Carmen Sainz Villalba

Carmen Sainz Villalba is a Ph.D. student and Laboratory Manager at the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance, affiliated with the Munich Graduate School of Economics. Her research spans Applied Microeconomics, Public Economics, Political Economy, Behavioral Economics, and Experimental Economics.

Education:

• Ph.D. Candidate in Economics (2021–present), Max Planck Institute and Munich Graduate School of Economics
• Master in Public Policy (2017–2019), UCSD School of Global Policy and Strategy
• Master in Economics (2016–2017), Complutense University of Madrid
• Bachelor in Economics (2011–2015), Complutense University of Madrid

Research Focus examines how individuals balance autonomy versus delegation in pension savings, gender differences in paternalism preferences, and ethical policy frameworks for end-of-life decisions. Her work combines experimental methods with real-world policy implications.

Key Article Trends include:

• Self-other discrepancies in pension regulation preferences
• Gender-based analysis of paternalism acceptance
• Ethical frameworks for assisted suicide policies
• Decision-rights allocation in public finance
• Behavioral insights for policy design
• Experimental analysis of social welfare preferences

Contact: carmen.sainz@tax.mpg.de | Room M8.501