Prof Diego Sánchez-Ancochea

Professor of the Political Economy of Development and Head of Department

Diego Sánchez-Ancochea specialises in the political economy of Latin America with a particular focus on Central America. His research interests centre on the determinants of income inequality and the role of social policy in reducing it. 

His most recent book, The Costs of Inequality: Lessons and Warnings for the Rest of the World (Bloomsbury, 2020), was selected as one of the best books in Economics in 2020 by the Financial Times. Together with Juliana Martínez Franzoni, he is the author of Good Jobs and Social Services: How Costa Rica Achieved the Elusive Double Incorporation (Palgrave McMillan, 2013) and The Quest for Universal Social Policy in the South. Actors, Ideas and Architectures (CUP, 2016). This latter book (which was also published in Spanish in 2019) explores the determinants of universal social policy in the South - the topic he continues to work on at the moment.  His joint and single-authored research has also been published in international journals such as World Development, the Journal of Latin American Studies, Economy and Society, Latin American Politics and Society and Latin American Research Review.  

He studied for his PhD in Economics at the New School for Social Research (New York) and previously taught at the Institute for the Study of the Americas (University of London) between 2003 and 2008. Professor Sanchez-Ancochea has been a visiting fellow at the University of Costa Rica, at FLACSO-Dominican Republic and the program Desigualdades (Berlin) and most recently at the Kellogg Institute (University of Notre Dame). He was co-editor of the Journal of Latin American Studies (2015-19), Treasurer of the Latin American Studies Association (2018-20) and director of the Latin American Centre at Oxford (2015-18).  

Professor Sánchez-Ancochea collaborates frequently with the ILO, UNDP, ECLAC, Oxford Analytica and other organisations. He is currently member of the editorial boards of Oxford Development Studies (associate editor) and Journal of Development Studies as well as member of the University of Oxford’s Council. 

Research
Teaching & Supervision
Publications
News
In the media
Formalisation within the mining sector in Peru
research_project
51

Teaching

Diego Sanchez-Ancochea teaches on the Economics, History and Politics and Development Studies courses for the MPhil in Development Studies. He also teaches an elective external module on the Ecomomics of Latin America at the Latin American Centre.

Doctoral supervision

Professor Sanchez-Ancochea's priority areas for supervision are the political economy of income inequality, including elite power, state policy and historical trajectories, and social policy and redistribution. Additionally, he is also happy to consider projects on political economy, economic transformation and public policy, with particular (but not exclusive) attention to Latin America.

Research Students supervised

Ludovic Arnaud
Research Student
Kimberly Bolch
Research Student
Deepa Kurup
Research Student
Tobias Schillings
Research Student
Nika Soon-Shiong
Research Student

Books and monographs

Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (2020) 'The Costs of Inequality in Latin America: Warning and Lessons for the Rest of the World', Bloomsbury
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2016) 'The Quest for Universal Social Policy in the South. Actors, Ideas and Architectures', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Salvador Martí i Puig) (eds) (2013) 'Handbook of Central American Governance', London: Routledge
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2013) 'Good Jobs and Social Services: How Costa Rica Achieved the Elusive Double Incorporation', Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with I Morgan) (eds) (2009) 'The Political Economy of the Budget in the Americas', Institute for the Study of the Americas
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with E Rugraff, A Sumner) (eds) (2009) 'Transnational Corporations and Development Policy: Critical Perspectives', Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with K Shadlen) (eds) (2008) 'The Political Economy of Hemispheric Integration in the Americas: Responding to Globalization', Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Journal articles and special issues

Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (2022) 'Southern Discomfort: Interrogating the Category of the Global South', Development and Change 53 (6) 1123-50
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Svenja Flechtner) (2022) 'Why Is the Accumulation of Knowledge so Hard? Exploring Econometric Research on the Determinants of Public Social Spending in Latin America', Latin American Research Review 57 (2) 258–77
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Jose Gabriel Porcile) (2021) 'Institutional Change and Political Conflict in a Structuralist Model', Cambridge Journal of Economics 45 (6) 1269–96
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (2019) 'The Surprising Reduction of Inequality during a Commodity Boom: What do we Learn from Latin America?', Journal of Economic Policy Reform
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Jesús Peña-Vinces, Jorge Guillén and Luis Aguado) (2019) 'Scientific Capacity and Industrial Development as Locomotors of International Competitiveness in Latin America', Technological and Economic Development of Economy 25 (1) 300-21
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2018) 'Overcoming Segmentation in Social Policy? Comparing New Early Education and Child Care Efforts in Costa Rica and Uruguay', Bulletin of Latin American Research
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2018) 'Undoing Segmentation? Latin American Health Care Policy During the Economic Boom', Social Policy & Administration 52 (6) 1181-200
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Julio Revuelta López) (2016) 'Inequality in Latin America: an Introduction', Revista de Economía Mundial 43 15-20
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2014) 'Filling in the missing link between universalism and democracy: The case of Costa Rica', Latin American Politics and Society 56 (4) 98-118
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2014) 'The Double Challenge of Market and Social Incorporation: Progress and Bottlenecks in Latin America', Development Policy Review 32 (3) 275-98
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2013) 'Can Latin American production regimes complement universalistic welfare regimes? Implications from the Costa Rican case', Latin American Research Review 48 (2) 148-73
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (2012) 'A Fast Herd and a Slow Tortoise? Low Capabilities Accumulation and the Middle Income Trap in the Dominican Republic', Studies in Comparative International Development 47(2) 208-30
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with L Mattei) (2011) 'Bolsa Familia, Poverty and Inequality: Political and Economic Effects in the Short and Long Run', Global Social Policy 11 299-318
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (2009) 'State, Firms and the Process of Industrial Upgrading: Latin America's Variety of Capitalism and the Costa Rican Experience', Economy and Society 38(1) 62-86

