Koen Caminada (1966) is Professor of Empirical Analysis of Tax and Social Policy at Leiden University, the Netherlands. He is Vice-Dean (Education) at the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs.

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Short bio

Full CV can be downloaded here.

Koen Caminada (1966) is Professor of Empirical Analysis of Tax and Social Policy at Leiden University, the Netherlands. He is Vice-Dean (Education) at the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs.

His research interests include Empirical Analysis of Tax Law and Social Policy, Social Security, Fiscal and Tax Policy, Income Distribution and Poverty (EU and OECD). Caminada holds a PhD from Leiden University (1997), and studied Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam (1986-1992) and the Catholic University Leuven, Belgium (1991-1992). Caminada is a research fellow at Leiden Law School, and Network for Studies on Pensions, Aging and Retirement. He was visiting professor at the Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin – Madison (USA), Xiamen University Tan Kah Kee College, Xiamen (China), School of Public Finance, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing (China), and the Institute of Finance and Economics, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai (China). Caminada is member of the board of Una Europa, is member of the board of the Foundation of International Studies on Social Security, is member of the Dutch Committee on Social Welfare, was member of the Dutch Tax Committee, is Academic Partner of CPB Netherlands Bureau of Economic Policy Analysis, and was Academic Director Institute of Tax Law and Economics of Leiden University (2014-2020). Recently Caminada published papers in journals as the International Journal of Social Welfare, Journal of Common Market Studies, International Social Security Review, International Advances in Economic Research, International Tax and Public Finance, Cambridge Journal of Economics.

Education

• PhD, Leiden University (1997), thesis on Liability Progression and Tax Revenue Elasticy (in Dutch: De progressie van het belastingstelsel) 
• Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam (1986-1992) 
• Courses on Advanced Public Finance and Advanced Monetary Economics, Catholic University Leuven, Belgium (1991-1992)  

Current positions

• Professor of Empirical analysis of tax and social policy, Leiden University (2005-) 
• Vice-dean at the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (December 2018-)

Fellow

• Research Fellow Leiden Law School, Leiden Unversity (2000-) 
• Fellow Network for Studies on Pensions, Aging and Retirement (Netspar) (2013-) 
• Academic Partner of CPB Netherlands Bureau of Economic Policy Analysis (2014) 

Research grants 

• SNS Reaal Bank (1997-2003) 
• Dutch Association of Insurers, Verbond van Verzekeraars (1999-2003) 
• GAK Foundation (2004) 
• Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (2004/2005) 
• GAK Foundation (2005-) 
• European Commission - competition FP7 (2011-2012) 
• Network for Studies on Pensions, Ageing and Retirement (2011-2014) 
• Network for Studies on Pensions, Ageing and Retirement (2013-2017). Medium Vision Grant  for project ‘Pension savings and consumption needs of current and future retirees’; with Marike Knoef (Leiden) and 9 other reseachers.
• Netspar Topicality Project Grant for project ‘Pension reform and income inequality among older people in 15 European countries’; with Marcel Lever. (2015) 
• Netspar Theme Grant voor het project ‘Uncertainty over the life cycle: implications for pensions and savings’ (2016-2020); with Marike Knoef (Leiden) and 16 other reseachers.
• Instituut Gak (2017-2022); ‘Self-reliance and social protection over the life cycle’; with Kees Goudswaard, Marike Knoef, Pierre Koning en Olaf van Vliet

Visiting  professor

• Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA, April-June 2009.
• Xiamen University Tan Kah Kee College, Xiamen, China, December 2013.
• School of Public Finance, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China, November 2014 and May 2015.
• Institute of Finance and Economics, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai, China, May 2016 and October 2018.

Other

• Member Board Una Europa
• Member Dutch Committee on Social Welfare (Commissie Sociaal Minimum) (2022-2023)
• Board of Governors of the Foundation of International Studies on Social Security (FISS)
• Member of the Dutch Tax Committee (Commissie Inkomstenbelasting en Toeslagen) (2012-2014)
• Member of the board of editors Tijdschrift voor Openbare Financien (Dutch Journal of Public Finance) (2007-2017)
• Member of the board of the Foundation for Public Finance (Wim Drees Stichting) (2008-2017)
• Member Tax Committee Social Economic Counsel (2015-)
• Editor Department of Economics Research Memorandum, Leiden University (2000-)
• Academic Partner of CPB Netherlands Bureau of Economic Policy Analysis (2014-)
• Member Scientific Board Wim Drees Fonds (2021-)

