News

New Canada Research Chair
Professor Gustavo J. Bobonis of the Department of Economics has been awarded a Tier II Canada Research Chair in the Political Economy of Development. The goal of his research is to evaluate barriers to good government in new democracies by investigating the complex relationships between voter patronage, poverty, local customs and government responsiveness. This research aims to provide evidence showing how reforms can help emerging democracies develop better governments.

Professor Bobonis is leading comprehensive studies in northeast Brazil and southern Mexico to investigate the relationship between poverty, patronage, and government responsiveness. In Brazil, he is examining whether providing private water access to families in remote rural areas that lack water will change the way they vote, their relationships with politicians, and the responsiveness of government to their needs. In Mexico, Bobonis is exploring whether gradual political reforms that pass on decision-making power to local indigenous groups improve families’ access to public goods and services.