Carlos César Chávez Padilla

Development Economist · University of Chicago

I am a Research Professional at the Center for the Economics of Human Development at the University of Chicago, where I collaborate with Prof. James J. Heckman on early childhood skill formation. I hold an MA in Public Policy from the Harris School of Public Policy. My research focuses on development economics, political economy, and Latin America, particularly Peru.

37Papers

15Published

6Under Review

9Fields

Recent Research

The Price of Corruption: Evidence from Lava Jato and the Construction Club in Peru 2026 · PDF
Working paperCorruption & Political Economy
The Macroeconomics of Automation: Sorting Frictions and the Asymmetry Between Robots and AI 2026 · PDF
Working paperInnovation & the Economics Profession
Who Could Have Rational Expectations? Bounds Across People and Information Sets 2026 · PDF
Working paperMacroeconomics & Expectations
Did the Uruguay Round Spark Innovation? Evidence from Developing Countries Using Patent Data 2026 · Journal of Business (Universidad del Pacífico)
PublishedInternational Trade
Terrorism and Regional Development: Evidence from Peru's Internal War 2026
Working paperConflict, Violence & Political Instability
How Economists Adopt Methods: Entry Barriers, Specialization, and Community Sorting 2026 · Journal of Economic Methodology (under review)
Under reviewInnovation & the Economics Profession

Browse all 37 papers →

Selected Recognition

Research discussed

National Affairs —Selected for Findings, the daily roundup of academic studies. —April 2026
"The Macroeconomics of Asymmetric Automation" and "Robots Reinstate, AI Doesn't"

Writing selected and discussed

Arnold Kling — In My Tribe —Discussed the essay and responded to its argument. —March 2026
Why Christopher Sims Was So Great?
Martin Anota — Annotations —Published a French translation of the essay, "Les contributions de Christopher Sims a la macroeconomie". —March 2026
Why Christopher Sims Was So Great?
Marginal Revolution —Tyler Cowen selected the essay for Wednesday assorted links. —February 2026
Why Economists Linearize Everything
World Bank — Development Impact —David McKenzie summarised and discussed the essay in the blog's weekly links. —January 2026
Why Macro Never Had a Credibility Revolution

Used in teaching

Claremont Graduate University —Robert Klitgaard included the essay as a reading in PP338, Policy Design and Implementation. —Spring 2026
On Causality: A History of How Economics Learned to Think About Cause and Effect

Public and policy discussion

El Universo —Manuel del Valle's column "El amestizamiento del Perú" discussed the paper's findings on ethnic income gaps. —October 2022
Closing Peru's Ethnic Gaps Amidst Sustained Economic Growth
RPP —The column "Desigualdad, percepciones y realidades" drew on the paper's estimates of ethnic income gaps. —September 2022
Closing Peru's Ethnic Gaps Amidst Sustained Economic Growth