The Brazil Institute invites you to a lecture by Dr. Sónia Gonçalves, a professor in the Brazil Institute. 

Abstract

This project investigates the efficiency of Brazilian local governments as measured by primary educational outcomes. We assess the relevance of different public sector inputs such as the amount of public spending, political affiliation of local executive & legislative, and the share of appointees vs. careerist bureaucrats (our key variable of interest) in the municipal administration, among other municipal level controls. We explore this question using a panel of Brazilian municipalities between 2006 and 2014. Preliminary results suggest that educational outcomes appear to be significantly associated with the composition of the municipal bureaucracy in a non-linear fashion. We hope this project will provide new insight into the functioning of local governments and the determinants of their efficiency in the delivery of key public goods in Brazil.

Biography

Sónia Gonçalves joined King’s Brazil Institute in 2014 in a joint lectureship appointment with the School of Management and Business. Before joining King’s College London, she worked as an analyst for NERA Economic Consulting, in London.

Sónia has a Ph.D. and MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.  Her main research interests are in the fields of public economics and political economy. She has worked on research projects that analyse the links between public service delivery and participatory democracy, as well as between media and political accountability in Brazil.

This talk, part of the King's Brazil Institute Research Seminar Series, will be followed by a Q&A and wine.