Benny Geys studied Economics at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leicester University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He is a post-doctoral research fellow at the WZB since October 2005. His (predominantly empirical) research activities focus on (local) government performance and policy formation, the determinants of government popularity, and civic engagement.

Since  August 2009 he is research fellow in the project "The Future of Fiscal Federalism" at the WZB.

Research interests: Public Choice, Political Economy, Public Finance and Economic Sociology.

• European Sociological Association (2005-)
• International Institute for Public Finance (2008-)
• The Social Capital Foundation (2007)

Referee for

• Acta Politica
• American Journal of Political Science
• American Political Science Review
• Applied Economics
• Applied Financial Economics
• British Journal of Political Science
• British Journal of Sociology
• Comparative Political Studies
• Economics and Politics
• Economics of Governance
• Electoral Studies
• European Journal of Political Economy
• European Journal of Political Research
• Fiscal Studies
• International Regional Science Review
• International Tax and Public Finance
• Journal of Politics
• Journal of Public Economics
• Journal of Urban Affairs
• Journal of Urban Economics
• National Tax Journal
• Party Politics
• Political Communication
• Political Research Quarterly
• Political Studies
• Public Choice
• Scandinavian Political Studies
• Southern Economic Journal

Other Activities

• Guest lectures on “Rational Choice Theory” at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (May 2005)
• Guest lectures on “Political Economy and Fiscal Federalism” in the BDPEMS Berlin (May-Juni 2009)

Awards

• Finalist Robert H. Durr Award for the “best paper applying quantitative methods to a substantive problem in political science” at the Midwest Political Science Association Meeting in Chicago (April 2005).

• Heinz König Young Scholar award for best paper presented at the 2006 ZEW Summer Workshop on “EU Countries in Fiscal Competition”.

• GEYS, B. (forthcoming), Wars, Presidents and Popularity: Political Costs of War Re-examined, Public Opinion Quarterly.

• GEYS B. and Z. MURDOCH (forthcoming), Measuring the ‘Bridging’ versus ‘Bonding’ Nature of Social Networks: A Proposal for Integrating Existing Measures, Sociology.

• GEYS B., F. HEINEMANN and A. KALB (forthcoming), Voter Involvement, Fiscal Autonomy and Public Sector Efficiency: Evidence from German Municipalities, European Journal of Political Economy.

• GEYS B. and K.A. KONRAD (forthcoming), Federalism and Optimal Allocation across Levels of Governance, in Handbook on Multi-Level Governance, H. Enderlein, S. Wälti and M. Zürn (eds.), Edward Elgar Publishing.

• GEYS B. and W. MOESEN (2009), Measuring Local Government Technical (In)efficiency: An Application and Comparison of FDH, DEA and Econometric Approaches, Public Performance and Management Review, 32(4), 489-504.

• GEYS B. and W. MOESEN (2009), Exploring Sources of Local Government Technical Efficiency: Evidence from Flemish Municipalities, Public Finance and Management, 9(1), 1-29.

• GEYS, B., F. HEINEMANN and A. KALB (2008), Local Governments in the Wake of Demographic Change: Evidence from German Municipalities, Finanzarchiv, 64(4), 434-457.

• GEYS B. and J. VERMEIR (2008), The Political Cost of Taxation: New Evidence from German Popularity Ratings, Electoral Studies, 27(4), 633-648. 

• GEYS, B. and Z. MURDOCH (2008), How to make Head or Tail of Bridging and Bonding?: Addressing the Methodological Ambiguity, British Journal of Sociology, 59(3), 435-454.

• GEYS B. and J. VERMEIR (2008), Party Cues and Yardstick Voting, European Journal of Political Economy, 24(2), 470-477.

• GEYS B. and J. VERMEIR (2008), Taxation and Presidential Approval: Separate Effects from Tax Burden and Tax Structure Turbulence?, Public Choice, 135(3-4), 301-317. 

• COFFÉ H. and B. GEYS (2008), Measuring the Bridging Potential of Voluntary Associations: The Importance of Association Size, Sociology, 42(2), 357-369.

• GOEMINNE S., B. GEYS and C. SMOLDERS (2008), Political Fragmentation and Projected Tax Revenues: Evidence from Flemish Municipalities, International Tax and Public Finance, 15, 297-315. 

• WERCK K., B. HEYNDELS and B. GEYS (2008), The Impact of ‘Central Places’ on Spatial Spending Patterns: Evidence from Flemish Local Government Cultural Expenditures, Journal of Cultural Economics, 23(1), 35-58.

