Saul Schwartz
Distinguished Research Professor
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B.Sc. Economics (University of Wisconsin)
Ph.D. Economics (University of Wisconsin)
Improving the economic position of low-income people has been a consistent interest over the years. Recently, my focus has been on efforts to help low-income debtors resolve their debt problems. That resolution might come through a new low-cost bankruptcy procedure, through impartial debt advice or through automatic enrolment in benefit programs. Dealing with the debts of the elderly is an important part of this work, given the increasing debts that the elderly carry. A related interest is illustrated by a book of essays that I鈥檓 editing on the personal debts that citizens owe to governments: criminal justice fines and fees, local taxes and student loans. With an international cast of authors, this will the first book to bring together papers analyzing a range of debts owed to government. I continue to work, with Jennifer Robson, on tax filing. In our paper that won the 2020 Vandercamp Prize for the best paper in Canadian Public Policy, we argued that having the Canada Revenue Agency fill out tax returns for Canadians (i.e., 鈥渄eemed filing鈥) is the best way to ensure that those who are eligible to receive benefits through the tax system actually receive them.
Honours
- Vandercamp Prize for the Best Paper in Canadian Public Policy for 鈥淲ho Doesn鈥檛 File a Tax Return? A Portrait of Non-Filers鈥 (with Jennifer Robson) (2020)
Publications
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- Schwartz, S. (2022). . Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
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- Spooner, J. & Schwartz, S. (2025). The Local Injustice of Bankruptcy: Geographical Variation in Access to Debt Relief in England, Journal of Law and Society, 52(4), 606-627.
- Schwartz, S & Ben-Ishai, S. (2025). Tilting the Playing Field Away from the Discharge of Debts: The Case of Consumer Proposals in Canada, Canadian Public Policy, 51(2), 165-190. 10.3138/cpp.2024-04.
- Genest-Gr茅goire, A., Robson J., Schwartz, S. & Dadjo, J. (2024). What Proportion of Tax Returns Could the Canada Revenue Agency Complete?, Canadian Public Policy, 50(3), 292-310.
- Ben-Ishai, S. & Schwartz, S. (2023). Prevalence of High-Cost Loans among the Debts of Canadian Insolvency Filers. Canadian Public Policy, 49(1), 62-75.
- Varughese, A., Schwartz, S. & Sheen, N. (2022). 鈥楽itting with myself by myself鈥: Indian students in Canada, Comparative and International Education, 51(1), 57-74.
- Neill, C. & Schwartz, S. (2022). Five Reasons to be Skeptical about the Repayment of Canada鈥檚 Student Loans through the Tax System, Canadian Tax Journal, 70(3), 627-642.
- Ben-Ishai, S., Schwartz, S., Butt, A. & Linton, M. (2021). Bankruptcy Lessons for Payday Lending Regulation鈥, University of New Brunswick Law Journal, 72, 173-209.
- Robson, J. & Schwartz, S. (2021). Should the Canada Revenue Agency Also Be a Social Benefits Agency?, Canadian Tax Journal, 69(1), 87-98.
- Allen, B., Hudon, P. & Schwartz, S. (2021) Guest editors鈥 introduction to the special issue on procurement and public policy. Canadian Public Administration.
- Robson, J. & Schwartz, S. (2020). Who Doesn’t File a Tax Return?: A Portrait of Non-Filers, Canadian Public Policy, 46(3), 323-349.
- Lysenko, D., Schwartz, E. & Schwartz, S. (2020). Short-Term Effects of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement on Municipal Procurement. Canadian Public Policy, 46(2), 264-278.
- Schwartz, S. & Ben-Ishai, S. (2020). Establishing the Need for a Low-Cost Canadian Debt Relief Procedure, International Insolvency Review, 29(S1), S25-S43.
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- Schwartz, E., & Schwartz, S. (2022). Is CETA a major threat to municipal autonomy? In R. Finbow (Ed.), CETA implementation and implications: Unravelling the puzzle. McGill-Queen鈥檚 University Press.
Media coverage
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- (Finances of the Nation, Sep 2021)
- (Policy Options, May 2020)
- (First Policy Response, Apr 2020)
SPPA News
SPPA Scholars鈥 Work Cited in New Parliamentary Budget Office Report
A new report by the Parliamentary Budget Office cites and is informed by SPPA Professor Emeritus Saul Schwartz, PhD Graduate and Director of the Political …
SPPA Retirement Celebration for Frances Abele, Calum Carmichael, Leslie Pal, Saul Schwartz, Glen Toner and Stan Winer
An emotional SPPA Celebration! On Thursday June 22, SPPA celebrated six retiring faculty members : Frances Abele, Calum Carmichael, Leslie Pal, Saul Schwartz, Glen Toner …