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”Thanks in Advance”
(2019)
This paper studies the effect of the commonly used phrase “thanks in advance” on compliance with a small request. In a controlled laboratory experiment we ask participants to give a detailed answer to an open question. The treatment variable is whether or not they see the phrase “thanks in advance.” Our participants react to the treatment by exerting less effort in answering the request even though they perceive the phrase as polite.
Inhalt 1. Öffentliche Unternehmen als ordnungspolitisches Problem 2. Positive Analyse und Neue Politische Ökonomik 2.1. Empirische Befunde zur Effizienzalternativer Produktion 2.2. Bürokratietheoretische Erklärungsansätze undModellerweiterungen 3. Normative Analyse und aktuelle Entwicklungen 3.1. Ordnungspolitische Konsequenzen:Privatisierung staatlicher Monopole undwettbewerbliche Marktöffnung 3.2. Natürliche Monopole als Liberalisierungshindernisse? 3.3. Liberalisierungsprozesse in einzelnen Sektoren 3.4. Ausblick und Perspektiven öffentlicher Unternehmen
Inhalt I. Einführung: Marktstruktur und Marktergebnisse II. Die Ausgestaltung der deutschen Rundfunkordnung durch dasBundesverfassungsgericht III. Gutseigenschaften und Marktbesonderheiten 1. Totales Marktversagen infolge öffentlicher Güter? 2. Externe Effekte des Rundfunkkonsums? 3. Rundfunk als meritorisches Gut? 4. Intransitive Präferenzen beim Rundfunkkonsum? 5. Asymmetrische Informationen im Rundfunkbereich? 6. Zwischenergebnis IV. Finanzierungsalternativen 1. Gebührenfinanzierung 2. Werbefinanzierung 3. Pay-TV 4. Zwischenergebnis V. Reformvorschläge zur deutschen Rundfunkordnung 1. Neubestimmung des öffentlich-rechtlichen Funktionsauftrages? 2. Finanzierung des öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunks durch die privaten Veranstalter? 3. Verzicht auf den öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunk? VI. Resümee
Wie verhandelt die Praxis?
(2015)
What Makes an Employer?
(2019)
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.
Inhalt 1. Einleitung und Begriffsklärung 2. Die Neue Institutionenökonomik als Grundlage der Analyse 3. Positive Theorie der Regulierung 3.1. Das Entscheidungsverhalten der Politiker 3.2. Der Einfluß von Interessengruppen 3.3. Der Einfluß der Bürokratie 3.4. Regulierungen zwischen Stabilität und Instabilität – eine dynamischeBetrachtung 4. Positive Analyse von Deregulierungen 4.1. Darstellung positiver Deregulierungsansätze 4.1.1. BECKERs Modell des Interessengruppenwettbewerbs 4.1.2. PELTZMANs Deregulierungsansatz 4.1.3. NORTHs Theorie des institutionellen Wandels 4.2. Determinanten von Deregulierungsprozessen 4.2.1. Notwendige und hinreichende Voraussetzungen für Deregulierungen 4.2.2. Technologische Faktoren 4.2.2.1. Technologische Neuerungen und Deregulierungen(dargestellt am Beispiel der Deregulierung des US-amerikanischenFerngesprächsbereichs) 4.2.2.2. Politökonomische Analyse 4.2.3. Ökonomische Faktoren 4.2.3.1. Globalisierung und Systemwettbewerb 4.2.3.2. Politökonomische Analyse 4.2.4. Politische Faktoren 4.2.4.1. Europäische Integration und Deregulierungen 4.2.4.2. Politökonomische Analyse 4.2.4.2.1. Die Europäische Kommission 4.2.4.2.2. Der Rat der EU (Ministerrat) 4.2.4.2.3. Das Europäische Parlament 4.2.4.2.4. Nationale Regierungen und Kompetenzverlagerungen 4.2.4.2.5. Der Europäische Gerichtshof 4.2.4.2.6. Organisierte Interessen 4.2.4.2.7. Fazit 5. Abschließende Bemerkungen
In der Stadtökonomie ergeben sich die Formen der sektoralen und der ringförmigen Stadtstruktur als mögliche Ergebnisse der Segregation von demographisch verschiedenen Haushalten mit Nachbarschaftsexternalitäten. Rose-Ackerman [1973] postuliert, dass die Ringstruktur die Folge der Minimierung der Grenzlänge zwischen schwarzen und weißen Haushalten sei. Diese Annahme wird in der New-Urban-Economics-Literatur recht häufig übernommen. In diesem Beitrag wird auf der Grundlage eines Alonso-Mills-Muth-Modells gezeigt, dass Rose-Ackermans Hypothese nur in Situationen zulässig ist, in denen eine Gruppe deutlich in der Minderheit ist. In der Mehrheit der möglichen Verhältnisse der Gruppengrößen ist eine sektorale Stadtstruktur vorteilhaft. Werden anstelle der Grenzlängen die an der Grenze anfallenden negativen Externalitäten verglichen, nimmt der Bereich der Gruppengrößenverhältnisse, in denen die Sektorstruktur vorteilhaft ist, noch zu.
