Enrique Seira

Enrique Seira is the Joe and Deborah Loughrey Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame and a faculty fellow at the Kellogg Institute. He specializes in development economics, political economy, financial inclusion, and institutional reform, employing empirical methods to study democratic institutions, credit markets, and judicial systems in developing countries. His notable work includes the multi-country randomized trial on civic education and democratic citizenship, funded by Notre Dame, and the influential paper "Apex Corruption Erodes Democratic Values."

• Education: PhD in Economics from Stanford University (2007).

Seira’s research explores democratic backsliding, policies to prevent it, and the causal effects of religion on social outcomes. His recent articles analyze corruption’s impact on democracy, credit market dynamics, and labor court reforms in Mexico.

Scientific awards include five Citibanamex Prizes, the Victor Urquidi Prize, and the Simonsen Prize. He co-founded the NGO Qué Funciona para el Desarrollo and served as Director of Mexico’s Center for Economic Research at ITAM.

He advises graduate students and has collaborated with institutions such as J-PAL, BREAD, the Mexican ministries of finance and economy, and the Central Bank of Mexico. His work directly informs debates on transparency, education, and state capacity in strengthening democracy.