My research focuses on how political institutions influence the economy. I am primarily interested in Europe and the UK, in contemporary and historical contexts.

In one line of work, I have focused on corruption, looking at how substantial corruption can coexist with economic growth, and how anti-corruption reforms may come to take place. 

In another line of work, I have looked at how strategic behavior by governments and firms in the context of public procurement may be connected to institutional choices and to efficiency outcomes.  

I am particularly interested in patterns that challenge the conventional wisdom on institutions and the economy: for example economic miracles ocurring under corruption, or populism and good economic performance coexisting. 

My work makes use of quantitative methods, including the quantification of historical data and the use of machine learning and large-scale open government datasets.