My research lies at the intersection of development economics, international trade, and political economy. For more than twenty years, a central strand of my work has focused on institutions, governance, and political economy in developing countries. A second longstanding strand concerns international trade and economic integration. Over the past decade, my research has increasingly examined conflict and insecurity, particularly in Mali, and more recently gender and social norms.
My research examines corruption, governance, institutional quality, political trust, and the ways in which formal and informal institutions shape economic and political behaviour.
I study the political, institutional, and historical determinants of international trade, including diplomacy, borders, colonial legacies, and trade costs.
My recent work examines how conflict and insecurity affect political attitudes, institutional trust, social capital, schooling, and individual behaviour.
I study social norms and sensitive behaviours using original survey and experimental data, including recent work on gender-based violence.
Bertelli, O., Calvo, T., Lavallée, E., Mercier, M. & Mesplé-Somps, S. (2025).
“Attitudes and behaviors in a fragile state. A list experiment in Mali.”
World Development, 196, 107151.
Bertelli, O., Calvo, T., Lavallée, E., Mercier, M. & Mesplé-Somps, S. (2025).
“What one thinks, what one says and what one does: Male justifications and practices of gender-based violence in Mali.”
Journal of Development Economics, 176, 103479.
Lavallée, E. & Lochard, J. (2022).
“International trade and face-to-face diplomacy.”
Review of World Economics, 158, 987–1010.
Calvo, T., Lavallée, E., Razafindrakoto, M. & Roubaud, F. (2020).
“Fear Not For Man? Armed conflict and social capital in Mali.”
Journal of Comparative Economics, 48(2), 251–276.
Lavallée, E. & Roubaud, F. (2019).
“Corruption in the Informal Sector: Evidence from West Africa.”
Journal of Development Studies, 55(6), 1067–1080.
Lavallée, E. & Lochard, J. (2015).
“The Comparative Effects of Independence on Trade.”
Journal of Comparative Economics, 43(3), 613–632.
Lavallée, E. & Vicard, V. (2013).
“National borders matter… where one draws the lines too.”
Canadian Journal of Economics, 46(1), 135–153.