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John E. Anderson

Baird Family Professor of Economics
Economics
HLH 525 N
P.O. Box 880489
Lincoln, NE 68588-0489
(402) 472-1190
janderson4@unl.edu
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John E. Anderson Photo
Education
Ph.D. in Economics, Claremont Graduate School B.A. in Mathematics and Economics, Western Michigan University
Areas of Expertise
  • Public Finance
  • Tax Policy
  • Urban Economics
  • Transition Economics
Research Interests
  • Federal Tax Policy, State and Local Tax Policy
  • Property Taxation
  • Urban Economics
  • Housing Economics
  • Fiscal Reform Transition Economics
Appointments
  • Baird Family Professor of Economics
  • Executive Director of the Central Plains Research Data Center
  • Distinguished Scholar with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
CliftonStrengths ®
  • Achiever
  • Analytical
  • Input
  • Learner
  • Responsibility

Dr. John Anderson is the Baird Family Professor of Economics at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He is also the Executive Director of the Central Plains Research Data Center (CPRDC), part of the federal statistical research data network, located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Economics at Western Michigan University and his Ph.D. in Economics at Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Anderson is an economist and an advisor to public policymakers in the field of public finance, fiscal reform, and tax policy.

His academic research and policy advising has been published in more than one hundred journal articles, books, book chapters, and government reports. The second edition of his textbook, Public Finance: Theory and Policy, used by students around the world, was published by Cengage Learning in 2012. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Departments of State, Transportation, and Agriculture. 

Dr. Anderson served as a senior economist with the President’s Council of Economic Advisers in Washington, DC, in 2005-06. He has also advised state governors and legislatures, and numerous state agencies in the United States. He is a Distinguished Scholar at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Cambridge, MA, conducting research on property taxation. 

Internationally, Dr. Anderson has served as a technical advisor on USAID fiscal reform projects and local government reform projects in Moldova, Montenegro, and Macedonia. He has taught and provided educational reform and curriculum advising to universities in Bulgaria, China, Russia, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Tajikistan. 

 