The paper describes the exchange program in between the University of Wisconsin/ Milwaukee and the University of Potsdam in the field of economics. It discusses in detail the development of the program, including the problems and challenges. Additionally a brief description of the curriculum is presented. Then the future possibilities of the Transatlantic Degree Program (TDP) are discussed and the influences and problems of the Bologna process analysed.
Many European countries have experienced a significant increase of unemployment in recent years. This paper reviews several theoretical models that try to explain this phenomenon. Predominantly, these models claim a link between the poor performance of European labor markets and the high level of market regulation. Commonly referred to as the Eurosclerosis debate, prominent approaches consider insider-outsider relationships, search-models, and the influence of hiring and firing costs on equilibrium employment. The paper presents empirical evidence of each model and studies the relevance of the identified rigidities as a determinant of high unemployment in Europe. Furthermore, a case study analyzes the unemployment problem in Germany and critically discusses new reform efforts. In particular this section analyzes whether the recently enacted Hartz reforms can induce higher employment.
Real costs of freight transportation have strong increased in Russia particularly during the period of price liberalization 1992–93. This paper investigates possible connections between rising transport costs and the evolution of the size structure of the system of cities in the Russian Federation and its federal subjects. Empirical findings suggest that under conditions of a closed system agglomeration processes according to the predictions of the model of Tabuchi et al. (2005) would have taken place especially in the periphere regions of the North and Far East.
Inhalt 1 Einleitung 2 Transplantation und Effektivität/Effizienz von Institutionen 2.1 Institutionen und institutioneller Wandel 2.2 Pfadabhängigkeit der institutionellen Entwicklung 2.3 Inkonsistenz der institutionellen Entwicklung 2.4 Determinanten der Effektivität 2.5 Effizienz transplantierter Institutionen 3 Wettbewerbspolitik als Institution in Russland 3.1 Die institutionelle Verankerung der Wettbewerbspolitik 3.2 Marktstruktur und Wettbewerbspolitik 3.3 Maßnahmen der Wettbewerbspolitik 3.3.1 Kartellverbot 3.3.2 Missbrauchsaufsicht über marktbeherrschende Stellungen 3.3.3 Zusammenschlusskontrolle 3.4 Verstöße gegen das Wettbewerbsgesetz 3.5 Probleme der Wettbewerbspolitik 4 Welche Fehler hat Russland bei der Transplantationder Wettbewerbspolitik gemacht? 5 Ist eine mangelnde Effektivität von transplantierten Institutionenunvermeidlich? 6 Abschließende Bemerkungen
In 2015, Germany introduced a statutory hourly minimum wage that was not only universally binding but also set at a relatively high level. We discuss the short-run effects of this new minimum wage on a wide set of socio-economic outcomes, such as employment and working hours, earnings and wage inequality, dependent and self-employment, as well as reservation wages and satisfaction. We also discuss difficulties in the implementation of the minimum wage and the measurement of its effects related to non-compliance and suitability of data sources. Two years after the minimum wage introduction, the following conclusions can be drawn: while hourly wages increased for low-wage earners, some small negative employment effects are also identifiable. The effects on aspired goals, such as poverty and inequality reduction, have not materialized in the short run. Instead, a tendency to reduce working hours is found, which alleviates the desired positive impact on monthly income. Additionally, the level of non-compliance was substantial in the short run, thus drawing attention to problems when implementing such a wide-reaching policy.
