@techreport{BarkholdtReiners2019, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Barkholdt, Janina and Reiners, Nina}, title = {Pronouncements of Expert Treaty Bodies}, series = {KFG Working Paper Series}, journal = {KFG Working Paper Series}, number = {40}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-47588}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-475886}, pages = {26}, year = {2019}, abstract = {While some pronouncements of expert treaty bodies have been considered 'key catalysts' for the development of international human rights law, others are only selectively referred to in legal practice. This article argues that the varying normative impact is due to the informal character of pronouncements. In the absence of treaty provisions specifying their legal effect, practitioners tend to rely on different factors and arguments when either drawing on or rejecting certain pronouncements. Scholars in turn face difficulties when trying to identify explanatory patterns within this diverging practice as the informal character confronts both international lawyers and international relations scholars with their respective methodological 'blind spots'. In light of these intradisciplinary challenges, this article explores the extent as to which an interdisciplinary approach helps to assess the reasons for the varying impact of pronouncements. After analysing the factors determining their legal significance on the basis of State practice and the academic debate, this article identifies the drafting process as a factor which promises to be particularly insightful when explored from an interdisciplinary perspective and sketches out a framework for future research.}, language = {en} } @techreport{CaliendoTuebbicke2019, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Caliendo, Marco and T{\"u}bbicke, Stefan}, title = {Do Start-Up Subsidies for the Unemployed Affect Participants' Well-Being?}, series = {CEPA Discussion Papers}, journal = {CEPA Discussion Papers}, number = {14}, issn = {2628-653X}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43746}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-437468}, pages = {47}, year = {2019}, abstract = {We estimate the long-term effects of start-up subsidies (SUS) for the unemployed on subjective outcome indicators of well-being, as measured by the participants' satisfaction in different domains. This extends previous analyses of the current German SUS program ("Gr{\"u}ndungszuschuss") that focused on objective outcomes - such as employment and income - and allows us to make a more complete judgment about the overall effects of SUS at the individual level. This is especially important because subsidizing the transition into self-employment may have unintended adverse effects on participants' well-being due to its risky nature and lower social security protection, especially in the long run. Having access to linked administrative-survey data providing us with rich information on pre-treatment characteristics, we base our analysis on the conditional independence assumption and use propensity score matching to estimate causal effects within the potential outcomes framework. We find long-term positive effects on job satisfaction but negative effects on individuals' satisfaction with their social security situation. Further findings suggest that the negative effect on satisfaction with social security may be driven by negative effects on unemployment and retirement insurance coverage. Our heterogeneity analysis reveals substantial variation in effects across gender, age groups and skill levels. The sensitivity analyses show that these findings are highly robust.}, language = {en} } @techreport{CaliendoFossenKritikos2019, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Caliendo, Marco and Fossen, Frank M. and Kritikos, Alexander}, title = {What Makes an Employer?}, series = {CEPA Discussion Papers}, journal = {CEPA Discussion Papers}, number = {13}, issn = {2628-653X}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43736}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-437360}, year = {2019}, abstract = {As the policy debate on entrepreneurship increasingly centers on firm growth in terms of job creation, it is important to better understand which variables influence the first hiring decision and which ones influence the subsequent survival as an employer. Using the German Socio-economic Panel (SOEP), we analyze what role individual characteristics of entrepreneurs play in sustainable job creation. While human and social capital variables positively influence the hiring decision and the survival as an employer in the same direction, we show that none of the personality traits affect the two outcomes in the same way. Some traits are only relevant for survival as an employer but do not influence the hiring decision, other traits even unfold a revolving door effect, in the sense that employers tend to fail due to the same characteristics that positively influenced their hiring decision.}, language = {en} } @techreport{KriegerPueschmann2019, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Krieger, Heike and P{\"u}schmann, Jonas}, title = {Securing of Resources as a Valid Reason for Using Force?