JP Bastos

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I am a PhD student at the Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics, and a Research Assistant at the Free Market Institute, both at Texas Tech University.

My research focuses on the political economy of development. I am particularly interested in answering empirical questions about the role of economic and political institutions for development within the Latin American context, using modern causal inference techniques.

My Job Market Paper investigates the private returns to political office for Brazilian mayors, using a regression discountinuity design around close election races.

I have also worked as a policy analyst in the Executive and Legislative branches of City of Porto Alegre, Brazil, where I got to work on important economic reforms. I discuss policy issues as a regular contributor to Exame, and my policy papers have been featured in some of the most popular media outlets in Brazil.

I also run the Public Choice in Latin America project, with Nicolás Cachanosky.