Prior to joining Carleton, Jennifer worked in the Government of Canada first as political staff and later as a public servant. In between, she spent nearly a decade in the voluntary sector, holding senior roles in policy development and research. Her research expertise in social and tax policy takes a very applied focus. She has worked on education savings, tax administration, parental benefits, wealth inequality, poverty and more, all with a particular focus on the financial lives of low- and modest-income persons and attention to administrative burden. Her work has influenced policy change in extended parental benefits in E.I., automation of the Canada Learning Bond, the Canada Disability Benefit, and simplifications to the tax-filing process for lower income Canadians.<\/p>\n
She is a co-editor at the Canadian Tax Journal<\/em>, Canadian Public Policy<\/em> and a member of the editorial board at Canadian Public Administration<\/em>. She sits on the board of the Canadian Tax Observatory. Jennifer has also established relationships with leading Canadian think tanks and has sat on advisory bodies for the Royal Society of Canada, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of National Revenue, and the Future Skills Centre. She also maintains collaborations with organizations in the voluntary sector working to engage in the public policy process in Canada.<\/p>\n Recent courses taught:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n POLM 5015: Public Policy for Political Advisors Selected research publications:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Publications related to poverty, benefit design, and tax administration Robson, J. (2025). \u201cA Brief Look at the Role of Federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes in Municipal Finances<\/a>\u201d, Canadian Tax Journal 73(3).<\/p>\n Genest-Gr\u00e9goire,A., J. Robson, S. Schwartz, J. Dadjo (2024). \u201cWhat Proportion of Tax Returns Could the Canada Revenue Agency Complete?<\/a>\u201d, Canadian Public Policy, 50(3).<\/p>\n Robson, J. and L. Tedds (2024). \u201cThe Canada Disability Benefit: Battling Ableism in Design and Implementation<\/a>\u201d, Osgoode Hall Law Journal, 61(2).<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2022). \u201cDoes Non-filing Hinder Access to the Canada Learning Bond for Low-income Families<\/a>?\u201d Canadian Tax Journal<\/em>, 70(3), 615-626.<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2022). \u201cThe Canada Learning Bond, financial capability and tax-filing: Results from an online survey of low and modest income parents\u201d, research report, Employment and Social Development Canada<\/p>\n Peetz, J., J. Robson, <\/strong>and S. Xuereb (2021). \u201cThe Role of Income Volatility and Perceived Locus of Control in Financial Planning Decisions\u201d, Frontiers in Psychology, <\/em>(12), doi: 10.3389\/fpsyg.2021.638043<\/a>.<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2021). “Policy Forum: Should the Canada Revenue Agency also be a social benefits agency?<\/a>” Canadian Tax Journal<\/em> (69:1).<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2021). \u201cHelping low-income Canadians to file taxes and access benefits<\/a>\u201d in D. Soman and C. Yeung eds. The Behaviorally Informed Organization<\/em>, University of Toronto Press.<\/p>\n Robson, J. & S. Schwartz (2020). \u201cWho Doesn\u2019t File a Tax Return? A portrait of non-filers<\/a>\u201d Canadian Public Policy<\/em> 46(30).<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2020). \u201cEI Failed So We Made CERB: Now what should we learn?<\/a>\u201d Rebuild Canada<\/em>, Public Policy Forum.<\/p>\n Giordono, L., D. Rothwell & J. Robson (2020). \u201cPublic income transfers and wealth accumulation at the bottom: Within and between country differences in Canada and the United States<\/a>” Social Policy and Administration<\/em> 54(6).<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2020).\u201cRadical Incrementalism and Trust in the Citizen: Income Security in Canada in the Time of COVID-19<\/a>\u201d Canadian Public Policy <\/em>46(S1).<\/p>\n Ben-Ishai, S., J. Robson & S. Schwartz (2019). \u201cEligible Non-participation in Canadian Social Welfare Programs<\/a>\u201d McGill Law Journal<\/em>, 64(3).<\/p>\n Peetz, J. & J. Robson (2019). \u201cThe Perils of Living Paycheque to Paycheque<\/a>\u201d Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada.<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2018). \u201cPost-Secondary Access<\/a>\u201d Transition briefing, Ontario 360<\/em>, University of Toronto.<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2016).\u201cEnhancing Access to the Canada Learning Bond\u201d, Discussion paper prepared for Employment and Social Development Canada, Government of Canada.<\/p>\n Rothwell, D. & J. Robson (2017). \u201cThe prevalence and composition of asset poverty in Canada: 1999, 2005, and 2012<\/a>\u201d International Journal of Social Welfare<\/em>, 27(1).<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2012).\u201cThe Case for Financial Literacy: Assessing the effects of financial literacy interventions for low income and vulnerable groups in Canada<\/a>\u201d, Social and Enterprise Development Innovations and the Canadian Centre for Financial Literacy.<\/p>\n Frennette, M. & J. Robson (2010). \u201cFinancial Literacy of Low-income Students: Literature Review and Environmental Scan\u201d, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.<\/p>\n Robson, J., P. Nares & R. Shillington (2011). \u201cHow Ottawa Spends and How Canadians Save\u201d in A. Maslove ed., How Ottawa Spends: 2009-2010: Economic Upheaval and Political Dysfunction<\/em>, McGill University Press.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Publications related to public administration Robson, J. (2024). \u201cState Capacity and Administrative Burdens on Citizens: Time for export controls and transparency<\/a>\u201d, Canadian Public Administration, 67(3).<\/p>\n Robson, J. & M. Jarvis (2020). \u201cPolicy forum: Public Costing of Party Platforms: Learning from international experience<\/a>\u201d Canadian Tax Journal <\/em>68(2).<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2018) \u201cBuilding a tax review fit for purpose: Reconciling the tradeoffs between independence and impac<\/a>t\u201d Canadian Tax Journal<\/em>.<\/p>\n Robson, J. and P. Wilson. (2018). \u201cChapter 5: Public servants and political staff in the digital age: Still getting along<\/a>\u201d, in A. Marland, T. Giassson and A. Lawlor eds., Political Elites in Canada: Power and Influence in Instantaneous Times, University of British Columbia Press.<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2015).\u201cSpending on Political Staffers and the Revealed Preferences of Cabine<\/a>t\u201d, Canadian Journal of Political Science<\/em> vol.48(3), 675-697.<\/p>\n Robson, J. (2015). <\/span>\u201cDid Election 2015 Prove Kim Campbell Wrong?\u201d in Marland, A. and Giasson, T. eds, Canadian Election Analysis 2015: Communication, Strategy and Democracy<\/span><\/a>, UBC Press, 86-88.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Publications related to gender and intersectionality Robson, J., Tedds, L., eds (2022). Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women in Canada<\/em><\/a>. Royal Society of Canada<\/p>\n Robson. J. & J. Peetz (2020). \u201cGender differences in financial knowledge, attitudes and behaviors: Accounting for socioeconomic disparities and psychological traits<\/a>\u201d Journal of Consumer Affairs <\/em>54(3).<\/p>\n Robson, J. & J. Peetz (2018). \u201cThe impact of personality traits: A fresh look at gender differences in financial literacy<\/a>\u201c Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada.<\/p>\n
\nPOLM 5016: Applied Public Policy Analysis
\nPAPM 3000: Policy Research Methods
\nPOLM 5012\/PAPM 4012 and PANL 5703: Advocacy and Government Relations in Canada and Public Policy Advocacy<\/p>\n
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