Selected Publications/Articles (since 2000)
  • Anderson, John E. “Real Estate Ownership and Life Satisfaction in Transition Countries,” Journal of European Real Estate Research, 2019.   
  • Park, Junpyo, John Anderson, and Eric Thompson. “Land-Use, Crop Choice, and Proximity to Ethanol Plants,” LAND, Volume 8, Issue 8 (July) 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/land8080118
  • Anderson, John E. “Access to Land and Permits: Firm-Level Evidence of Impediments to Development in Transition Countries.” Journal of Economics and Business, Volume 101 (January-February), 2018, pp. 38-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconbus.2018.09.001
  • Anderson, John E. and Shafiun N. Shimul. “State and Local Property, Income, and Sales Tax Elasticity: Estimates from Dynamic Heterogeneous Panels.” National Tax Journal, Volume 71, Number 3 (September) 2018. http://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2018.3.04
  • Anderson, John E. “Trust in Government and Willingness to Pay Taxes in Transition Countries." Comparative Economic Studies, Volume 59, Number 1(March) 2017, pp. 1-22. DOI:10.1057/s41294-016-0017-x
  • Anderson, John E. and Michael E. Bell. “Connecticut Tax Study Panel: Bold Property Tax Recommendations.” State Tax Notes, January 9, 2017.
  • Chen, Yunmin, Brian Chi-ang Lin, and John E. Anderson. “Environmental Sustainability, and the Greened Samuelson Rule.” Journal of Economic Surveys, Volume 30, Number 3 (July) 2016. Reprinted as, “Environmental Sustainability and the Greened Samuelson Rule,” Chapter 5 in Environmental Economics and Sustainability, edited by Brian Chi-ang Lin and Siqi Zheng, Wiley Blackwell, Oxford, UK, 2017.
  • Anderson, John E. “Paying the State Use Tax:  Is a ‘Nudge’ Enough? Public Finance Review, Volume 45, Number 2 (March) 2017, pp. 260-282. Online version, November 4, 2015:  http://pfr.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/11/03/1091142115614390.full.pdf+html
  • Anderson, John E. “Economic Reforms and their Impacts on Informal Payments for Government Services in Transition Countries.” International Public Management Journal 21(1), 2018, pp. 163-189. Accepted author version posted online July 13, 2015. Published online November 11, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2015.1037033
  • Anderson, John E. “Informal Payments to the Tax Collector in Transition Countries.” Ekonomi-Tek, Volume 3, Number 2 (May) 2014, pp. 1-26.
  • Anderson, John E. “Income-Based Property Tax Relief:  Circuit Breaker Tax Expenditures.” Public Finance and Management, Volume 14, Number 2 (June), 2014.
  • Anderson, John E. “Government Debt and Deficits.” Faith & Economics, Number 61/62 (Spring/Fall) 2013.
  • Anderson, John E. “Agricultural Use-Value Property Tax Assessment:  Estimation and Policy Issues.” Public Budgeting & Finance, Volume 32, Number 4 (December) 2012, pp. 71-94.
  • Anderson, John E. “State Tax Rankings:  What Do they and Don’t they Tell Us?” National Tax Journal, Volume 65, Number 4 (December) 2012. 
  • Anderson, John E. “US Tax Acts and their Effects on Average Tax Rates.” Applied Economics Letters, Volume 20, Number 2 (May) 2012, pp. 131-134. 
  • Anderson, John E. “Financing Urban Development in China.” The Chinese Economy, Volume 42, Number 2 (March-April) 2009, pp. 48-62. 
