bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulierung, Lebenszufriedenheit und Arbeitsplatzsicherheit Eine Analyse auf Basis von internationalen Umfrage- und Regulierungsdaten
Authors: Enste Dominik H. , Hardege Stefan
Published: April 2016

Individual well-being is mostly measured by income so that non-monetary dimensions are not accounted for. To complement the analysis of wellbeing, survey-based data concerning satisfaction with life and happiness are used. These surveys include variables like health, social capital, regulation density and job security. An international comparison shows that the perceived job security is significantly lower in Germany than in many other European countries - even though the government aims to foster job security via regulatory measures like strict employment protection legislation. Contrary to political intention, the survey suggests that tight regulation does not correspond with a high degree of perceived job security. The latter seems to be stronger influenced by indicators like labor market performance and individual qualification.
Auswirkungen der Eigentumsformen und des Mieterschutzes auf die Wohnungsqualität – Eine empirische Analyse basierend auf SOEP
Authors: Takakura Hiroki
Published: April 2016

This paper considers the effect of rental externality and protection of tenants on housing quality. Rental externality means that the quality of renter-occupied housing is lower than that of owner-occupied housing, because asymmetrical information prevents the proper functioning of the rental contract, which obliges a tenant to repair completely the housing. Protection of tenants can also reduce the quality of the accommodation, because the protection can cause a decrease in profitability for the landlord and overutilization of the dwelling by tenants. Using the ordered logit model and the panel logit model with Garman Socio-Economic Panel, I obtained the empirical results that support theoretical predictions, although the quality of rental housing in Germany is relatively good.
Pointing Fingers: Why People Hold Corporations Responsible
Authors: Leroch Martin A.
Published: April 2016

Social incentives, e. g. holding others responsible, are a major but in economics rarely discussed element of norm enforcement. I argue they are intimately tied to sentiments towards the assumed causers of a specific outcome. If, in case of joint actions, individual causers are not identifiable, a group as a whole may be held responsible. Those collective entities serve as ‘scapegoat’ and thus relieve those involved from their empathetic distress. Consequently, the ascription of responsibility is easily flawed and not reliable. Policy recommendations calling on the responsibility of the actors should thus be dispensed with.
Offene Arbeitsmärkte als Mittel und Ziel einer modernen Sozialpolitik
Authors: Roth Steffen J.
Published: April 2016

The interdependence between labour market policy and social policy can be interpreted in different ways. The dualistic approach sees social policy as a counterpart to labour market policy, especially if the latter is exclusively interpreted as the means for achieving an efficient design of factor markets. By contrast, constitutional economics introduces the concept of a “social policy for the market” by emphasizing the mutual gains that can be reaped if the interdependence between social and labour market policies is properly taken into account. Achieving an efficient design of markets thus requires a corresponding social policy framework. This article reminds of a third perspective: The efficient design of markets is never an end in itself. Overcoming social hardship, however, is a respectable goal. The author first develops a concept of social policy that draws on market-based processes to achieve its goals before applying this concept to the problem of structural long-term unemployment.
Die ökonomischen Wirkungen der Förderung erneuerbarer Energien: Erfahrungen aus Deutschland
Authors: Frondel Manuel , Ritter Nolan , Schmidt Christoph M. , Vance Colin
Published: April 2016

The allure of an environmentally benign, abundant, and cost-effective energy source has led an increasing number of industrialized countries to back public financing of renewable energies. Germany’s experience with renewable energy promotion is often cited as a model to be replicated elsewhere, being based on a combination of far-reaching energy and environmental laws that stretch back nearly two decades. This paper critically reviews the centerpiece of this effort, the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), focusing on its costs and the associated implications for job creation and climate protection. We argue that German renewable energy policy, and in particular the adopted feed-in-tariff scheme, has failed to harness the market incentives needed to ensure a viable and cost-effective introduction of renewable energies into the country’s energy portfolio. To the contrary, the government’s support mechanisms have in many respects subverted these incentives, resulting in massive expenditures that show little long-term promise for stimulating the economy and protecting the environment.
Zur Kartellbildung im Gasmarkt: Status quo und Perspektiven
Authors: Sander Carsten
Published: April 2016

In the past few years the idea of a potential cartel in the natural gas market has emerged and was hyped in the media. Recently, the main producing countries under the leadership of Russia have built a formalized organisation to strengthen cooperation. Since then, regular meetings of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) have taken place. Especially in Europe, where import dependency will rise within the next decades, the stronger coordination has amplified the already existing fears of collusive behaviour. A closer look, however, reveals numerous obstacles that make a full-fledged cartel controlling prices by setting production quotas rather improbable at this time. Nevertheless, producers’ attempt for more coordination should not be ignored.
Umweltzölle, fairer Wettbewerb und Klimaschutz: Ökozölle und ein besserer globaler Klimavertrag
Authors: Ekardt Felix
Published: April 2016

