Adam J. Hoffer

Adam J. Hoffer

Adam J. Hoffer is an assistant professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse. He earned his PhD in economics at West Virginia University in 2012 with emphases in public economics and natural resource economics. He earned his BA in economics with a minor in business administration from Washington and Jefferson College. His primary research interests include political economy, public choice, and public finance.

Published Research

The Effects of Dedicating Tax Revenues

George R. Crowley, Adam J. Hoffer | Jun 14, 2012
Dedicating tax revenues to specific expenditures can be used by policymakers to mask increases in total government spending. Our empirical results show that dedicated tax revenues tend to result in an increase in total government size but have little effect on the expenditures to which they are tied.[…

Working Papers

Sin Taxes: Size, Growth, and Creation of the Sindustry

Adam J. Hoffer, William F. Shughart II , Michael D. Thomas | Feb 05, 2013
This paper addresses three criticisms of sin taxes: First, the traditional Pigouvian justification applied to sin goods, such as alcohol and tobacco, is frequently misapplied to a progressively broader base of goods and services where the “sin good” label is questionable, such as automobile tires, candy, soft drinks, and fast food.

Expert Commentary

'Sin Tax' Costs Outweigh Benefits

U.S. News and World Report
By Adam J. Hoffer, William F. Shughart II , Michael D. Thomas |
Feb 05, 2013

Burdened by unfunded public pension liabilities and healthcare costs, state and local governments are in bad shape, considering the willingness of voters to embrace new spending proposals and their general reluctance to pay taxes to finance them.

Podcasts

Adam Hoffer Discusses Sin Taxes on Inside State and Local Policy

Adam J. Hoffer | March 13, 2013
Dr. Adam Hoffer discusses his research on “sin taxes”: excise taxes on such goods as alcohol, tobacco, and unhealthy foods. He breaks down how particular sin taxes affect different demographics, analyzes whether these taxes actually produce the intended results, and points out some of the quirkiest sin taxes currently on the books in the United States…
audio/mpeg iconDownload the MP3