My research focuses on public economics and development economics. One set of projects in my work seeks to study the factors that shape the capacity to tax and the choice of tax policy over the long run of development. Ultimately, this line of work aims to shed light on how should, and can, a government go from raising 5-10 percent of GDP in taxes to around 35-40 percent, while encouraging development more broadly. My second line of work consists in working with tax authorities and other government departments in developing countries. The starting point here is the specific structure, policies and issues of a given country. Through close collaborations and the use of large micro-datasets, these projects study what governments can do, given constrained capacity to tax, to incrementally improve tax administration, tax enforcement, tax policy, and tax morale. In this line of work, I am currently collaborating with governments in Ghana, Zambia, Liberia, and Brazil.
I received my PhD in Economics from London School of Economics in 2016 and spent one year at NBER as a post-doctoral fellow before joining HKS. I am a Faculty Research Fellow at NBER, and an International Research Associate at IFS.
Courses
Academic Journal/Scholarly Articles
HKS Faculty Research Working Paper Series
Research Papers/Reports
Sponsored projects include research, training, convening, and other initiatives externally funded through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. Funding sources can include the US federal government, state and local agencies, private foundations, corporations, and foreign entities (public and private).
The below list includes all sponsored projects in progress or completed within the current and past 2 calendar years, administered at the Harvard Kennedy School under the direction of the named faculty member as Principal Investigator. Please note that this list includes only those activities supported by external sponsored funding; other sources of support are not included (e.g., philanthropy, HKS or Harvard internal resources).
Project Title
Sponsor Name
Award Date
Transparent Engagement
Harvard Kennedy School is proud of its energetic involvement in the world. To better understand how to solve public problems by improving policy and leadership, we engage directly with policymakers, public leaders, governments, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses whose activities affect those problems. However, we recognize that such engagement can raise questions about perceived and potential conflicts of interest, so we disclose publicly the key professional activities of our faculty outside the Kennedy School. The activities disclosed below are for the most recent reporting period, as defined by University policy. Some may be paid, some may be unpaid, and others may be in exchange for expense reimbursement only.
Outside Professional Activities For Anders Jensen
Organization | Relationship |
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International Growth Centre | Membership on a scientific or other advisory board |
II Solutions group, affiliated with Tsinghua University | Speaking engagement, invited lecture, or presentation |