معرفی
Edward J. McCaffery holds the Robert C. Packard Trustee Chair in Law and is Professor of Law, Economics and Political Science at USC Gould School of Law. He has been a faculty member since 1989 and also serves as a visiting professor of law and economics at the California Institute of Technology since 1994. McCaffery chairs the USC Institute on Federal Taxation and has held the Maurice Jones, Jr., Professorship in Law from 1998 to 2004.
His educational background includes:
- summa cum laude graduate of Yale University
- J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School
- Master's degree in economics from USC
McCaffery is an internationally recognized expert in tax law with research spanning tax policy, public finance theory including behavioral public finance, property law and theory, intellectual property, and law and economics. His work bridges traditional legal scholarship with insights from economics and psychology to examine how taxpayers perceive and respond to tax systems. He has pioneered approaches to studying tax through cognitive theory and framing effects, demonstrating how mental accounting influences tax compliance and policy preferences.
His publication record reveals a strong focus on wealth and capital taxation, progressive tax reform, and the psychological dimensions of tax policy. McCaffery's research shows consistent interest in how tax systems affect gender equity, with particular attention to how working women are disadvantaged under current tax laws. His articles demonstrate growing emphasis on behavioral economics approaches to tax policy over the past two decades.
McCaffery's recognition includes:
- Elected fellow of the American Law Institute (ALI)
- Elected fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel
- Maurice Jones, Jr., Professorship in Law (1998-2004)
McCaffery has served as an official consultant to the Russian Federation to help design a comprehensive tax code. He also founded the USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law and Politics, serving as its director from 2000 to 2003. Beyond traditional academic work, he created the People's Tax Page and a series of animated educational materials featuring Sabrina the Unicorn to explain tax concepts to broader audiences. McCaffery is also counsel to the Los Angeles office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, maintaining an active legal practice alongside his academic work.
