Dept. Economic Analysis Research Seminars Dear all,   The following  virtual seminars will take place next week. Department of Economic Analysis & ICAE Research Seminars: WEDNESDAY, May 19th, 2021, 13:00 h Agustín Casas (CUNEF) Title: Checks and Balances and Nation Building: The Spanish Constitutional Court and the Support for Independence (joint with F. Curci & A. Italo de Moragas, CUNEF) Abstract:  We examine whether judicial review can affect nation building by studying how the ruling of the Spanish Constitutional Court on the Catalan Constitution affected Catalan support of secession, which doubled in the 2010-2012 period. Our identification strategy relies on the fact that the ruling occurred amidst a public opinion survey. We find that the ruling led to a 20% increase in support for Catalan independence from Spain in 2010. In terms of mechanisms, we show that the ruling decreasedidentification with the Spanish national identity and trust in national institutions. We find that the ruling increased the intention to vote for Catalan nationalist parties and is associated with a long-lasting increase in electoral polarization in Catalonia. You can join both  seminars through Google Hangout Meets at the following link:   JOIN WEBINAR_   @ucm accounts are granted immediate access to the webinar. External accounts require explicit approval by the moderators. You can find the recording of the talk  as well as previous sessions, papers, and the schedule of upcoming seminars at the seminar’s webpage Hope to see you all there. Best, Jimenez-Martin, Juan-Ángel  Rodríguez Álvarez, Carmelo  Rodríguez Hernández, Juan Gabriel Sartarelli, Marcello