RUBEN DURANTE
Contact
E-mail: rubendurante@gmail.com
Mailing address: Department of Economics and Business
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Ramón Trías Fargas 25-27
08005 Barcelona, Spain
Education
Ph.D. Economics, Brown University, 2010
M.A. Economics, Brown University, 2005
M.A. Political Economy, Université de Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, 2003
B.A. Economics, Università degli Studi di Messina, 2001
Academic Positions
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Department of Economics and Business
ICREA Research Professor: 2018 -
Associate Professor: 2016 - 2018
Sciences Po, Department of Economics
Associate Professor (tenured): 2017 - 2018
Assistant Professor: 2010 - 2017
Other Positions
Institute for Political Economy and Governance (IPEG): Research Associate
Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (BGSE): Affiliated Faculty
Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR):
-
Research Affiliate, Public Economics Program
-
Member, Political Economy Research Group
-
Member, Policy Network on Populism
CESIfo: Research Network Fellow, Economics of Digitization Area
Visiting Positions
INSEAD Singapore, Department of Economics: January-February 2020, February 2021
Waseda University, Department of Economics: October 2019
Università della Svizzera Italiana, Department of Economics: September 2019
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Department of Economics: June 2019
London Business School, Department of Economics: April-May 2019
Brown University, Department of Economics: Summer 2015
Yale University, Department of Economics and Leitner Political Economy Program: academic year 2013-14
University of Chicago, Booth School of Business: December 2013
Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm: May 2013
Editorial Activity
European Economic Review, Associate Editor: January 2019-
Journal of the European Economic Association, Associate Editor: January 2017-December 2019
Honors and Awards
European Research Council: Starting Grant (2018-2023, 1.5M euros)
BBVA Foundation: Grant for research on COVID-19 (2020-2022, 100k euros, PI)
La Vanguardia-Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera: Finalist of the 2018 Vanguardia de la Ciencia prize
BBVA Foundation: Economy and Digital Society Fellowship (2018-2020, 95k euros, co-PI)
Spanish Ministry of Education and Research: Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (2017, 2018, declined)
Catalan Agency for Management of University and Research Grants: Beatriu de Pinós Fellowship (2017-19)
American Economic Association: Prize for Best Paper Published on the AEJ:Applied Economics (2017)
Barcelona Graduate School of Economics: Seed Research Grant (2016-17)
Yale University, Georg W. Leitner Program in Political Economy: Visiting Scholar Fellowship (2013-14)
Sciences Po, Scientific Board: Research Grant (2015, 2014, 2013, 2012)
Sciences Po, Interdisciplinary Center for Public Policy Evaluation (LIEPP): Research Grant (2013, 2017)
Brown University, Graduate School: Joukowsky Award for Best Dissertation in the Social Sciences (2010)
Publications
Tracking the Impact of COVID-19 on Economic Inequality at High Frequency
(with O. Aspachs, J. G. Montalvo, A. Graziano, J. Mestres, M. Reynal-Querol), PLOS ONE, accepted
Asocial Capital: Civic Culture and Social Distancing During COVID-19
(with L. Guiso and G. Gulino), Journal of Public Economics, 2021, vol. 194
Risk, Cooperation and the Co-Evolution of Culture and Institutions
(with Johannes Buggle), The Economic Journal, forthcoming.
Building Nations through Shared Experiences: Evidence from African Football
(with E. Depetris-Chauvin, F. Campante), American Economic Review, 2020, vol. 10, n. 5, pp. 1572-1602
Advertising Spending and Media Bias: Evidence from News Coverage of Car Safety Recalls
(with R. G. Beattie, B. Knight, A. Sen), Management Science, May 2020 (lead article)
The Political Legacy of Entertainment TV
(with P. Pinotti, A. Tesei), American Economic Review, 2019, vol. 109, n. 7, pp. 2497-2530.
