My Research

My academic research is grounded in public economics, with particular emphasis on decentralization and fiscal federalism. I employ applied methodologies and adopt an interdisciplinary approach that integrates economic and political analysis to address the challenges associated with fiscal decentralization, fiscal policy, and regional financing. This line of work examines how the allocation of taxing and spending powers across levels of government shapes efficiency, equity, and accountability outcomes, with a focus on the institutional design of intergovernmental fiscal relations.

A closely related strand of my research focuses on governance and the study of public institutions and budgets. Here, I investigate how institutional rules, budgetary processes, and governance structures affect the performance of subnational governments, paying close attention to transparency, fiscal discipline, and the political economy factors that condition policy outcomes at the regional and local levels.

Beyond public finance, my work extends to the analysis of regional development, including the design and evaluation of public policies aimed at reducing territorial disparities and fostering sustainable growth.

Moreover, I have collaborated with scholars from other research fields on a diverse array of topics, including family business, health expenditure dynamics, the political and economic aspects of football, and the evaluation of the economic impact of different kinds of events.

Between 2018 and 2024, I served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, having previously been its Associate Editor between 2012 and 2018. I have also acted as Guest Editor for several international journals, including Regional Studies, the Annals of Regional Science, the Journal of Applied Economics, and Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy.

In addition, I have acted as referee for more than 90 academic journals and institutions, including the Directorate-General for Regional Policy (in the appraisal, implementation, and mentoring of Cohesion Policy interventions), the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (H2020), COST Action (H2020), the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ), and the State Education Development Agency of Latvia.