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 since 2025. A development economist specializing in political economy, financial inclusion, and institutional reform, he brings a strong empirical approach to understanding how democratic institutions function in practice. 

Seira’s recent work focuses on the fragility of democracy in the face of corruption. His paper “Apex Corruption Erodes Democratic Values” offers rigorous cross-country and experimental evidence showing that major corruption scandals undermine people's faith in democratic governance, reduce civic engagement, and increase acceptance of authoritarianism. He is also leading a major multi-country randomized trial on civic education and democratic citizenship, supported by a significant grant from Notre Dame. His research directly informs debates on how to strengthen democracy through transparency, education, and state capacity.

In addition to his democracy-related work, Seira has made influential contributions to development and regulatory economics. His studies on credit markets, public health policy, and labor court reform – published in top journals such as the Review of Economic Studies, Journal of Finance, and American Political Science Review – have earned him several top honors, including five first-place Citibanamex Prizes and the Victor Urquidi Prize for best economics research on Mexico. He also co-founded Qué Funciona para el Desarrollo, an NGO that promotes impact evaluation in Mexican public policy.

Seira is an affiliate of both J-PAL and BREAD, and has served in advisory roles for the Mexican ministries of finance and economy.  He holds a PhD in economics from Stanford University.