Attack when the World is not Watching? U.S. Media and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
(with E. Zhuravskaya), Journal of Political Economy, 2018, vol. 126, n. 3, pp. 1085-1133
Politics 2.0: the Multifaceted Effect of Broadband Internet on Political Participation
(with F. Campante, F. Sobbrio), Journal of the European Economic Association, 2018, vol. 16, n. 4, pp. 1094–1136
Market-Based Lobbying: Evidence from Advertising Spending in Italy
(with S. DellaVigna, E. La Ferrara, B. Knight), American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2016, vol. 8, n.1, pp. 224-56
Poor Institutions, Rich Mines: Resource Curse in the Origins of the Sicilian Mafia
with P. Buonanno, P. Vanin, G. Prarolo), The Economic Journal, 2015, vol. 125, n. 586.
Preferences for Redistribution and Perception of Fairness: an Experimental Study
(with L. Putterman, J. van der Weele) Journal of the European Economic Association, 2014, vol. 12, n. 4
Partisan Control, Media Bias, and Viewer Responses: Evidence from Berlusconi's Italy
(with B. Knight), Journal of the European Economic Association, 2012, vol. 10, n. 3 (lead article)
Working Papers
The Virus of Fear: The Political Impact of Ebola in the U.S.
(with E. Depetris-Chauvin and F. Campante), NBER Working Paper #14518
Media Capture by Banks (with A. Fabiani, Luc Laeven, and J.-L. Peydro), CEPR DP #14702
Salience and Accountability: School Infrastructure and Last-Minute Electoral Punishment
(with N. Adjzenmán), CEPR DP #14702, Revise & Resubmit The Economic Journal
Real-Time Inequality and the Welfare State in Motion: Evidence from Covid-19 in Spain
(with O. Aspachs, J. G. Montalvo, A. Graziano, J. Mestres, A. and M. Reynal-Querol), CEPR DP #15118, Revise & Resubmit Economic Policy}
Media Attention and Strategic Timing in Politics: Evidence from U.S. Presidential Executive Orders
(with M. Djourelova), CEPR DP #13961, Resubmitted American Journal of Political Science
Academic Dynasties: Decentralization and Familism in the Italian Academia
(with G. Labartino and R. Perotti), NBER WP #17572
Revise & Resubmit American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
Political Alignment, Inter-jurisdictional Cooperation and Crime in Mexico
(with E. Gutierrez), CEPR DP #10769, Revise & Resubmit Journal of Law, Economics and Organization
Political Advertising and Voting Intention: Evidence from Random Variation in Ads Viewership
(with E. Gutierrez)
Research in Progress
Online Competition, Newspaper Quality, and Political Accountability: Evidence from the Introduction of Craigslist (with G. Martin, M. Djourelova)
The Life of Others: Explaining Differences in News Coverage of Human Losses in U.S. Media (with F. Campante, M. Djourelova, E. Papaioannu)
Measuring Non-Verbal Bias: an Application to Gender and Race (with E. Ash, M. Grebenchikova, and Carlo Schwartz)
Movies, Perception of Fairness, and Preferences for Redistribution: Evidence from the Swiss 99% Referendum (with E. Fehr, C. Semken)
The Effect of Internet on Social Capital: Evidence from New Italian Data (with N. Mastrorocco, L. Minale, J. Snyder)
Personalization of Search Engine Recommendations and Political Polarization: Evidence from Machine-Learning and Lab Experiments (with Q.-A. Do, R. Enikolopov)
Conference Presentations
Monash-Warwick-Zurich Text-as-Data Workshop, (online, 2020); NBER Political Economy 2020 Fall Workshop (online, 2020); 1st London Political Finance Workshop (online, 2020); Workshop on Elections, Democracy, and Populism (Bologna, 2020); Workshop on Governance of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (keynote address; Tilburg, 2019); 2nd UZH Workshop on Political Economy and Development (Zurich, 2019); 2018 University of Chile Political Economy & Political Science Workshop (Santiago, 2018), 2018 UK Political Economy Workshop (Bath, 2018); 2018 Economics of Media and Communications Conference (Chicago, 2018); 3rd Economics of Media Bias Conference (keynote address; Cologne, 2018); Political Economy