  • Anderson, John E., Jeffrey Clemens, and Andrew Hanson. “Capping the Mortgage Interest Deduction.” National Tax Journal, Volume 60, Number 4 (December) 2007, pp. 769-85.
  • Anderson, John E., and M. Mahbubul Kabir “Public Education Cost Frontier Models: Theory and an Application.” Journal of Education Research, Volume 1, Number 1 (January) 2007, pp. 93-118.
  • Anderson, John E., Atrayee Ghosh Roy, and James R. Schmidt “Housing Tax Deductions and Single-Family Housing Demand.” International Journal of Applied Economics, Volume 3, Number 1 (March) 2006.
  • Anderson, John E. “Taxes and Fees as Forms of Land Use Regulation.” Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Volume 31, Number 4 (October) 2005, pp. 413-427.
  • Anderson, John E. “A Biblical and Economic Analysis of Jubilee Property Provisions.” Faith & Economics, Number 46 (Fall) 2005, pp. 25-41. 
  • Anderson, John E., and Orn Bodvarsson. “Tax Evasion on Gratuities: A Model and Test.” Public Finance Review, Volume 22, Number 4 (July) 2005, pp. 466-487.
  • Anderson, John E., and Orn Bodvarsson. “Do Higher Tipped Minimum Wages Boost Server Pay?” Applied Economics Letters, Volume 12, Number 7 (June) 2005, pp. 391-393.
  • Anderson, John E. “Casino Taxation in the United States.” National Tax Journal, Volume 58, Number 2 (June) 2005, pp. 303-324. Reprinted in The Economics of Gambling and National Lotteries, edited by Leighton Vaughan Williams.  In the series The International Library of Critical Writings in Economics, series editor: Mark Blaug.  Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012. 
  • Anderson, John E. “On Privatizing State Property.” Economic Problems/??????? ?????????, 12 (December) 2004, pp. 54-70. (in Russian)
  • Anderson, John E. “Local Development Impact Fees: An Externality-Based Economic Rationale,” State Tax Notes, Volume 31, Number 6 (February 9, 2004), pp. 479-487.
  • Anderson, John E. “Tax Offsets or Netting Operations in Post-Soviet Public Finance.” Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Volume 39, Number 3 (May-June) 2003, pp. 27-41. 
  • Anderson, John E., Atrayee Ghosh Roy, and Paul Shoemaker. “Confidence Intervals for the Suits Index.” National Tax Journal, Volume 56, Number 1, Part 1 (March) 2003, pp. 81-90.
  • Anderson, John E. “Emerging Housing Markets in Moldova.” Journal of Housing Economics, Volume 10, Number 3 (September) 2001, pp. 419-428. 
  • Anderson, John E., and Atrayee Ghosh Roy. “Eliminating Housing Tax Preferences: A Distributional Analysis.” Journal of Housing Economics, Volume 10, Number 1 (March) 2001, pp. 41-58.
  • Anderson, John E., and Robert W. Wassmer. “Bidding for Business: New Evidence on the Effect of Economic Development Incentives in a Metropolitan Area.” Economic Development Quarterly, Volume 15, Number 2 (May) 2001, pp. 132-148.
  • Anderson, John E., and Marlon F. Griffing. “Use-Value Assessment Tax Expenditures in Urban Areas.” Journal of Urban Economics, Volume 48, Number 3 (November) 2000, pp. 443-452.
  • Anderson, John E., and Marlon F. Griffing. “Measuring Use-Value Assessment Tax Expenditures.” Assessment Journal, January-February 2000, pp. 25-37.
Books and Book Chapters (since 2000)
  • Use-Value Assessment of Rural Land in the United States, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Cambridge, MA, 2014. (with Richard W. England)

