The Institute for Public

Economics

July 2023
 The Institute for Public Economics is a young Dutch
think tank specializing in economics

We analyze policies
We acquire and promote new economic insights
We perform a bridging function from science to policy

We stand up for the public interest

We defend the public interest against sectional interests

We advise from public values: welfare, democracy, openness

We make economic policy accessible Independent analysis

for better policies
We make complex topics understandable and transparent
We work to raise awareness of the workings of the public sector

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Why we exist
Three major problems hamper government

The Hague is a pressure cooker

little time to think ahead

Interests dominate content

some research and analysis limited

There is a lack of openness

Information does not reach the debate

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We want to change the world of policy

Attention to the long term

Ideas and ambition for the future of the Netherlands

Independent and unbiased analysis

Booster of a competition of ideas and forms of work

Working in full transparency

Taking debate out of back rooms and making it
accessible

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Existing institutions cannot solve the problem

Political parties Ministries

 Fragmented landscape means less capacity,  Pressure from interests and media
including at scientific institutions  Stance difficult, no contact parliament
 Bound by party lines and agreements

Academic world Planning agencies

 Focused on international academic discourse  Role of referee precludes position statement
 Little connection with The Hague  Part of government, therefore restrained

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Our work
 IPE is an established institute in The Hague.
Our existence is embraced by
existing institutions
 Finance, CPB, chamber groups ask us
for input
 Our pieces are cited in House of
Representatives and media
 We are invited to expert sessions,
conferences, the IMF mission
National media pay attention
to our work
 Much coverage in national media
(newspapers, radio, podcast)
 Also for our project itself (e.g. profile
in FD; Rudi & Freddie show)
 We regularly provide journalists with
explanations and support
Own channels reach relevant
audiences
 We invested heavily in
supplementing existing
personal network
 Own channels growing
(newsletter >1000, socials)
 Work with trade media
(MeJudice, ESB, FD)
 After just one year, fiscal policy research
already has wide reach
Dutch fiscal policy functions
inadequately.
Existing frameworks create a lack of
investment in the future, for example in
education or climate.
The government spends too much when
things are good and too little when things
are bad.
Impact in Year 1:
 Institutions (Finance, CPB) consider our
proposal for an alternative, less
procyclical indicator
 During decision-making moments, we
offered support to House groups
Why we do this
Macroeconomic stability has major
implications for human well-being.
Crisis policy in Europe must be improved.
• Economic crises have disastrous
Every crisis reveals the inadequacy of consequences, including rising
current European institutions. unemployment. And they can have
long-lasting effects on the
We want Europe to think now about the next
crisis. economy if the government reacts
incorrectly, such as by making cuts
at the wrong time or in the wrong
area.
• Research shows that even small
Impact in Year 1: improvements in this area have
 Major reform of budget rules (still) an exceptionally large effect on
underway human well-being. Yet this policy
area receives little attention in the
 We have been normative in the Dutch
Netherlands. We want to change
debate
this.
 Through collaboration with foreign think
tanks, our analyses reached European
institutions
 Our commitment to taxation has led to
concrete policy changes
Tax system too complex
Even for experts, the system
is difficult to see through.
Result: great uncertainty
and repayments from
people who need precisely
security.
Impact in Year 1:
 Our research on
evaluating tax regulations
led to a House-wide
motion for horizon
provisions
Race to the bottom in
international tax
competition
All over the world, countries
want to lure businesses with
lower taxes. But if everyone
does that, the main thing is
less taxes are collected.
Impact in Year 1:
 Our campaign for
European agreements on
expat schemes led to a
change in cabinet
position
 House-wide motion to
limit scope of 30% rule
We tax income from work
too heavily; income from
assets too little
Almost all of our taxes fall
on labor. Wealth income,
which accounts for a third
of our national income, is
barely taxed.
Impact in Year 1:
 Our collaboration with
The Correspondent and
Sander
Schimmelpenninck
resulted in a #1 bestseller
Why we do this
The design of our tax system has a
huge impact on well-being.
• The tax and benefit system is an
important source of livelihood
security for many. It is also by far
the largest policy area in financial
terms.
• There is a great distance in the
Netherlands between what is
scientifically sound and how our tax
system is currently designed.
• Constant lobbying by sectional
interests creates a big gap between
what we know and what we do. We
are committed to giving the
common good a voice.
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Our approach
 Combination of activities leads to impact