of Conflict and Development Workshop (Villars, 2018); 2017 NBER Summer Institute (Development & IO); 2017 International Economic Association Conference, invited session (Mexico City, 2017); Conference on the Economics of Intellectual Property, Software and the Internet (Toulouse, 2017); 14th Workshop on Media Economics (Zurich, 2016); 2016 Barcelona Summer Forum (Barcelona, 2016); 2015 Media and Communication Conference (Chicago, 2015); EEA 2015 Conference, invited session (Mannheim, 2015); Economics of Media Bias Conference (Hamburg, 2015); Conference on the Economics of Intellectual Property, Software and the Internet (Toulouse, 2015); 12th Workshop on Media Economics (Naples, 2014); 2014 NEUDC Conference (Boston, 2014); Yale Center for the Study of American Politics 2014 Workshop (New Haven, 2014); Midwest Political Science Association (Chicago, 2014); AEA 2013 Annual Meeting (San Diego, 2013); 10th Workshop on Media Economics (Bogotà, 2012); Conference on the Economics of Interactions and Culture (Rome, 2012); Workshop on the Economics of Crime and Corruption (Namur, 2012); Applied Economics Workshop (Petralia Sottana, 2011); NBER 2011 Summer Institute DAE (Boston, 2011); Midwest Economic Association 2010 Annual Meeting (Evanston IL, 2010); CEPR Conference on "Economics of Culture, Institutions, and Crime" (Milan, 2010); 5th Royal Economic Society Ph.D. Presentation Meeting (London, 2010); 2010 ASSA Conference (Atlanta, 2010); NEUDC Conference (Boston, 2009); Workshop on "Political Economy and the Environment" (Louvain-la-Neuve, 2009); 2nd Conference on Early Economic Developments (Vancouver, 2009); LACEA Political Economy Group Meeting (Cartagena, 2009); 6th Workshop on Media Economics (Zurich, 2008); 2nd Meeting of the Society for the Study of Economic Inequality (Berlin, 2007).
Seminar Presentations
London School of Economics PSPE Seminar (online, 2020); Bank of Italy (online, 2020); WZB Institutions and Political Inequality Seminar (online, 2020); ESSEC Business School (Paris, 2020); Virtual IO Seminar (online, 2020); IMF ICD Seminar (online, 2020); National University of Singapore (Singapore, 2020); Johns Hopkins University (Washington D.C., 2019); Waseda University (Tokyo, 2019); Università della Svizzera Italiana (Lugano, 2019); Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Santiago, 2019); European Commission, ECFIN (Bruxelles, 2019); University of Zurich (2019); Central European University (2019); Berlin Applied Microeconomics Seminar (2019); Bank of Italy (2018); EIEF (2018); Boston University (2018); Carlos III Madrid (2018); Collegio Carlo Alberto (2018); Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (2017), Université Libre de Bruxelles (2017); London Business School (2017); CEMFI (2017), European University Institute (2017; Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona (2017); University of Lausanne (2016); PSE (2016, 2012, 2011); IADB (2016, 2010); New York City Media Seminar (2016); UPF (2016, 2010); TSE (2016, 2014, 2011); Bocconi (2015); Toronto (2015); NYU Abu Dhabi (2015); Stockholm University (2015); Queen Mary University (2015); UCLA Anderson (2015); UCSB (2015); Chicago Harris (2015); Aix-Marseille (2015) Mannheim (2015); INSEAD (2015); LSE (2014); Yale (2014, 2013); NYU (2014, 2012); World Bank (2014); Hunter College CUNY (2014); Warwick (2014); Chicago Booth (2013); Tufts (2013); Harvard (2013); Namur (2013); IIES Stockholm (2013); EIEF (2013); Bocconi (2012, 2010); WZB Berlin (2012); Sorbonne (2012); Dartmouth (2012); Brown (2012, 2009); Los Andes (2012); CSEF Naples (2012); Frankfurt (2012); Rotterdam (2012); Stockholm School of Economics (2010, 2012); NES (2011); PSE (2011, 2012); CREST (2010); IAE-CSIC (2010); GIIDS Geneva (2010); Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods (2010); UC Louvain (2010); Carlos III (2010); Alicante (2010); IMT Lucca (2010, 2009); UC Boulder (2010); UQAM; Essex (2010); Sciences Po (2010); IADB (2010); Bologna (2009); Copenhagen (2009).