}, series = {KFG Working Paper Series}, journal = {KFG Working Paper Series}, number = {31}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43573}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-435738}, pages = {24}, year = {2019}, abstract = {A growing demand for natural resources embedded in current changes of the international order will put pressure on states to secure the future availability of these resources. Some political discourses suggest that states might respond by challenging the foundations of international law. Whereas the UN Charter was inter alia aimed at eliminating uses of force for economic reasons, one may observe an on-going trend of securitization of matters of resource supply resulting into the revival of self-preservation doctrines. The chapter will show that those claims lack a normative foundation in the current framework of the prohibition of the use of force. Moreover, international law has sufficient instruments to cope with disputes over access to resources by other means than the use of force. The international community, therefore, must oppose claims that may contribute to normative uncertainties and strengthen already existing instruments of pacific settlement of disputes.}, language = {en} } @techreport{Jo2019, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Jo, Hyeran}, title = {Rise and Decline of International Rule of Law}, series = {KFG Working Paper Series}, journal = {KFG Working Paper Series}, number = {39}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43590}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-435900}, pages = {20}, year = {2019}, abstract = {This paper assesses the rise and decline of international rule of law in the case of non-state armed actors. Both signs of rise and signs of decline of international rule of law show in the case of non- state armed actors. Signs of rise include the expansion of coverage of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international criminal law, as well as international legal argumentation and rhetoric made by non-state armed groups. Some non-state armed actors express that they are governed by IHL in public statements or bilateral agreements with international actors, partly acknowledging universality of international humanitarian norms, and sometimes act as such. Signs of decline in the international rule of law also show - although some of them can be seen as business-as-usual - privileging of military advantage, instrumental use of international law (as justification and local interpretations), as well as conflicting understanding of IHL between local and global norms. The multiplicity of non-state actors also portends the decline of international rule of law, with the proliferation of many non-organized groups without legitimacy-seeking motivations.}, language = {en} } @techreport{Sandholtz2019, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Sandholtz, Wayne}, title = {Resurgent Authoritarianism and the International Rule of Law}, series = {KFG Working Paper Series}, journal = {KFG Working Paper Series}, number = {38}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43589}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-435899}, pages = {31}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Modern rule of law and post-war constitutionalism are both anchored in rights-based limitations on state authority. Rule-of-law norms and principles, at both domestic and international levels, are designed to protect the freedom and dignity of the person. Given this "thick" conception of the rule of law, authoritarian practices that remove constraints on domestic political leaders and weaken mechanisms for holding them accountable necessarily erode both domestic and international rule of law. Drawing on political science research on authoritarian politics, this study identifies three core elements of authoritarian political strategies: subordination of the judiciary, suppression of independent news media and freedom of expression, and restrictions on the ability of civil society groups to organize and participate in public life. According to available data, each of these three practices has become increasingly common in recent years. This study offers a composite measure of the core authoritarian practices and uses it to identify the countries that have shown the most marked increases in authoritarianism. The spread and deepening of these authoritarian practices in diverse regimes around the world diminishes international rule of law. The conclusion argues that resurgent authoritarianism degrades international rule of law even if this is defined as the specifically post-Cold War international legal order.}, language = {en} } @techreport{Nolte2019, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Nolte, Georg}, title = {How to Identify Customary International Law? - On the Final Outcome of the Work of the International Law Commission (2018)}, series = {KFG Working Paper Series}, journal = {KFG Working Paper Series}, number = {37}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43588}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-435884}, pages = {22}, year = {2019}, abstract = {How to identify customary international law is an important question of international law. The International Law Commission has in 2018 adopted a set of sixteen conclusions, together with commentaries, on this topic. The paper consists of three parts: First, the reasons are discussed why the Commission came to work on the topic "Identification of customary international law". Then, some of its conclusions are highlighted. Finally, the outcome of the work of the Commission is placed in a general context, before concluding.