Short-term impact Long-term impact

Advice and knowledge Reports and papers
sharing Our Target Group
 Sharing expertise and advising,  Reports and papers where depth is
often through direct contact lacking: in trajectories we deepen a
topic
 Opinion pieces and analysis to put Officials Politici
topics on the agenda ans  Events to promote depth of content,
bring stakeholders together
 Newsletter to engage audiences; we
use various channels and  Fellows are experts and volunteers,
Journalists Opinion
collaborations to disseminate our makers increasing our clout and providing a
work bridge to science

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 We know how to influence policy - and follow
four steps to do so

Analysis topic Determine window of Setting up effective Conduct campaign

selection opportunity working form around topic
 Better policies increase  Which individuals are  Rather consultancy than  Form depending on
human well-being decisive university target audience
(impact)  What is politically  Continuous improvement  Engage media
 Policy change is feasible of forms of work  Putting others in position
politically feasible  What is the right timing  Shared network in the
(solvability)  Where does information Hague
 It is not yet picked up need lie
(neglectedness)  Which argument works
 We have knowledge and for whom
expertise in house (fit)
Our organization
A young team with experience and expertise
Vinzenz Ziesemer Jasper H. van Dijk
Director Research Director
 Led team of economists at Ministry of Finance  Investigated economic effects corona crisis at Utrecht
 Was previously senior policy advisor there on tax and University
budget policy; Coordinated coronasteun  Was economist and spokesman at Ministry of Finance
 Previously worked for investment companies  Previously worked at McKinsey & Company
 PhD in economics, European University Institute

Anne Li Cnossen Jasper J. van Dijk

Intern
 Master student of Econometrics and Operations Research
at the VU University Amsterdam
 Former intern at the Ministry of Finance in the economics
department's data team
 Worked on corona support analyses, the nitrogen issue
and debt sustainability analyses, among others
Economist
 Was economist at Ministry of Finance
 Was there project leader of Care Choices in Map and
author of the 2022 Budget Memorandum
 Previously worked at the Boston Consulting Group
 PhD in economics, Oxford University

Julia van Rijn

Intern
 Student International Bachelor of Economics and Business
Economics (IBEB) at Erasmus University Rotterdam
 Minor in Relational Economics, Values & Leadership
 Worked as a student assistant at the Erasmus School of
Economics

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Support from advisors and fellows
Albert Jan Hummel Wouter Leenders
Advisor Fellow
University lecturer at the University of Amsterdam  Tax competition and wealth, '22/'23
 Field of study: public finance, labor economics  PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley
 Earned a doctorate in economics from Erasmus  Obtained his BA Economics from the University of
Cambridge and MSc from London School of Economics
University Rotterdam
and Political Science

Yrla van de Ven David Bokhorst

Fellow
 Tax policy and housing market, '22/'23
 Science editor at the Free University of Amsterdam
 Worked as a trade editor at ESB
 Studied Economics and Law at Erasmus University
Rotterdam
Fellow
 European Union, social security, governance
 Research Fellow at the European University Institute
 Got his doctorate from the University of Amsterdam; won
the Els Witte prize with his dissertation
 Worked as a financial affairs advisor EU at the House of
Representatives

Tim van Brederode

Fellow
 Tax law (international and European)
 PhD candidate in Tax Law at Leiden University; conducts
research on EU directive proposal on OECD minimum tax
rate
 Worked as a policy officer at the Internal Revenue Service
 Obtained his master's degree in Fiscal Economics from the
University of Amsterdam

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 An ANBI with independent oversight
Institute for Public Economics Foundation Board
Li'ao Wang President CPO/CTO at VMN Media
Sam de Muijnck Secretary Chief Economist at ONE
Gregor Rossen Treasurer Senior Portfolio Manager at Aegon

Advisory Board
Barbara Baarsma Director Rabo Carbon Bank of Rabobank
Coen Teulings University Professor at the University of Utrecht
Myrthe de Jong Director-director Strong VO, ex MinFin

Informal advisors and supporters in

policy, politics, media, science

Team Our office in The Hague, at Kalvermarkt 53

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Contact
info@instituut-pe.nl

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