Anderson named senior economist with President's Council of Economic Advisers

University of Nebraska-Lincoln economist John Anderson has been appointed as a senior economist with the President's Council of Economic Advisers in Washington, D.C. He will serve as an adviser with the council, with particular duties related to public finance policy issues including tax reform, social security, and other federal revenue and spending programs.

Anderson, Baird family professor of economics and chair of the Department of Economics in the UNL College of Business Administration, has extensive international expertise in the re-development of former Communist countries, having acted as economic adviser to the parliament of Moldova and as economics educational adviser in Russia and Bulgaria. The author of the best-selling economics textbook, "Public Finance," Anderson has been commissioned by state governments to study the effects of property tax rates, economic development incentives and tax increment financing.

The Council of Economic Advisers was established by the Employment Act of 1946 to provide the president with objective economic analysis and advice on the development and implementation of a wide range of domestic and international economic policy issues. In addition to the chairman and two other members, the council has a professional staff of about 10 senior staff economists, generally professors on one- or two-year leaves from their universities, and 10 advanced graduate students. Four permanent economic statisticians assist the economists in the interpretation and identification of economic data.

The academic nature of the staff and of most council members distinguishes the council from other government agencies. Members and staff also use their strong links in the academic community to obtain advice on technical issues throughout their time in Washington.

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved a one-year leave of absence for Anderson at its July 29 meeting. Cynthia H. Milligan, dean of the College of Business Administration, will appoint an interim chair of the Department of Economics to serve during Anderson's term in Washington.

CONTACT: Marilyn Hoskins, Public Relations Coordinator, CBA, (402) 472-3382, cell (402) 430-6265