Biography
John W. Diamond, Ph.D., is the Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Senior Fellow in Public Finance and the senior director of the Center for Public Finance at the Baker Institute, an adjunct professor of economics at Rice University and CEO of Tax Policy Advisers, LLC. His research interests are federal tax and expenditure policy, state and local public finance, and the construction and simulation of computable general equilibrium models. His current research focuses on the economic effects of corporate tax reform, the economic and distributional effects of fundamental tax reform, taxation and housing values, public sector pensions, and various other tax and expenditure policy issues.
Diamond is co-editor of “Pathways to Fiscal Reform in the United States” (The MIT Press, 2015) and “Fundamental Tax Reform: Issues, Choices and Implications” (The MIT Press, 2008). He has testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, the U.S. House Budget Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, the Joint Economic Committee and other federal and state committees on issues related to tax policy and the U.S. economy. Diamond served as forum editor for the National Tax Journal (2009-2017) and on the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, U.S. Congress (2000-2004). He has also served as a consultant for the World Bank on the efficacy of structural adjustment programs.
He received his Ph.D. in economics from Rice University in 2000.
Contact at [email protected] or 713-348-2199.
Recent Publications
In Marketplace: Does Texas need its own stock exchange?
“I think it’s great because it adds competition,” said Diamond. “The financial sector, there’s enough headquartered public companies in Texas to make it make sense."
In Marketplace: Core capital goods spending on the rise in April
The rise in core capital goods spending remains a positive sign for future production and bringing inflation down, said Diamond. If the trend continues, "there won’t be as much competition for a smaller number of goods, and it’ll restrain price increases.”
In ABC13: Houston budget deficit prompts major rate and fee hikes
Taxpayers should expect substantial rate and fee increases for at least five to ten years from now amidst Houston budget shortfall according to Diamond. "We're beyond the, 'Can we afford it? Is this a good decision?' This is a, 'We're in a little bit of a crisis, and we have to do this to try to see if we can rebound.'"
External Publications
- “Carbon Tax Revenues Can Be Used to Promote Economic Growth and Help Low-income People [Opinion],” Houston Chronicle, February 28, 2020.
- “Carbon Taxes Equity and Efficiency Trade-offs,” Alliance for Market Solutions, February 27, 2020.
- “It’s Time to Move Forward on Fiscal Reform,” The Hill, March 13, 2015.
- “Op-ed: School of Choice Will Do More for Texas Education Than Spending More Money,” Houston Business Journal, February 15, 2015.
- “The Labyrinth of Corporate Tax Reform,” The Hill, October 30, 2014.
- “Promoting Growth, Maintaining Progressivity, and Dealing With the Fiscal Crisis,” Public Finance Review, August 21, 2013.
- “On Taxes, Obama Sticks to Much of Bush Playbook,” The Hill, October 24, 2012.
- “Obama Misses the Mark on Tax Reform,” Houston Chronicle, July 27, 2012.
- “Pension Panel Lacks Credibility,” Houston Chronicle, August 26, 2011.
- “A Plan to Move Past Debt Status Quo,” Houston Chronicle, July 18, 2011.
- “Let’s Redesign the U.S. Tax Code,” Houston Chronicle, December 19, 2010.
- “Next Mayor Must Fix Pension Problems,” Houston Chronicle, October 10, 2009.
- “Clunkers Program Ignores Basic Economic Principles,” Houston Chronicle, August 21, 2009.
- “Should Texas Adopt a School Choice Program?,” Texas Public Policy Foundation, March 16, 2007.
Presentations
- “Video Briefing Transcript: Public Policy for the Public - Science and Technology,” December 6, 2007.