معرفی
Ben Sprung-Keyser is an Assistant Professor in the Business Economics and Public Policy (BEPP) department at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on public economics and labor economics, with a particular emphasis on the welfare analysis of government policies and tax systems.
Education:
- PhD in Economics, Harvard University, 2023
Research Interests: Dr. Sprung-Keyser's research spans public economics, labor economics, and policy evaluation. He develops and applies the Marginal Value of Public Funds (MVPF) methodology to assess the cost-effectiveness of various government interventions, including tax audits, climate change policies, and social programs. His work aims to provide a unified framework for comparing the impacts of diverse policies, enabling evidence-based decision-making in public finance. By quantifying the social welfare implications of policy choices, his research contributes to the design of more efficient and equitable government programs.
Publication Trends: His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on welfare analysis, particularly in the context of tax policy and government programs. The 2025 Quarterly Journal of Economics article extends this framework to tax audits across the income distribution, building on his foundational 2020 work that introduced a unified welfare analysis for government policies. These contributions highlight the potential for rigorous economic analysis to inform policy design and implementation across a wide range of domains.
Advising and Research Support: As an assistant professor at Wharton, Dr. Sprung-Keyser is involved in mentoring graduate students, though specific advisees are not listed in the provided materials. His research is supported through his co-directorship of Policy Impacts, a non-profit initiative that promotes standardized policy analysis. This organization facilitates collaboration among researchers to build a comprehensive library of policy impact estimates, thereby enhancing the accessibility and usability of economic research for policymakers.
Organizational Affiliation: Dr. Sprung-Keyser co-directs Policy Impacts, an organization dedicated to improving government decision-making by developing and disseminating the Marginal Value of Public Funds (MVPF) methodology. Policy Impacts maintains a public library of MVPF estimates for various policies, allowing policymakers to compare the relative effectiveness of different interventions. The organization also engages in outreach through media appearances and policy briefings to translate academic research into practical insights.