In the first part of the report of the GTZ expert group an overview on the basics of integration and tax harmonisation within a common market is given. Chapter II. concentrates on the problems of national and international tax law regarding double taxation before the harmonisation process within the EU is described in detail. This process is not a best practice example but at least the experiences made in the course of the last five decades are interesting enough and might contribute important information for regions, which more or less recently have started a similar endeavour. The harmonisation needs are discussed for value added taxation (VAT), excise taxation, and income taxation. The problems of tax administrations, procedures laws, taxpayers’ rights and obligations as well as tax compliance are also taken into consideration. The second part of the study reviews the national tax systems within the EAC member countries. Before the single taxes are described in more detail, the macroeconomic situation is illuminated by some basic figures and the current stand of the inner-community integration analysed. Then the single tax bases and tax rates are confronted to shed some light on the necessities for the development of a common market within the near future. Again the value added tax laws, excise taxes and income taxes are discussed in detail, while regarding the latter the focus is on company taxation. For a better systematic analysis the national tax laws are confronted within an overview. The chapter is closed with a summary of the tax rates applied and a rough estimation of the tax burdens within the Partner States. The third part of this report contains the policy recommendations of the expert group following the same structures as the chapters before and presenting the results for the VAT, the excises and the corporate income tax (CIT). Additionally the requirements for tax procedures and administration as well as problems of transparency and information exchange are discussed in detail before the strategic recommendations are derived in close relation to the experiences made within the EU harmonisation process. The recommendations are based on the following normative arguments: (1) Tax harmonisation is a basic requirement for economic integration. (2) Equality of taxation is an imperative of tax justice and demands the avoidance of double taxation as well as the combat of tax evasion and corruption. (3) The avoidance of harmful tax competition between the Partner States. (4) The strengthening of taxpayers’ rights in tax procedures. Hence, all kinds of income, goods and services should be taxed once and only once.
In the recent years there are many researchs discussing the effects of trade policy (tariffs, subsidies etc.) in international trade. The results are manifold. Some authors show that trade policy has negative effects on welfare, some spatial economists demonstrate that trade policy can have positive effects on welfare. This paper considers the effects of the trade policy made by both countries participating in international trade in a spatial economic model. It can be showed that trade policy of both trade partners (tariffs of one country and export subsidies of the other country) can improve the world welfare in comparison with free trade.
Contents: Actors, Markets and Interest Groups in Health Services Private and Social Health Insurance in a Simple Model Misallocation and Malpractice in Social Health Care and Insurances -The UK Health Care System -The German Social Health Insurance System -Current Discussions: Intertemporal Perspective and Fundamental Change Interplay of Public and Private Health Insurance: Lessons for Countries in Transition Summary: The Necessary Steps to a Fundamental Reform
In der aktuellen Politik ist seit Beginn der neuen Legislaturperiode Subventionsabbau Gegenstand der politischen Auseinandersetzung. Im Zusammenhang mit der so genannten Ökosteuer ist Ende der 1990er Jahre schon einmal eine ausgiebige Diskussion über die Bedeutung von Subventionen im Transportsektor geführt worden. Eine konsequente theoretische Abhandlung zu diesem Thema liefert dabei Bröcker (1998): Er ermittelt die Wirkungen von Subventionen für den Transportsektor im Rahmen eines räumlichen Marktmodells und zeigt für eine spezifische Wettbewerbssituation, dass bei einer von mehreren möglichen Preissetzungsstrategien Subventionen in einem bestimmten Ausmaß nicht nur die Wohlfahrt erhöhen, sondern dass das Ausmaß der wohlfahrtsmaximierenden Subventionen mit etwa 70 % der entfernungsabhängigen Transportkosten durchaus ein hohes Niveau erreicht. In diesem Beitrag werden für eine andere Wettbewerbsform, nämlich Löschwettbewerb, und drei verschiedene Preisstrategien sowohl kurzfristige als langfristige Wohlfahrtseffekte von Subventionen analysiert. Dabei zeigt sich, dass eine kurzfristige Wohlfahrtsmaximierung langfristig die Wohlfahrt sogar mindern kann, während langfristig optimale Subventionen von Fixkosten bestimmt werden.
