S. and G. Turati. (R&R)

Abstract: We consider an infinitely repeated game between a public purchaser of a health service and a semi-altruistic hospital when some quality dimensions of the service are non-contractible. We discuss how a Pay-for-Performance Relational Contract (P4PRC) can induce the hospital to deliver positive, unverifiable quality. We find that the optimal conditions for both price and quantities of the P4P-RC converge to the firstbest the higher the stability of the interaction between the purchaser and the hospital. Using the degree of political stability in Italy as a proxy for a stable interaction, we empirically test the relationship between proxies of healthcare service quality and political stability from 1996 to 2020. We find evidence supporting the view that unverifiable quality increases in the political stability of the regional governments

Other publications:

2025 Economia, Risorse, Crisi Ecologica, with E. Burba; in Abitare il Mondo. Cittadinanza Democratica e Prospettive Globali: Lezioni di Educazione Civica, by A. Guerra, N. Ruganti and G. Ruocco, Vol 2, visione e ordine del mondo.

2025 La sostenibilidad del sistema de seguridad social: Comparación entre Italia y España. Revista de Derecho de la Seguridad Social, Laborum, 1er Trimestre n 42

2025 Intermunicipal Cooperation in Public Procurement in Italy: A Strategy for Enhancing Efficiency and Managing the NRRP, with G. Arachi, D. Assisi, M. Giuranno and F. Russo, Temi di Economia Pubblica, Italian Society of Public Economics, 2nd January.

2024 Appalti ben gestiti dalle unioni di comuni, Lavoce.info

2014 The failures of collective action. A formal game-theoretic revisitation of the Olson theory, with S. Gorini. In Government and the Environment: The Role of the Modern State in the Face of Global Challenges, Routledge ed.

2010 Local Public Education and Childless Voting: The Arising of an “Ends with the Middle" Coalition, The IUP Journal of Public Finance, vol 8, n. 1&2, pp 74-102

2010 Public Investment and Education Inequality, The IUP Journal of Public Finance, vol 4, n4, pp 7-20