• COFFÉ H. and B. GEYS (2007), Participation in Bridging and Bonding Associations and Civic Attitudes: Evidence from Flanders, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 18(4), 385-406.

• GEYS B. (2007), Government Weakness and Local Public Debt Cycles: Evidence from Flemish Municipalities, Local Government Studies, 33(2), 239-253.

• COFFÉ H. and B. GEYS (2007), Towards an Empirical Characterization of Bridging and Bonding Social Capital, Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 36(1), 121-139.

• COFFÉ H. and B. GEYS (2006), Community Heterogeneity: A Burden for the Creation of Social Capital?, Social Science Quarterly, 87(5), 1053-1072. 

• GEYS B. (2006), Looking across Borders: A Test of Spatial Policy Interdependence using Local Government Efficiency Ratings, Journal of Urban Economics, 60(3), 443-462.

• GEYS B., B. HEYNDELS and J. VERMEIR (2006), Explaining the Formation of ‘Minimal’ Coalitions: ‘Anti-System’ Parties and ‘Anti-Pact’ Rules, European Journal of Political Research, 45(6), 957-984.

• GEYS B. (2006), Explaining Voter Turnout: a Review of Aggregate-Level Research, Electoral Studies, 25(4), 637-663.

• ASHWORTH J., B. GEYS and B. HEYNDELS (2006), Everyone likes a Winner: an Empirical Test of the Effect of Electoral Closeness on Turnout in a Context of Expressive Voting, Public Choice, 128(3-4), 383-405.

• GEYS B. and B. HEYNDELS (2006), Disentangling the Effects of Political Fragmentation on Voter Turnout: the Flemish Municipal Elections, Economics and Politics, 18(3), 367-387.

• COFFÉ H. and B. GEYS (2006), Heterogeniteit en sociaal kapitaal: Een studie naar de relatie tussen een heterogene bevolkingssamenstelling en het sociaal kapitaal in Vlaamse gemeenten, Tijdschrift voor Sociologie, 27(1), 28-53.

• GEYS B. (2006), ‘Rational’ Theories of Voter Turnout: a Review, Political Studies Review, 4(1), 16-35.

• ASHWORTH J., B. GEYS and B. HEYNDELS (2006), Determinants of Tax Innovation: The Case of Environmental Taxes in Flemish Municipalities, European Journal of Political Economy, 22(1), 223-247.

• GEYS B. (2006), District Magnitude, Social Heterogeneity and Local Party System Fragmentation, Party Politics, 12(2), 281-297.

• COFFÉ H. and B. GEYS (2005), Institutional Performance and Social Capital: An Application to the Local Government Level, Journal of Urban Affairs, 27(5), 485-501.

• ASHWORTH J., B. GEYS and B. HEYNDELS (2005), Government Weakness and Local Public Debt Development in Flemish Municipalities, International Tax and Public Finance, 12(4), 395-422.

• GEYS B. and B. HEYNDELS (2003), Information and “Cognitive Sophistication”: Attenuating Influences on Ballot Layout Effects?, Acta Politica, 38(4), 295-311. 

• GEYS B. (2003), Hoe verdeeld is de lokale politiek? Politieke fragmentatie in Vlaamse gemeenten, Res Publica, 45(4), 633-649.

• ASHWORTH J., B. GEYS and B. HEYNDELS (2003), Income Tax Base Evolution in Brussels 1980-1999: The Budgetary Value of the Rich, in E. Witte, A. Alen, H. Dumont, P. Vandernoot and R. De Groof (eds.), De Brusselse negentien gemeenten en het Brussels model, Larcier, Gent, 165-181.

• GEYS B. and B. HEYNDELS (2003), Ballot Layout Effects in the 1995 Elections of the Brussels’ Government, Public Choice, 116 (1-2), 147-164.

Non-refereed articles and other publications

• DUSO T. and B. GEYS (2009), Reviving the Economy: Robert Solow on the Need of a Coordinated Fiscal Policy, WZB Mitteilungen, nr. 124, 52-54.

• GEYS B. (2008), Koaliere und Herssche: Wie Ausgrenzungs-vereinbarungen auf die Regierungsbildung wirken, WZB Mitteilungen, nr. 121, 43-45.

• GEYS B. (2007), Herausförderung Diversität: Behutsamkeit ist angesagt bei Studien über Soziales Kapital, WZB Mitteilungen, nr. 118, 18-20.