Studiengebühren
(2006)
Inhalt: Grundsystematik und Kostenkomponenten der Hochschulbildung -Grundstruktur der Hochschulbildung -Kostenkomponenten eines Hochschulstudiums Status Quo der Finanzierung der Hochschulbildung in Deutschland Das Pro und Kontra der Gebührenlösung Alternative Finanzierungsmodelle -Voll- oder Teilkostenfinanzierung -Staatliche und private Finanzierungsanteile -Pauschale oder differenzierte Kostenanlastung -Vor- oder nachgelagerte Studienfinanzierung: private Kreditfinanzierungsprogramme, staatliche Kreditfinanzierungsprogramme, nachgelagerte Finanzierungssysteme im Ausland Sind Änderungen in der Finanzierung notwendig und gerechtfertigt?
This paper analyses the structural change in Russia during the transition from the planned to a market economy. With regard to the famous three sector hypothesis, broad economic sectors were formed as required by this theory. The computation of their shares at GNP at market prices using Input-Output tables, and the adjustment of results from distortions, generated as side effects of tax avoidance practices, shows results that clearly reject claims that Russia would be on the road to a post-industrial service economy. Instead, at least until 2001, a tendency of "primarisation" could be observed, that presents Russia closer to less-developed countries.
A casual look at regional unemployment rates reveals that there are vast differences, which cannot be explained by different institutional settings. Our paper attempts to trace these differences in the labor market performance back to the regions' specialization in products that are more or less advanced in their product cycle. The model we develop shows how individual profit and utility maximization endogenously yields higher employment levels in the beginning. In later phases, however, employment decreases in the presence of process innovation. Our model suggests that the only way to escape from this vicious circle is to specialize in products that are at the beginning of their "economic life". The model is based on an interaction of demand and supply side forces.
Being ignorant of key aspects of a strategic interaction can represent an advantage rather than a handicap. We study one particular context in which ignorance can be beneficial: iterated strategic interactions in which voluntary cooperation may be sustained into the final round if players voluntarily forego knowledge about the time horizon. We experimentally examine this option to remain ignorant about the time horizon in a finitely repeated two-person prisoners’ dilemma game. We confirm that pairs without horizon knowledge avoid the drop in cooperation that otherwise occurs toward the end of the game. However, this effect is superposed by cooperation declining more rapidly in pairs without horizon knowledge during the middle phase of the game, especially if players do not know that the other player also wanted to remain ignorant of the time horizon.
Steuern in Fragilen Staaten
(2010)
Fragile states are characterized by institutions which do not have the political will or ability to reduce poverty in the interests of their citizen, to establish basic social security, to promote a successful development process, and to guarantee security and human rights. The regional disintegration processes after the period of imperialism and the fall of the iron curtain have created many new states, which still are politically unstable and unable for a sustainable development. In the literature such states are describes as "weak", "failing or failed", "collapsed", "conflict or post-conflict" - dependant on the extent of the particular state failure. Several indicators try to describe such states and partly allow for projections of the future development. Then the role of taxation is discussed in detail before recommendations for the development cooperation are presented. Obviously taxation plays a key role for the democratization process in fragile states.
This paper gives a review on the theoretical foundation for fiscal decentralisation and a status quo analysis of the intergovernmental relations in Mongolia. It consists of two parts. Part I briefly reviews the theories of fiscal decentralisation and its impact on the nations’ welfare considering the major challenges for a transition economy. Part II of the paper describes the general structure and scope of the government and examines the current fiscal autonomy in Mongolia focusing on the four main areas of intergovernmental relations. This paper concludes that local governments in Mongolia are still far away from having the political, administrative and fiscal autonomy. New approaches for the assignments of expenditures and revenues in Mongolia are urgently needed.