}, language = {en} } @techreport{CaliendoKuennWeissenberger2019, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Caliendo, Marco and K{\"u}nn, Steffen and Weißenberger, Martin}, title = {Catching up or Lagging Behind?}, series = {CEPA Discussion Papers}, journal = {CEPA Discussion Papers}, number = {12}, issn = {2628-653X}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43701}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-437012}, year = {2019}, abstract = {From an active labor market policy perspective, start-up subsidies for unemployed individuals are very effective in improving long-term labor market outcomes for participants. From a business perspective, however, the assessment of these public programs is less clear since they might attract individuals with low entrepreneurial abilities and produce businesses with low survival rates and little contribution to job creation, economic growth, and innovation. In this paper, we use a rich data set to compare participants of a German start-up subsidy program for unemployed individuals to a group of regular founders who started from nonunemployment and did not receive the subsidy. The data allows us to analyze their business performance up until 40 months after business formation. We find that formerly subsidized founders lag behind not only in survival and job creation, but especially also in innovation activities. The gaps in these business outcomes are relatively constant or even widening over time. Hence, we do not see any indication of catching up in the longer run. While the gap in survival can be entirely explained by initial differences in observable start-up characteristics, the gap in business development remains and seems to be the result of restricted access to capital as well as differential business strategies and dynamics. Considering these conflicting results for the assessment of the subsidy program from an ALMP and business perspective, policy makers need to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of such a strategy to find the right policy mix.}, language = {en} } @techreport{Neugebauer2019, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Neugebauer, Konrad}, title = {Holding Domestic Judges Accountable under International Criminal Law}, series = {KFG Working Paper Series}, journal = {KFG Working Paper Series}, number = {36}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43587}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-435877}, pages = {31}, year = {2019}, abstract = {This article explores, whether domestic judges might be held accountable under international criminal law (ICL). To date, international criminal justice has almost entirely focused on prosecuting political or military leaders. The Justice Case tried before the Nuremberg Military Tribunal in 1946 marks the most prominent exception. Prior to it, the judiciary - otherwise considered the epitome of justice - had mutated into a murderous machinery under Nazi rule. Judicial decisions do have far-reaching implications possibly constituting or contributing to international crimes. This holds true in a wide range of cases, for instance on practices of warfare and torture, on the use of certain weapon technologies, or on policies relating to minorities or racial segregation. I argue that domestic judges are accountable when engaging in international crimes. The article delves into technical aspects of criminal law; as well as the notions of judicial independence and immunity. While guaranteeing the rule of law, these two notions challenge the core idea of ICL: its equal application vis-{\`a}-vis all perpetrators of international crimes irrespective of official capacity. In order to differentiate due judicial conduct and its abuse in violation of ICL, I suggest a threshold a judicial act needs to exceed for entailing accountability for an international crime.}, language = {en} } @techreport{Sandholtz2019, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Sandholtz, Wayne}, title = {Human Rights Courts and Global Constitutionalism}, series = {KFG Working Paper Series}, journal = {KFG Working Paper Series}, number = {35}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43583}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-435831}, pages = {30}, year = {2019}, abstract = {International courts regularly cite each other, in part as a means of building legitimacy. Such international, cross-court use of precedent (or "judicial dialogue") among the regional human rights courts and the Human Rights Committee has an additional purpose and effect: the construction of a rights-based global constitutionalism. Judicial dialogue among the human rights courts is purposeful in that the courts see themselves as embedded in, and contributing to, a global human rights legal system. Cross-citation among the human rights courts advances the construction of rights-based global constitutionalism in that it provides a basic degree of coordination among the regional courts. The jurisprudence of the U.N. Human Rights Committee (HRC), as an authoritative interpreter of core international human rights norms, plays the role of a central focal point for the decentralized coordination of jurisprudence. The network of regional courts and the HRC is building an emergent institutional structure for global rights-based constitutionalism.}, language = {en} }