Berkeren Buyukeren

PhD Candidate in Economics
Rome Economics Doctorate

I obtained my PhD at the Rome Economics Doctorate, a program run by EIEF, LUISS, Sapienza University of Rome and Tor Vergata University of Rome. I will join Universitat Pompeu Fabra as a Postdoctoral Researcher in September 2026. My research interests are in political economy, development economics and economics of digitization.

Research

Publications

The Impact of Dating Apps on Young Adults: Evidence From Tinder (with Alexey Makarin and Heyu Xiong) American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2026, 18(2), 61-106. Journal SSRN

Working Papers and Selected Work in Progress

Remaking the State from Below: Local Government Formation in Ukraine [Draft]
Does consolidating local governments while expanding their autonomy improve governance and development? I study Ukraine’s 2015-2020 reform, which allowed small local councils to voluntarily amalgamate into newly created hromadas with greater fiscal and administrative authority. Councils that were wealthier, more Ukrainian-speaking and more similar to their neighbors were more likely to merge. Exploiting the staggered rollout of the reform, I show that amalgamation improved procurement performance, increased local economic activity, and strengthened civic national identity. The share of highly competitive tenders and the average number of bidders per tender rose, and local public expenditures expanded and shifted toward social sectors. Nightlights per capita increased by about 7%, consistent with higher economic activity. Survey evidence further shows that residents of rural areas, who were most exposed to the reform, were more likely to identify solely as Ukrainian. The gains were particularly pronounced for smaller hromadas and for peripheral local councils within merged units. These findings suggest that consolidating jurisdictions while devolving authority can enhance state effectiveness, stimulate local development and shape civic identity.
Digital Payment Systems and Crime
Movies and Political Preferences (with Ruben Durante, Felipe González and Mounu Prem)
Catastrophes, Social Ties and Voting Behavior: Evidence From Turkey (with Taylan Alpkaya)