Stadtstruktur und Umwelt
(2011)
Staatliche Belastungen von Nutzfahrzeugen in Europa im Lichte der ökologischen Zielkonformität
(2006)
Inhalt: Abgaben auf Nutzfahrzeuge in Europa -Abgaben auf den Erwerb und das Inverkehrbringen: Zulassungssteuer, Zulassungsgebühren -Abgaben auf den Besitz: Kraftfahrzeugsteuer, Versicherungssteuer -Abgaben auf die Nutzung: Mineralölsteuer, Straßenbenutzungsabgaben -Gesamtabgaben im europäischen Vergleich Anforderungen an ökologisch motivierte Abgaben im Verkehrssektor -Die Sonderstellung des Verkehrssektors: Verkehrsinfrastruktur als öffentliches Gut, Bereitstellung von Straßeninfrastruktur als natürliches Monopol, das Phänomen externer Effekte -Kosten und Externalitäten im Verkehrssektor: Infrastrukturkosten, Umweltkosten, Unfallkosten, Staukosten -Die Pigou-Steuer als "first best" Lösung -Anwendbarkeit der Pigou-Steuer im Straßengüterverkehr: Abgabenerhebung auf Grenzkostenbasis – pro und contra, Messbarkeit externer Effekte, Ausgestaltung einer Abgabe auf Grenzkostenbasis -Rechtlicher europäischer Rahmen: die Eurovignettenrichtlinie, Vorschlag zur Änderung der Eurovignettenrichtlinie, Bewertung der Eurovignettenrichtlinie und des Änderungsvorschlags Die ökologische Zielkonformität der bestehenden Abgabensysteme -Zulassungsabgaben -Kfz-Steuer: die österreichische Kraftfahrzeugsteuer, die Motorfahrzeugsteuern in der Schweiz, die deutsche Kfz-Steuer -Mineralölsteuer -Straßenbenutzungsabgaben: die Lkw Maut in Österreich, die leistungsabhängige Schwerverkehrsabgabe in der Schweiz, die deutsche Lkw Maut, Vergleich der entfernungsabhängigen Straßenbenutzungsabgaben
Usually, in monocentric city models, the spatial patterns of segregated ethnic groups are assumed to be ring-shaped, whereas in the 1930ies Hoyt showed that empirically wedge-shaped areas predominate. In contrast to Rose-Ackerman.s discussion of the in.uence within a ring-shaped pattern which the aversion which different households in the context of racism have, Yinger showed that, depending on the population mix, a wedge-shaped pattern may arise if it is border length which causes the spatial pattern. In this contribution, a simulation based on a monocentric city model with two or more different household groups is used to derive spatial patterns. Wedge-shaped segregation is shown to be the result of positive externalities among similar households. Differences between households only lead to ring-shaped patterns if the e¤ect of a city center on spatial structure dominates neighborhood e¤ects. If more than two groups of households are being considered, mixed patterns of concentric and wedge-shaped areas arise.
In this paper we develop a spatial Cournot trade model with two unequally sized countries, using the geographical interpretation of the Hotelling line. We analyze the trade and welfare effects of international trade between these two countries. The welfare analysis indicates that in this framework the large country benefits from free trade and the small country may be hurt by opening to trade. This finding is contrary to the results of Shachmurove and Spiegel (1995) as well as Tharakan and Thisse (2002), who use related models to analyze size effects in international trade, where the small country usually gains from trade and the large country may lose.
Revisiting public investment
(2004)
The consumption equivalence method is the theoretical basis of public cost-benefit analysis. Consumption equivalence public capital prices are explicitly introduces in order to sufficiently care for the opportunity cost of public expenditure. This can solve the dispute about the social rate of discount within public cost-benefit analysis witch was generated on a criterion looking similar to the capital value formula, known as Lind’s approach. The social rate of discount is liberated from opportunity costs considerations and the discounting away of the effects for future welfare vanishes. The corresponding question whether one should accept a positive value of the pure rate of social time preference is an old issue. Its current state between the prescriptive and descriptive view can also be interpreted as a consequence of the oversimplification of standard cost– benefit analysis. But apart from an economic self-process the pure rate of social time preference is also defined as a business-as-usual value of social distance discounting. Hence, a political choice has to be made about this rate which is free in principal.
