To what extent does the incumbent party’s identity shape public policies? We investigate this question by examining national and regional policies in Spain. First, we analyze the evolution of voter preferences and the platforms of the two mainstream parties (PSOE and PP) and of the newer challenger parties that emerged...

La quema de combustibles fósiles como el carbón, el petróleo y el gas supone la emisión a la atmósfera de gases que actúan de manera similar al cristal de un invernadero, al retener el calor del Sol e impedir que escape al espacio, incrementando con ello la temperatura de la...

Central politicians channel resources to sub-national entities for political gains. We show formally that the central politicians' allocation decision has two drivers: political alignment (between central and local politicians) and the level of local political accountability. However, drivers count one at a time: alignment matters before local elections, while local...

Recycling and the recovery of waste are crucial waste management strategies. In light of the new EU circular economy approach, these strategies remain core pillars of a competitive and sustainable waste value chain. Local governments have an important role in controlling and checking the implementation of waste management policies. We...

El Instituto de Economía de Barcelona (IEB) dedica el IEB Report 2 de 2020 -coordinado por el investigador y profesor Matteo Gamalerio, -a tratar las causas de la fragmentación política que ha vivido Europa en la última década con la aparición de nuevos partidos y el auge del populismo. El...

We investigate whether corruption amplifies the political effects of economic crises. Using Spanish municipal-level data and a difference-in-difference strategy, we find that local unemployment shocks experienced during the Great Recession (2008-2015) increased political fragmentation. This effect was four times larger in municipalities exposed to malfeasance than in municipalities without a...