Chapters

Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2020) 'Promoting universal social policy in MIC'. In J.A. Ocampo, J.A. Alonso (eds) Trapped in the Middle? Developmental Challenges for Middle-Income Countries , Oxford University Press
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (2018) '“¿Hacia una América Latina menos desigual? Reflexiones después de una década de éxito"'. In Puchet, M. and A. Puyana (eds) América Latina en la larga historia de la desigualdad , Mexico City, FLASCO
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2018) 'Why and How to Build Universal Social Policy in the South'. Confronting Dystopia: The New Technological Revolution and the Future of Work , Cornell University Press
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2016) 'Regímenes del bienestar en América Latina: tensiones entre universalización y segmentación'. In E Del Pino, MJ Rubio Lara (eds) Los Estados del Bienestar en la encrucijada: Polítias sociales en perspectiva comparada , Tecnos
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (2016) 'The Political Economy of Inequality at the Top in contemporary Chile'. In L Bertola, J Williamson (eds) Has Latin American Inequality Changed Direction?: Looking Over the Long Run , Springer for IDB and the World Bank
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2015) 'Public Social Services and Income Inequality'. In J Berg (ed) Labour Markets, Institutions and Inequality: Building Just Societies in the 21st Century , Edward Elgar and International Labour Organisation
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) (2014) 'Incorporation and Regionalism in Latin America'. In E Vivares (ed) Exploring the New South American Regionalism , London: Ashgate
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with Alverto Cortes, Gerardo Hernandez) (2013) 'Costa Rica'. In D Sanchez-Ancochea, S Marti i Puig (eds) Handbook of Central American Governance , London: Routledge
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (2013) 'Does Globalization Help to Overcome the 'Challenge of Development?' Political Actors and Economic Rents in Central America and the Dominican Republic'. In E Paus (ed) Getting Development Right. Structural Transformation, Inclusion and Sustainability in the Post-Crisis Era , Palgrave McMillan
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with C Caumartin) (2011) 'Explaining a Contradictory Record: The Case of Guatemala'. In A Langer, F Stewart, R Venugopal (eds) Horizontal Inequalities and Post-conflict Development , Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with E Rugraff, A Sumner) (2009) 'How Have TNCs Changed in the Last Fifty Years?'. In E Rugraff, D Sanchez-Ancochea and A Sumner (eds) Transnational Corporations and Development Policy: Critical Perspectives , Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with E Rugraff, A Sumner) (2009) 'What Do We Know About Development Impacts?'. In E Rugraff, D Sanchez-Ancochea and A Sumner (eds) Critical Perspectives on Transnational Corporations and Development Policy , Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (2009) 'Public Budgets and Income Inequality in Latin America: A Comparative Perspective'. In D Sanchez-Ancochea, I Morgan (eds) The Political Economy of the Budget in the Americas , Institute for the Study of the Americas
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with I Morgan) (2009) 'Introduction: The Political Economy of the Budgets in Comparative Perspective'. In D Sanchez-Ancochea, I Morgan (eds) The Political Economy of the Budget in the Americas , Institute for the Study of the Americas
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (2009) 'Are North-South Trade Agreements Good for FDI-led Development? The Case of DR-CAFTA'. In E Rugraff, D Sanchez-Ancochea and A Sumner (eds) Transnational Corporations and Development Policy: Critical Perspectives , Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (with K Shadlen) (2008) 'Globalization, Integration and Economic Development in the Americas'. In D Sanchez Ancochea, K Shalden (eds) The Political Economy of Hemispheric Integration in the Americas: Responding to Globalization , Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Sánchez-Ancochea, Diego (2008) 'State and Society: The Political Economy of DR-CAFTA in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador'. In D Sanchez Ancochea, K Shalden (eds) The Political Economy of Hemispheric Integration in the Americas: Responding to Globalization , Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
04 April, 2022
Nandini Gooptu, Diego Sanchez-Ancochea appointed to Social Sciences Division leadership team
21 March, 2022
New index developed by ODID researchers shows healthcare systems across the world becoming more universal
29 November, 2021
ODID researchers set out proposal to boost vaccine production in Global South
12 January, 2021
New book by Diego Sánchez-Ancochea explores inequality in Latin America
19 November, 2020
FT selects new book by Diego Sánchez-Ancochea among best economics books of 2020
31 October, 2019
Diego Sánchez-Ancochea appointed new Head of Department
25 October, 2018
New article co-authored by Diego Sánchez‐Ancochea explores segmentation in Latin America's social policy
09 August, 2018
Masooda Bano, Diego Sánchez-Ancochea awarded title of Professor
24 April, 2017
Four ODID staff shortlisted for five OUSU Teaching Awards
18 November, 2016
New book: The Quest for Universal Social Policy co-authored by Diego Sanchez-Ancochea

Pages

04 Oct, 2021
'Conversations'. In an interview with Shamel Azmeh for his podcast series, Professor Diego Sánchez-Ancochea discussed COVID-19 and inequality, trends in inequality, and his latest book on the costs of inequality in Latin America
03 Mar, 2021
'Latin America: inequality and political instability have lessons for the rest of the world'. Diego Sánchez-Ancochea writes for the Conversation about what one of the world's most unequal regions can tell us about the consequences of wealth concentration
04 Jun, 2020
'The two faces of income inequality: who’ll be hardest hit by the pandemic?'. Diego Sánchez-Ancochea writes for UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab about inequality in the pandemic, emphasising that the elite may end up being beneficiaries of this inequality.
02 Oct, 2019
'It is very difficult to create consensus on education because the elite do not go to public schools'. Diego Sánchez-Ancochea interviwed by CNN Chile about his research on inequality in Latin America
07 Feb, 2017
'What is at stake for Latin America today?'. Diego Sanchez Ancochea contributes to an expert panel for the Guardian
05 Feb, 2017
'The human cost for Central Americans could be very big'. Diego Sanchez-Ancochea comments in Sunday Times as Mexico floats end to border cooperation with US
21 Nov, 2016
'¿Cuál será el impacto real de Trump en América Latina?'. Diego Sánchez-Ancochea writes for Agenda Publica
Research interests:

Income inequality; social policy; industrial policy; state-society relations; political economy.