Craig Brett
Biography
As a teacher, I specialize in microeconomics, public economics, environmental economics and econometrics. My goal is to help students think in a structured, logical way about economics issues and policies. I also want to help them understand how to use data and evidence to decide among competing claims.
As a researcher, I study taxes in their various forms.
And remember: When you see a number on the street, ask it, "Are you a big number or a small number?"
Publications
Craig Brett (2024) Toward a New Fiscal Framework for New Brunswick Municipalities, Prepared for the Union of the Municipalities of New Brunswick, August.
Craig Brett and John A. Weymark (2019) Optimal Nonlinear Taxation of Income and Savings Without Commitment, Journal of Public Economic Theory 21:5-43, doi: 10.1111/jpet.12328.
Craig Brett and John A. Weymark (2019) Marjority Rule and Selfishly Optimal Nonlinear Income Tax Schedules with Discrete Skill Levels, Social Choice and Welfare 54: 337-362, doi: 10.1007/s00355-019-01188-4.
Craig Brett (2019), 2018 Graham Lecture: Using the Mirrlees Model to (try to) Understand Personal Income Taxation in Atlantic Canada, Atlantic Canada Economic Review 1.
Craig Brett and John A. Weymark (2017) Voting Over Selfishly Optimal Nonlinear Income Tax Schedules, Games and Economic Behavior 101: 172-188.
Craig Brett and Laurence Jacquet (2015) Workforce or Workfare? The Optimal Use of Work Requirements when Labor is Supplied along the Extensive Margin, Canadian Journal of Economics 48:1855-1882.
Felix Bierbrauer, Craig Brett and John A. Weymark (2013) Strategic Nonlinear Income Tax Competition with Perfect Labor Mobility, Games and Economic Behavior, 82: 292-311.
Craig Brett (2012) The Effects of Population Aging on Optimal Redistributive Taxes in an Overlapping Generations Model, International Tax and Public Finance, 19: 777-799.
Craig Brett and John A. Weymark (2008) The Impact of Changing Skill Levels on Optimal Nonlinear Income Taxes, Journal of Public Economics 92: 1765-1771.
Craig Brett (2007) Optimal Nonlinear Taxes for Families, International Tax and Public Finance 14: 225-261.
Joris Pinkse, Margaret Slade and Craig Brett (2002) Spatial Price Competition: A Semi-Parametric Approach, Econometrica 70: 1111-1153.
Craig Brett and Joris Pinkse (2000) The Determinants of Municipal Tax Rates in British Columbia, Canadian Journal of Economics 33: 695-714.
Craig Brett and Michael Keen (2000) Political Uncertainty and the Earmarking of Environmental Taxes, Journal of Public Economics 75: 315-340.
Craig Brett (1998) Who Should Be on Workfare? The Use of Work Requirements as Part of the Optimal Tax Mix, Oxford Economic Papers 50: 607-622.
Links to Working Papers (unpublished)
, Munich Personal RePEc Archive.
Education
- M.Sc. (Mathematics) Open University, 2023
- PhD (Econ), University of British Columbia, 1996
- MA (Econ), University of British Columbia, 1992
- BA, Hons. (Econ and Math), 91¿´Æ¬, 1991
Teaching
Fall 2025
- ECON 1701 Observational Data Analysis
- ECON 2001 Intermediate Microeconomics I
- ECON 4801 Advanced Microeconomic Theory
Winter 2026
- ECON 3821 Natural Resources Economics
- ECON 4821 Uncertainty and Strategy in Economics
Research
- Optimal taxation: income taxes, migration, commodity taxes
- Political economy: voting over income taxes, earmarked taxes
- Tax-transfer policy: workfare
- Mathematics: spectral graph theory
Current Research Projects:
- Local government finance of New Brunswick
- The spectra of core-periphery graphs
Grants, awards & honours
MITACS Business Strategy Internship (joint with the Union of New Brunswick Municipalities), 2024.
The Herbert and Leota Tucker Teaching Award, 91¿´Æ¬, 2009.
Thee Imasco Paul Pare Medal for balance in research, teaching and service, 91¿´Æ¬, 2009.
Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Canadian Public Policy, 91¿´Æ¬. 2003-2007. Renewed 2008-2012.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Award (principal investigator, with John Weymark) to study extensions to the theory of optimal income taxation. 2008-2011.
Paul Pare Award of Excellence, 91¿´Æ¬, 2007.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Award (sole investigator) to study local government decisions in New Brunswick. 2004-2007.
Canada Foundation for Innovation Award to establish a research laboratory in spatial econometrics. 2003.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Award (collaborator, with Charles Blackorby) to study the optimal tax mix in an overlapping generations framework, 1997-2000, renewed for 2001-2004.