Anna Bassi grew up in Firenze (Florence), Italy, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Firenze and a master’s degree in economics from Bocconi University. She received a PhD in economics and management from Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Italy in 2006 and she is expected to obtain a second PhD, this one in Politics, from New York University in Spring 2010. Her research focuses on government and coalition formation. She analyzes the formation of political coalitions as a bargaining game among parties or political agents who aim to maximize political benefits such as cabinet portfolios, pork barrels and perks. Bassi also studies the voting behavior in laboratory experiments and explains why voters are influenced by the identity of the groups, especially when they are not well informed about the different candidates or alternatives. Click here to go to Anna Bassi's web site.