Phineas Baxandall

Picture of Phineas Baxandall
Phineas Baxandall, PhD is the Policy Director at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center.

Dr. Phineas Baxandall has a long history as a researcher deeply involved in improving policy, especially at the state level and in Massachusetts. In his nearly eight years at MassBudget, Dr. Baxandall has served in numerous leadership capacities. In September 2023, he was named the organization’s Interim President, before returning to his role as Policy Director the following year.

His policy knowledge and advocacy acumen have been instrumental in the organization’s greatest achievements. During his tenure, Dr. Baxandall’s extensive policy expertise has ensured that MassBudget’s research and analysis, communications, advocacy, and partnership building are of the highest caliber.

Before joining MassBudget, Dr. Baxandall directed the Transportation and Tax & Budget programs for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and its network of 30 state affiliate organizations. His track record also includes work at the Taubman Center for State and Local Government and the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. At Harvard he also taught for eight years for the Committee for Degrees in Social Studies, where he lectured on social policy and political economy. Dr. Baxandall earned a PhD from MIT in Political Science and a B.A. from Wesleyan University.

He has authored over 100 publications, from action-oriented policy reports, to peer-reviewed journal articles and an academic book on the political economy of unemployment. He has taken part in several government working groups and is a regular commentator in Massachusetts news outlets.

All Posts

What Does the Federal Tax Law Mean for Massachusetts and How Might the Commonwealth Respond?

The new federal tax law reduces federal revenues by approximately $1.5 trillion largely by cutting taxes for corporations, people receiving inheritance from very large estates, ...
Read More →

Sweeter than SALT: Highest-Income Households Get Federal Tax Cuts More Than Twice SALT Losses

The federal government has enacted very large tax cuts targeted mostly at higher-income taxpayers. The resulting loss of an almost $1.5 trillion in federal revenue ...
Read More →

How Slow Sales Tax Growth Causes Funding Problems for the MBTA

Almost 20 years ago, a penny of the sales tax was dedicated to the MBTA to be a steadily growing source of revenue for the ...
Read More →

Massachusetts Ranks About Average for Taxes in FY 2015

This fact sheets examines where Massachusetts ranks compared to other states in terms of the level of state and local taxation in 2015, the most ...
Read More →

Where does the Taxachusetts Label Come From, 2017 update

Massachusetts' taxes are about average for the United States. Where then does the label 'Taxachusetts' come from? The answer has much more to do with ...
Read More →

How S-Corp and Other ‘Pass-Through’ Income is Taxed and the Effects of Proposed Tax Reforms

Recent state and federal tax reform debates have highlighted the taxation of S-corporations (S-corps). Like other "pass-through" entities, S-corps are not required to pay the ...
Read More →

How Vulnerable is Massachusetts Transportation to Federal Spending Cuts?

This fact sheet examines the extent to which the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and transit agencies across the state rely on federal sources of revenue ...
Read More →

What Does Massachusetts Transportation Funding Support and What Are the Revenue Sources

Where do the resources come from to operate Massachusetts' transportation system, and where is the money spent? A detailed chart shows state revenues and spending ...
Read More →

Airbnb and Taxes: What Other States are Doing and How Much Revenue Might Be Raised in Massachusetts

Eleven other states extend taxes on short-term rentals such as Airbnb. The factsheet explains the current Massachusetts exemption for short-term residential rentals and how taxing ...
Read More →

Maintaining an Effective Transportation System

This fact sheet examines information from the Department of Transportation that suggests current levels of investment are not enough to keep our roads, bridges and ...
Read More →
Scroll to Top

Get news from Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center in your inbox.