• GEYS B. (2006), Kandidaten in der Pole Position: Das Design des Stimmzettels kann Wahlen entscheiden, WZB Mitteilungen, nr. 113, 33-35.

• COFFÉ H. and B. GEYS (2005), Verklaringen voor het verenigingsleven in de Vlaamse gemeenten, Samenleving en Politiek, 12 (6), 39-46.

• GEYS B. (2004), Politieke fragmentatie beïnvloedt beslissingen van kiezer en overheid, PubliContact: het e-magazine van Dexia Bank voor de publieke sector, nr. 49, November 2004.

• GEYS B. (2004), Proportional Representation, Political Fragmentation and Political Decision-Making: an Economic Analysis, Ph.D. Dissertation, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel.

• GEYS B. (2002), Economische Rationaliteit en Opkomst bij Verkiezingen, Nieuw Tijdschrift van de Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 15 (1), 20-34.

Discussion Papers

• DE WITTE, K. and B. GEYS (2009), The Political Economy of Efficient Public Good Provision: Evidence from Flemish Libraries using a Generalised Conditional Efficiency Framework, CES Working Paper,  2009-10, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. 

• GEYS, B. and F. REVELLI (2009), Decentralisation, Competition and the Local Tax Mix: Evidence from Flanders, University of Torino Working Paper, nr. 2009-02, University of Torino. 

• GEYS B. and W. MOESEN (2008), Measuring Local Government Technical (In)efficiency: An Application and Comparison of FDH, DEA and Econometric Approaches, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2008-21, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin. 

• GEYS, B., F. HEINEMANN and A. KALB (2008), Local Governments in the Wake of Demographic Change: Evidence from German Municipalities, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2008-19, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.

• GEYS B. and W. MOESEN, Sources of Local Government Technical Efficiency: Evidence from Flemish Municipalities, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2008-18, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin. 

• GEYS B. and J. VERMEIR (2008), The Political Cost of Taxation: New Evidence from German Popularity Ratings, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2008-06, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin. 

• GEYS B. and J. VERMEIR (2008), Party Cues and Yardstick Voting, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2008-05, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.

• GEYS, B., F. HEINEMANN and A. KALB (2008), Voter Involvement, Fiscal Autonomy and Public Sector Efficiency: Evidence from German Municipalities, ZEW Discussion Paper 08-024, Mannheim.

• GEYS, B. (2007), How to make Head or Tail of Bridging and Bonding?: Addressing the Methodological Ambiguity, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2007-11, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.

• WERCK K., B. HEYNDELS and B. GEYS (2007), The Impact of ‘Central Places’ on Spatial Spending Patterns: Evidence from Flemish Local Government Cultural Expenditures, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2007-10, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.

• GEYS B. and J. VERMEIR (2007), Taxation and Presidential Approval: Separate Effects from Tax Burden and Tax Structure Turbulence?, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2007-09, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.

• GEYS, B., F. HEINEMANN and A. KALB (2007), Local Governments in the Wake of Demographic Change: Efficiency and Economies of Scale in German Municipalities, ZEW Discussion Paper 07-036, Mannheim.

• COFFÉ H. and B. GEYS (2007), Measuring the Bridging Potential of Voluntary Associations: A Note on the Importance of Association Size, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2007-04, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.

• GOEMINNE S., B. GEYS and C. SMOLDERS (2007), Political Fragmentation and Projected Tax Revenues: Evidence from Flemish Municipalities, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2007-03, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.

• COFFÉ H. and B. GEYS (2006), Towards an Empirical Characterization of Bridging and Bonding Social Capital, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2006-11, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.

• GEYS B. and B. HEYNDELS (2006), Disentangling the Effects of Political Fragmentation on Voter Turnout: the Flemish Municipal Elections, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2006-07, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.

• GEYS B. (2006), Government Weakness and Local Public Debt Cycles: Evidence from Flemish Municipalities, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2006-06, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.

• GEYS B. (2006), Looking across Borders: A Test of Spatial Policy Interdependence using Local Government Efficiency Ratings, WZB Discussion Paper SP II 2006-03, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin.

Work in progress

• ASHWORTH J., B. GEYS, B. HEYNDELS and F. WILLE, Political Competition and Local Government Performance: Evidence from Flemish Municipalities, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin, mimeo. (this Version: August 2007)

• GEYS B. and J. VERMEIR, Institutions, Economic Performance and Political Support: New Evidence from Belgium, 1984-2007, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin, mimeo. (this Version: December 2008)