Pengju Zhang, PhD
Dr. Pengju Zhang is an associate professor and the director of international programs in the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) at Rutgers University–Newark. He specializes in state and local public finance, local government studies, education finance and policy, and quantitative analysis. His work has appeared in many peer-reviewed journals, including International Tax and Public Finance, Education Finance and Policy, Public Finance Review, Public Budgeting and Finance, American Review of Public Administration, The Journal of Regional Science, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, etc. Dr. Zhang primarily teaches Economics for Public Administration, Public Budgeting and Finance, and Government Revenue Theory and Administration at Rutgers University.
Education
- PhD: Syracuse University, Public Administration and International Affairs
- MPA: Indiana University, Bloomington
- BA: Sun Yat-sen University, Political Science
Recent Research & Scholarship
ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
Journal Articles
- "The State Takeover of the Camden City District Schools and Students’ Academic Performance: A Descriptive Analysis," Journal of Urban Affairs, July 13, 2023. (with M. Hayes and J. S. Rubin)
- "Home Rule and Municipal Revenue Stability: New Evidence from Texas," Public Budgeting and Finance, September 16, 2022. (with P. Nguyen-Hoang)
Reports & Policy Briefs
- "Introduction to the Special Issue on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Municipal Taxes, Part Two," Municipal Finance Journal, Summer 2023. (with P. Nguyen-Hoang)
- "Introduction to the Special Issue on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Municipal Taxes, Part One," Municipal Finance Journal, Spring 2023. (with P. Nguyen-Hoang)
CONFERENCES/LECTURES/PRESENTATIONS
- “The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Municipal Finances: A National Perspective,” New Jersey League of Municipalities Annual Conference, Atlantic City, NJ, Nov. 2023.
- “Are Women More Compassionate Policy Makers? Evidence from New York,” Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM), Denver, CO, Oct. 2023.
- “The Bankruptcy of Special Districts: An Exploratory Study," Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM), Denver, CO, Oct. 2023.
- “Do Local Electoral Rules Affect Government Size? Evidence from California,“ 2022 SNU GSPA-Rutgers SPAA International Conference, Rutgers University–Newark, Nov. 4-7, 2022.