Janet Rothenberg Pack

Professor Emerita of Business Economics and Public Policy

Research Interests: fiscal federalism and intergovernmental relations, political economy of economic policy, privatization, urban and regional economic development

Overview

Janet Pack passed away on April 13, 2019

Read Penn Almanac
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Education

PhD, University of California, Berkeley, 1965; MA, University of California, Berkeley, 1963; BBA, City College/CUNY, 1959

Academic Positions Held

Wharton: 1983-present (Chairperson, Public Policy and Management Department, 1992-97). University of Pennsylvania: 1970-present. Previous appointments: Yale University; Southern Connecticut State College; The New School for Social Research. Visiting appointments: Visiting Fellow, Economic Studies, The Brookings Institution, 2003-04, 1997-99, 1991-92; Visiting Fellow, European Institute for Public Administration, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Summer, 1992; Visiting Fellow, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, Summer 1991, ‘93, ’96, ’97; Visiting Fellow, Harry S. Truman Research Institute for Peace Studies, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Summer 1989; Visiting Fellow, Institute of Urban and Regional Development. The Hebrew University. Summer 1983; Senior Resident in Public Finance, U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, 1977-79; Visiting Research Associate, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, University of California, Berkeley, April-August, 1975; Research Consultant, Urban Studies Project, City Council, Nairobi, Kenya, June-August, 1971.

Professional Leadership 2005-2009

Organizer and Coeditor, Brookings Conference and Papers on Urban Affairs (with Gary burtless), 2005-2009; Editorial Board, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 1999-2004; Editorial Board, Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, 2002-present; Senior consultant, The Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel, 1996-present; Non-resident Sr. Fellow, Economics Division, The Brookings Institution, 1999-present.

Teaching

All Courses

BEPP2010 - Public Finance & Policy
This course explores the economics and politics of public policy to provide an analytic framework for considering why, how, and with what success/failure government intervenes in a variety of policy areas. Particular attention will be paid to important policy issues relating to taxation, social security, low-income assistance, health insurance, education (both K-12 and higher ed), the environment, and government deficits. The costs and benefits of alternative policies will be explored along with the distribution of responsibilities between the federal, state and local governments. While the course will focus primarily on U.S. policies, the topics covered (e.g. tax reform, deficits versus austerity, etc.) are currently at the center of the policy debate in many other industrialized countries as well.