  • Public Finance:  Principles and Polic

Graduate Courses

Public Expenditure, Taxation, and Fiscal Incidence (ECON 971) - This course is part of a two-course doctoral-level sequence that covers the economics of the public sector. In this course, we cover public expenditure, taxation, and fiscal policy.

Fiscal Theory and Its Application (ECON 972) - This course is part of a two-course doctoral-level sequence that covers the economics of the public sector. In this course we cover aspects of the influence of fiscal instruments on economic growth, employment and labor supply, risk-taking and portfolios, government debt and deficits, and international trade.

Undergraduate Courses

Public Finance (ECON 471) - In this course we cover microeconomic analysis of policy issues in public finance. The public sector is a major component of the economy, accounting for thirty-five percent of U.S. GDP, and in this course we consider the important issues of government expenditure programs and tax systems. We will examine governments at all levels; federal, state, and local. We will also consider international aspects of public finance comparing U.S. government tax and spending policies with those of other countries. A blend of economic theory and empirical policy analysis is used throughout the course.  

Teaching Interests
  • Public Finance

Journal articles co-authored with graduate students (since 2000):

  • Anderson, John E., Seth H. Giertz, and Shafiun N. Shimul “Reducing Property Taxes for Agriculture: Diffusion of Use-Value Assessment Policy across the United States.” Land Use Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106298
  • Li, Wenjing, John E. Anderson, and James R. Schmidt. 2020. “The Effect of Deed Taxes on Real Estate Prices in China.” Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, 4(2): 317-341. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41685-020-00147-7
  • Park, Junpyo, John Anderson, and Eric Thompson. 2019. “Land-Use, Crop Choice, and Proximity to Ethanol Plants.” LAND 8(8): 118. https://doi.org/10.3390/land8080118
  • Anderson, John E., and Shafiun N. Shimul. 2018. “State and Local Property, Income, and Sales Tax Elasticity: Estimates from Dynamic Heterogeneous Panels.” National Tax Journal 71(3): 521-546. http://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2018.3.04
  • Chen, Yunmin, Brian Chi-ang Lin, and John E. Anderson. 2016. “Environmental Sustainability, and the Greened Samuelson Rule.” Journal of Economic Surveys, Volume 30 (3): 482-496. https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12161
    • Reprinted as, “Environmental Sustainability and the Greened Samuelson Rule,” Chapter 5 in Environmental Economics and Sustainability, edited by Brian Chi-ang Lin and Siqi Zheng, Wiley Blackwell, Oxford, UK, 2017.
  • Anderson, John E., and Mahbubul Kabir. 2007. “Public Education Cost Frontier Models: Theory and an Application.” Journal of Education Research, Volume 1, Number 1 (January), pp. 93-118.
  • Anderson, John E., Atrayee Ghosh Roy, and James R. Schmidt. 2006. “Housing Tax Deductions and Single-Family Housing Demand.” International Journal of Applied Economics, Volume 3, Number 1 (March).
  • Anderson, John E., Atrayee Ghosh Roy, and Paul Shoemaker. 2003. “Confidence Intervals for the Suits Index.” National Tax Journal, Volume 56, Number 1, Part 1 (March), pp. 81-90.
  • Anderson, John E., and Atrayee Ghosh Roy. 2001. “Eliminating Housing Tax Preferences: A Distributional Analysis.” Journal of Housing Economics, Volume 10, Number 1 (March), pp. 41-58.
  • Anderson, John E., and Marlon F. Griffing. 2000. “Use-Value Assessment Tax Expenditures in Urban Areas.” Journal of Urban Economics, Volume 48, Number 3 (November), pp. 443-452.
  • Anderson, John E., and Marlon F. Griffing. 2000. “Measuring Use-Value Assessment Tax Expenditures.” Assessment Journal, January-February, pp. 25-37.
Professional Service
  • GradResources, Board Chairman
  • National Tax Association, various committees and years
  • Nebraska Council on Economic Education, Executive Committee Member, 2002-06
  • E.N. Thompson Forum on World Affairs, Program Committee Member, 2011-17
  • Association of Christian Economists, President 1995-96, Vice Oresident 1983-84
  • Review panelist: National Research Council, Ford Foundation, National Science Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Socia Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmenrt
Significant External Service
  • Senior Adviser, President's Council of Economic Advisers, 2005-2006
  • Deputy State Treasurer, State of Michigan, 1985-1986
Institutional Service
  • Executive Director, Central Plains Federal Statistical Research Data Center, 2014 to present

  • Director, Clayton Yeutter International Trade Program, 2011-13

  • Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs, College of Business, 2010-11

  • Interim Dean, College of Business, 2009-10

  • Associate Dean, College of Business, 2006-09

  • Chair, Department of Economics, 2002-06

  • Interim Director, Bureau of Business Research, 2003-04 

  • Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Economics, 1992-2002

Awards

 

Listed in:

  • Who’s Who in America
  • Who’s Who in Collegiate Faculty
  • Who’s Who in Social Sciences Higher Education
  • Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers
  • Who’s Who Among Industry Experts--Education

 

  • Named Yeutter Institute Faculty Fellow, Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 2019.
  • 25-year service award, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2016.
  • Named to the Baird Family Professorship in the College of Business Administration, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2002. Professorship renewed in 2007, 2012, and 2017.
  • Inducted into Phi Beta Delta, the Honor Society for International Scholars, Alpha Phi Chapter, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2008.
  • Distinguished Faculty Award, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Business Administration Advisory Board, 2007.
  • Alumni Achievement Award, College of Arts and Sciences, Western Michigan University, 2006.
  • Featured alumni profile, Claremont Graduate University Magazine, the Flame, Volume 7, Number 2, Summer 2006, http://www.cgu.edu/pages/4051.asp
  • Economics Professor of the Year, Omicron Delta Epsilon (International Economics Honorary Society), Gamma Chapter (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), 1997.
  • Distinguished Teaching Award, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1995.
  • Recognition Award for Contributions to Students, University of Nebraska Parents Association and Teaching Council, 1992-93.

 

Selected Media Placement
  • Newspapers and news magazines:  Lincoln Journal-Star, Los Angeles Times, Midlands Business Journal, New York Times, Omaha World-Herald, Time magazine, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report

  • Radio stations:  KRNU, KLIN, KFOR, KCUR, Nebraska Public Radio NET-Radio, Harvest Public Media

  • Television stations:  KETV, KOLN-KGIN, KLKN, Nebraska Public Television NET-TV, CCTV Chinese National Television, Moldova 1 National Television

  • Electronic Media:  Bloomberg News, CNN