The paper offers an innovative structure for a future transnational climate policy beyond the Kyoto Protocol (and criticizes the overall methodology of climate economics), but mainly assesses the possibilities for a strongly extended pioneering role of the European Union - secured by complementary border adjustments for imports and exports. Border adjustments do not discriminate against anybody in global free markets and therefore do not violate WTO rules, as they make sure that whoever refuses to protect the climate will not be granted an unfair advantage by eco-dumping. Border adjustments do not spare us to rethink our way of life. But border adjustments allow the EU to act as a role model for countries like China, India and or the USA in advancing an effective and social (and economically prospering) climate policy. This may be the only way to stimulate action for a global, effective and social climate policy.
Umweltzölle – Das kleinere Übel?
Authors: Löschel Andreas
Published: April 2016

This article looks at the impacts of climate policy on international competitiveness and Carbon Leakage and the role of environmental tariffs. More specifically, it analyzes the current climate debate and illustrates potential future challenges in implementing environmental tariffs. It argues that environmental tariffs are not the least evil among the different trade measures as a means of protecting domestic industry.
Lehren aus der Krise
Authors: Schmidt Christoph M.
Published: April 2016

Three lessons have emerged from the experience of the recent crisis for future economic policy. First, when a crisis of this severity strikes, governments and central banks must be prepared to engage quickly and decisively into countervailing measures. Second, as the world economy has been stabilizing gradually, they now need to orchestrate a careful exit from the extraordinary monetary and fiscal policy stimuli taken, in a way that does not jeopardize the fragile process of recovery. In this difficult balancing act, governments must adamantly reduce their very high structural budget deficits. And third, governments are responsible for facilitating a steep growth path for the aggregate economy, preferably by safeguarding competition and investing into physical and human infrastructure. Above all, national policies need to be consistently embedded into an international perspective.
Konjunkturabhängigkeit der Gesetzlichen Rentenversicherung am Beispiel der aktuellen Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise
Authors: Börsch-Supan Axel , Gasche Martin , Wilke Christina Benita
Published: April 2016

The financial and economic crisis has drawn attention again on the question how sensitive the German public pension system (Gesetzliche Rentenversicherung) reacts to cyclical shocks. We identify three important channels through which business cycle movements may affect the pension system: (1) An effect caused by changes in the wage sum of the insured labour force (Beitragsgrundlageneffekt), (2) an effect caused by changes in the size of the government subsidy (Bundeszuschusseffekt) and (3) an effect caused by changes in the size of the annual pension adjustments (Rentenanpassungseffekt). We quantify these effects for the current financial and economic crisis using a detailed simulation model of the German pension system (MEA-PENSIM). Our simulation results show that the public pension system is able to cope with cyclical shocks in the sense that there are no longrun effects on the pension benefit level or the contribution rate. This cyclical stability is inherent in the system’s pension adjustment formular that links the size of benefits to the development of wages. However, it can be shown that cyclical shocks lead to increases in the contribution rate in the short and medium run. The new law that was passed in spring 2009, which forbids a decrease in nominal pension adjustments in case of decreasing wages (Rentengarantie), extends and intensifies these negative short and medium run effects because it partially offsets the automatic stability mechanism via the wage orientated pension adjustment formula.
Energie 2020: Der Weg in die Energieplanwirtschaft
Authors: Haucap Justus
Published: April 2016

A Europeanisation of energy policies is desirable because the three main objectives of energy policy (climate protection, security of supply and competitiveness) have cross-border impacts. Hence, it is good that the European Union has been granted a competence for energy policy in the article 194 of the Lisbon treaty. In addition, it is good that the European Commission has published its long-term strategy to stabilize expectations which is important for infrastructure investment. It is regrettable though that price signals, competition and market principles only play a minor role for the Commission while rather doubtful objectives such as fostering energy efficiency and promoting renewable dominate the agenda. The Commission’s strategy is mainly characterized by bureaucratic dirigisme, intense regulation, state planning and public subsidies. The road to a centrally planned energy industry is being walked down fast.
Das deutsche Glücksspielmonopol – Eine ordnungspolitische und rechtsökonomische Analyse
Authors: Engel Martin , Hornuf Lars
Published: April 2016

The article investigates the attempt by the German legislator to monopolize the national gambling market. Since January 2008, the new gambling treaty aims to organize the gambling market in a well-regulated manner as well as to reduce gambling addiction. An analysis of the market structure reveals that the treaty lacks a reasonable economic justification. Moreover, an empirical investigation of current market practices shows that the prohibition of online gambling has led to various monopoly avoidance strategies on the part of both the German gambling industry and gamblers themselves. Finally, the new regulation faces various legal challenges with respect to the EU Services Directive. The article proposes an alternative regulation, which may overcome the current economic and legal difficulties.
Das Wettmonopol in Deutschland: Status quo und Reformansätze
Authors: Maschke Mario , Schmidt Ulrich
Published: April 2016

This paper focuses on the legal monopoly for sporting bets in Germany. We analyze the pricing behavior of the monopolist ODDSET and find that typical pricing inefficiencies on betting markets are reinforced under the monopoly. This result in conjunction with the decreasing tax revenue may motivate a liberalization of betting markets in Germany. We consider several tax designs for a liberalized market and favor gross earnings as tax base.
Sozialkapital in Deutschland – eine empirische Analyse der Genese und Wirkungen
Authors: Itzenplitz Anja , Seifferth-Schmidt Nicole
Published: April 2016