Teaching Experience
Political Economics: undergraduate (Sciences Po, Yale), Master (Sciences Po, UPF), Ph.D. (LBS)
Political Economy of Mass Media: undergraduate (Yale), Master (Sciences Po, Waseda)
Text Analysis for Economics and Finance, Ph.D. (LBS, DIW, UPF, EUI, ULB)
Economics and Business: Public Policy: MBA (INSEAD)
Public Economics: undergraduate (Sciences Po, UPF, Yale), Ph.D. (UPF)
Economic Growth and Development: undergraduate (Sciences Po), Master (UPF)
Topics in Experimental and Behavioral Economics: Master (Sciences Po)
Supervisions
Research assistants: Christine Cai (Princeton, Ph.D.), Laura Litvine (UCL, Ph.D.), Giovanni Sciacovelli (Northwestern, Ph.D.), Héctor Paredes Castro (PSE, Ph.D.), Elliott Motte (UPF, Ph.D.), David Ampudia Vicente (Zurich, Ph.D.), Marco Lo Faso (USC, Ph.D.), Eduardo Espuny (CEMFI, Masters), Nikola Kiprijanovski (INSEAD, Ph.D. in Finance), Mariia Grebenshchikova (LMU, Masters in Data Science), Saumya Vaishnava (Penn State, Ph.D. in Geography), Gyorgy Ruzsicka (CEU, Ph.D.), Giulia Tosetti (ECB, Analyst), Vivian Liu (LSE, Ph.D. in Geography)
Ph.D. students (*main advisor): Milena Djourelova* (Chicago, postdoc; Cornell, assistant professor), Alessio Romarri (University of Milan, assistant professor), Andrea Fabiani (Bank of Italy, economist), Nicolas Adjzenmán* (FGV Saõ Paulo, assistant professor), Johannes Buggle (Lausanne, post-doc), Iván Torre* (World Bank, economist), Eve Colson-Shira (Hebrew University, assistant professor)
Professional Experience
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB): Consultant (July 2019 - )
Columbia University, Program on Forced Migration and Health: Consultant (April-July 2019)
World Bank (WBIPR): Consultant (September 2006 to August 2007); Intern (Summer 2006)
Institutional Responsibilities
Co-organizer of the Barcelona Summer Forum Workshop on Political Institutions (2017-2019)
Organizer of the UPF Labor, Public and Development Seminar (2016-17, 2019-)
Founder and co-organizer of the Paris Empirical Political Economy Seminar (2011-16)
Co-organizer of the Sciences Po Department of Economics Student Lunch Seminar (2014-16
Co-organizer of the Sciences Po Department of Economics weekly Research Seminar (2011-12)
Member of the Junior Faculty Recruitment Committee, Sciences Po Economics Department (2010-11)
Service
External evaluator: European Research Council, The Leverhulme Trust, German Research Foundation, Israel Science Foundation, Swiss Research Foundation, Dutch Research Council, Chilean Science Foundation, Spanish Research Agency, KU Leuven.
External thesis evaluator: European University Institute, University of Essex, LSE, University of Oslo, Bocconi University, Université de Lausanne, Sciences Po
Languages
Italian (native), English (fluent), French (Fluent), Spanish (Fluent)