Looking at smoking-behavior it can be shown that there are differences concerning the time-preference-rate. Therefore this has an effect on the optimal schooling decision in the way that we appear a lower average human capital level for smokers. According to a higher time-preference-rate additionally we suppose a higher return to education for smokers who go further on education. With our empirical findings we can confirm the presumptions. We use interactions-terms to regress the average rate of return with IV. Therefore we obtain that smokers have a significantly higher average return to education than non-smokers.
Inhalt 1 Ausgangslage 2 Regional- und industriepolitische Maßnahmen 2.1 Begriffliche Vorbemerkungen 2.2 Wichtige Maßnahmenbereiche 2.3 Brutto- und Nettotransfers 3 Auswirkungen 4 Regional- und industriepolitische Reformalternativen 4.1 Fortführung der Solidarpakts 4.2 Sonderwirtschaftszone Ost 4.3 Förderung der Infrastruktur 5 Fazit
We examine the effects of regionalising the budget of unemployment insurance (UI) on wages, employment, and on UI parameters, which, for their part, determine the agents’ preferences concerning such a reform. A numerical example shows that, under reasonable assumptions, the intuition that the reform would enhance efficiency and improve the economic situation of agents from the low- unemployment region to the disadvantage of agents from the high- unemployment region is not valid in general.
Public pensions in the U.S.
(2005)
Contents: The Public Old Age Insurance of the U.S. -Historical overview -Technical details -Individual equity and social adequacy The Economic Problem of Old Age -Risks and economic security -Old age, retirement, and idividual precaution -Insurance markets, market failures, and social insurance -Options for public pension systems The Problems of Social Security -The financial balance of OASDI -Causes of the long-run problems -Rates of return -Conclusion - The case for Social Security reform Proposed Remedies -Full, partial, or no privatization? -The President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security -Kotlikoff's Personal Security System -The Diamond-Orszag Three-Part plan
Textbook wisdom says that competition yields lower prices and higher consumer surplus than monopoly. We show in two versions of a simple location-product differentiation model with and without endogenous choice of products that these two results have to be qualified. In both models, more than half of the reasonable parameter values lead to higher prices with duopoly than with monopoly. If the product characteristics are exogenous to the firms, consumers may even be be better off with monopoly in average.
The paper is based on an individual life-cycle model, which describes the purely economic components of human capital. The present value of human capital is determined by all future income flows, which at the same time constitute the individual as well as the total tax base of a nation. Therefore, the income of the productive population determines the total tax revenue, which is spent for public goods (including education) and transfers (for poverty reduction). The efficient design of the education system (by private and public education investments) determines the quality of the human capital stock as well as the future gross income flows. The costs of public goods and the transfer expenditures have to be financed from the total tax revenue, which also affects the individual tax burden via the specific tax bases and tax rates. Especially the redistribution of income is connected with serious disincentives, influencing the preferences for work and leisure as well as for consumption and saving. An efficient tax and transfer system being accompanied by an education system financed in public private partnership, which treats equally labor and capital income, sets positive incentives for the formation of human, financial, and real capital. An important prerequisite for a sustainable growth process is the efficient design of the social security system, being based on the family as well as a collective risk equalization scheme. If that system is diminishing absolute poverty in an appropriate time period by transfers and vocational education measures for the grown-up as well as high quality primary, secondary and tertiary education programs for the children, the transfer expenditure would decrease and the tax bases (income and consumption) increase, lowering the burden on the productive population. For the first time, this micro model presented in this paper pools all the relevant variables for development within a simple life-cycle model, which can also be used for a powerful analysis of the current failures in existing tax and transfer schemes and fruitful empirical investigations. Hence, an efficient tax and transfer scheme strongly contributes to an improved national position in the global competition.
We use panel data from Germany to analyze the effect of population density on urban air pollution (nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and ozone). To address unobserved heterogeneity and omitted variables, we present long difference/fixed effects estimates and instrumental variables estimates, using historical population and soil quality as instruments. Our preferred estimates imply that a one-standard deviation increase in population density increases air pollution by 3-12%.