PhD students

• 2002-2008 Aldo Spanjer, ‘Structural and regulatory reform of the European natural gas market. Does the current approach secure the public service obligations?', Public defense December 17^th 2008.
• 2006-2011 Olaf van Vliet, 'Convergence and Europeanisation: The Political Economy of Social and Labour Market Policies', Public defense June 29^th 2011.
• 2007-2012 Henk Nijboer (stopped): 'Restructuring responsibilities in the Dutch social security system’.
• 2012-2013 Mark Humprey-Jenner, ‘Establishing an Effective Dialog between Courts and Agencies’, Public defense April 16^th 2013.
• 2010-2015 Chen Wang, ‘Essays on trends in income distribution and redistribution in affluent countries and China’, Public defense February 19^th 2015.
• 2010-2015 Jim Been, ‘Pensions, Retirement, and the Financial Position of the Elderly’, Public defense April 30^th 2015.
• 2011-2015 Stefan Thewissen, ‘Growing apart. The political economy of income inequality and social policy development in affluent countries’, Public defense September 2015
• 2012-2016 Jinxian Wang: ‘Trends in social assistance, minimum income benefits and income polarization in an international perspective’, Public defense September 15^th 2016.
• 2014-2018 Lieke Kools: 'Essays on wealth, health, and data collection', Public defense 21^st November  2018.
• 2016-2019 Marco Stam, work in progress: ‘The effects of welfare reforms and imprisonment on the financial wellbeing and criminal behavior of ex-prisoners’ (supervision transferred).
• 2016-1019 Clare Fenwick, work in progress: ‘SOLID: Solidarity under strain – A legal, criminological and economic analysis of welfare states and free movement in the EU’ (supervision transferred).
• 2017-2019 Vincent Bakker, work in progress: ‘Disaggregated Social Investment spending and labour market outcomes in 26 OECD countries’ (supervision transferred).
• 2018-2024 Heike Vethaak: Empirical Analysis of Social Insurance, Work Incentives and Employment Outcomes’, Public defense 24 januari 2024.
• 2018- Lars van Doorn, work in progress: ‘Flexibilisation, globalization and technological progress: consequences for the labor market and social security’.
• 2019- Bastiaan van Ganzen, work in progress: ‘Responses to globalisation in tax law.’
• 2022-heden Maarten van 't Riet, work in progress: 'Essays in International Corporate Taxation'.

Refereeing (journals)

International Tax and Public Finance, International Journal of Social Welfare, International Journal of Comparative Sociology, Journal of Income Inequality, Journal of Applied Economics, Politics & Policy, Journal of European Social Policy, Poverty & Public Policy, Social Policy Administration, European Societies, European Journal of Political Research, European Journal of Political Research, FinanzArchiv, Public Finance and Management, Marmara Journal of European Studies, Journal of World Economy, Journal of European Public Policy, Journal of Common Market Studies, Journal of Social Policy, Policy & Politics, De Economist, Dutch Journal of Political Economy

Datasets

• Revision Dutch Income Statistics 1977-2019, with Statistics Netherlands. Data is available via remote Open Access. A book, presentation & Codebook are available via link
• Leiden LIS Budget Incidence Fiscal Redistribution Dataset on Relative Income Poverty Rates (2019)
• Leiden LIS Budget Incidence Fiscal Redistribution Dataset on Income Inequality (2017)
• Unemployment Replacement Rates Dataset (2012)
• Leiden Budget Incidence Fiscal Redistribution Database (2011)

Teaching

• Empirical Research Methods in Law (coordination)
• Public Sector Economics (coordination)

Personal data

•    Date of birth: December 24th, 1966 
•    Married, three children 
•    Home address: Rijswijk, The Netherlands

My inspiration

Measuring the effects of tax rules and social policy is a tricky business, requiring a creative combination of science, craft and art. If done well, it produces both truth and beauty. The research on the empirical analysis of tax rules and social policy focuses on the effects and impact of government policy. Empirical research may, for example, determine the effects of changes in the social security system and old age pension schemes for several socio-economic groups, and the economic aspects of tax reforms. However, empirical findings may (not) be in line with the expectations of policy makers. Research should therefore examine tax policy and social rules critically. My inspiration is to motivate others – researchers, policy makers, students – to apply empirical work themselves.  

Recent presentations / themes 

• Dimensions of (Global) Inequality: income & Relative Income Poverty Rates pdf
• Trends in Dutch Income (Re)Distribution in an international perspective pdf
• Poverty and poverty reduction (among children) by T/B-systems across countries, best-practices and mutual learning pdf
• Heterogeneity income tax ratios - Causes, dimensions and development of tax discrimination in the Netherlands pdf
• At risk of poverty rates and poverty alleviation via T/B-systems in 49 LIS-countries 1967-2016 pdf
• Income inequality and income redistribution in 20 countries over time pdf; update in 49 countries over time (1967-2016) pdf
• Failed Tax Reform: Rethinking Tax Policy Priorities (Workshop Political Economy, June 29th 2016) pdf
• Taxing the Rich and Wealthy pdf 
• Measuring retirement savings adequacy pdf 
• Unemployment benefit reform in 27 European countries pdf 

Personal statement

I  affirm my commitment to recognizing, addressing and eradicating  all forms of racism and ethnic oppression.  I focus on engaging and collaborating in teaching, support and scholarship that challenge oppressive and unjust forces. I work to reduce racial injustices both within the academy and the broader community. I am in the pursuit to end racial and ethnic bias and  to empower our students towards this collective goal. I acknowledge that regardless of one’s own race or ethnicity,  individuals are at various points along an anti-racist journey.  I also understand that bias can be unconscious or unintentional and that  racism is the combination of social and institutional power plus racial prejudice.  Identifying these two specific forms of oppression and disparate outcomes do not automatically mean that those involved intended negative impact and having these conversations require courage, respect and compassion,  and may not always be or seek to be comfortable.  However, I will purposefully strive to identify, discuss and challenge issues of  race, color, ethnicity and the impact(s) they have on  students, faculty, and staff members.
Via online communication and social media platforms, it seems hard to discuss complex issues such as racism. These platforms are rife with tone-deafness, misunderstandings, personal attacks, and lack of nuance.

Publications