Optimal spatial patterns of two, three and four segregated household groups in a monocentric city
(2004)
Usually, in monocentric city models the spatial patterns of segregated household groups are assumed to be ring-shaped, while early in the 1930ies Hoyt showed that wedge-shaped areas empirically predominate. This contribution presents a monocentric city model with different household groups generating positive externalities within the groups. At first, border length is founded as a criterion of optimality. Secondly, it is shown that mixed patterns of concentric and wedge-shaped areas represent multiple equilibria if more than two groups of households are being considered. The welfare optimal segregated pattern depends on the relative purchasing power of different household groups.
The German start-up subsidy (SUS) program for the unemployed has recently undergone a major make-over, altering its institutional setup, adding an additional layer of selection and leading to ambiguous predictions of the program’s effectiveness. Using propensity score matching (PSM) as our main empirical approach, we provide estimates of long-term effects of the post-reform subsidy on individual employment prospects and labor market earnings up to 40 months after entering the program. Our results suggest large and persistent long-term effects of the subsidy on employment probabilities and net earned income. These effects are larger than what was estimated for the pre-reform program. Extensive sensitivity analyses within the standard PSM framework reveal that the results are robust to different choices regarding the implementation of the weighting procedure and also with respect to deviations from the conditional independence assumption. As a further assessment of the results’ sensitivity, we go beyond the standard selection-on-observables approach and employ an instrumental variable setup using regional variation in the likelihood of receiving treatment. Here, we exploit the fact that the reform increased the discretionary power of local employment agencies in allocating active labor market policy funds, allowing us to obtain a measure of local preferences for SUS as the program of choice. The results based on this approach give rise to similar estimates. Thus, our results indicating that SUS are still an effective active labor market program after the reform do not appear to be driven by “hidden bias”.
Der vorgestellte Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die gegenwärtige Hochschulfinanzierung in Deutschland; kürzlich haben einige Bundesländer Studiengebühren eingeführt, die zu einer teilweisen Finanzierung der Studienkosten beitragen sollen. Im II. Kapitel werden außerdem kurz die finanziellen Strukturen der tertiären Ausbildung in den OECD-Ländern beschrieben. Dabei geht es vor allem um die Kostenaufteilung zwischen öffentlichem und privatem Sektor. Im III. Kapitel werden dann die Verteilungswirkungen des gegenwärtigen Finanzierungssystems kritisch hinterfragt. Dabei wird auch auf den Lebenseinkommensvorteil einer Hochschulausbildung im Detail eingegangen, bevor dann mögliche Auswirkungen einer Gebührenfinanzierung diskutiert werden. Es wird deutlich hervor gehoben, dass die Einführung von Studiengebühren in eine umfassende hochschul- und bildungspolitische Strategie eingebettet sein muss, damit eine negative Selektionswirkung auf die Jugendlichen aus Haushalten mit prekären Einkommen vermieden wird.
Migration in Großstädten
(2000)
In der Literatur zur Migration wird häufig die Bedeutung von Migrationsnetzwerken hervorgehoben. Diese erleichtern den Migranten nicht nur die Wanderung selbst, sondern beeinflussen auch ihre Ansiedlung im Aufnahmegebiet. In diesem Beitrag wird die Bedeutung und Wirkung solcher Migrationsnetzwerke für die aktuellen Stadtstrukturen von Großstädten der westeuropäischen Staaten am Beispiel Deutschlands untersucht. Sie begünstigen Segregationserscheinungen in den Einwanderungsstädten, die sich bislang vor allem auf Innenstadtgebiete konzentrierten. In dieser Arbeit werden basierend auf einem mikroökonischen Modell der Stadt Aussagen über die Veränderung räumlicher Siedlungsmuster in den Einwanderungsstädten dargestellt. Dabei erfährt die empirische Beobachtung, dass innenstadtgelegene Gebiete mit hohem Migrantenanteilen sich bis zu den Stadträndern ausweiten, eine theoretische Begründung.