Our aim is to review the concept of social capital and to examine its genesis and effects empirically. Contrary to other authors, we analyze structural and cultural components as well. An extensive investigation of social capital in Germany shows, that not only personal factors but also cultural, social and economic aspects are relevant for its spread and extent. Since they exert a distinct influence, the effects are also different for economic growth, mobility, satisfaction and health. Due to the fact, that social capital is a multilayer concept, there is no single component that can be seen as a proxy as literature widely does. It thus requires a more comprehensive analysis.
Zum so genannten freien Wettbewerb und dem vermeintlichen Verbot vertikaler Kartelle im EU-Wettbewerbsrecht
Authors: Fuders Felix
Published: April 2016

Although a lot has been philosophised about the relationship between competition and freedom, especially in the Freiburg School of Economics, there is still no universal or generally accepted definition of so-called free competition. The article attempts to find such a definition based on the Kantian notion of freedom. The definition found then seems to make necessary a new assessment of the prohibition of vertical agreements in EU competition law.
Verteilungskonflikte durch die Klimaschutzpolitik – Verschärft die EU die Hungerproblematik?
Authors: Klepper Gernot , Lange Mareike
Published: April 2016

Climate change is one of the grand challenges of this century, but so is the eradication of hunger which is still present for roughly one billion people mainly in tropical countries. Both climate change and climate mitigation have an impact on the availability of food, especially in those regions that are particularly poor. Climate change is expected to affect most strongly the tropical regions thus reducing further the availability of suitable production conditions for agriculture. Climate mitigation can reduce the climate induced risk to food security, at the same time it has also a negative impact on food prices. First of all, climate policies raise the cost of energy which is an important component of the cost of agriculture. More importantly, many countries join the EU in supporting bioenergy production which directly competes with food production thus raising food prices. The world’s poor are most affected by such price increases since they spend most of their income on food products. Thus, increasing food prices directly translate into increasing hunger for those people. The current EU bioenergy policies are not yet strong enough to have a large impact on world markets. However, in the future bioenergy may pose a threat to food security for the poor.
Internalisierung der externen Effekte von CO2-Emissionen
Authors: Eekhoff Johann , Vossler Christian
Published: April 2016

The authors analyze the question which measures will be most efficient in reducing CO2-Emissions if a country has chosen a reduction target. They compare the possibilities of using taxes or subsidies to internalize externalities. They assert that internalizing externalities through subsidies is not possible in a consistent way and will create new distortions in the economy, in contrast to a tax approach. Additionally, the tax approach leads to increasing state revenues which can be used to improve the allocation in the whole economy. Therefore the tax approach should be expended and redeem existing subsidies.
Dynamisierung der Rente: Was ist die beste Rentenanpassungsformel?
Authors: Gasche Martin , Kluth Sebastian
Published: April 2016

Due to its complexity and incomprehensibility the mechanism for the annual pension adjustment has experienced rising criticism. We compare the actual formula and alternative adjustment proposals on the basis of different criteria. It will become evident that the current formula is better than its reputation suggests. However, a salary indexed adjustment formula extended to include a sustainability factor presents a valid alternative. Such a formula is coherent and predictable, it guarantees pensioners’ participation in the technological progress, it balances the opposing goals of stable contribution rates and stable replacement rates, it limits intergenerational inequality and leads to a self stabilizing pension system. Adjustment formulas that are indexed to the wage bill or the inflation rate turn out to be less appropriate because they don’t adequately account for future demographic changes.
Gefährdung der Solidarität oder Aufbruch in die Moderne? Die Auswirkungen der Tarifpluralität auf den deutschen Arbeitsmarkt
Authors: Bachmann Ronald , Henssler Martin , Schmidt Christoph M. , Talmann Anna
Published: April 2016

As a consequence of a ruling of the Federal Labour Court in 2010, the German labour market entered a new regime, allowing multiple unions to operate in the same firm. This alteration has instigated an intense debate about its possible consequences for labour relations. We examine the conceptual and empirical basis for this concern. Our analysis does not lead us to expect an important increase neither in the foundation of occupational unions nor in strike activities. We therefore argue that multi-unionism should be viewed as a natural feature of German industrial relations.
Drohende Altersarmut – neue Aufgaben für die Rentenversicherung?
Authors: Goebel Jan
Published: April 2016

The article gives an overview of the current development of old-age pover ty in Germany and classifies widely discussed concepts for the reform of statutory pension insurance. Although current indicators generally point to an increase in old-age poverty, the empirical data show no growth at present in poverty risk for persons aged 65 and older. However, it is expected that the income position of older people will be worsen due to the declining pension payments of new retirees and the increase in discontinuous employment trajectories as well as the insufficient spread in private old age provision.

One of the reforms discussed for preventing rising poverty risks in old age is to consider life expectancy in the pension formula. This appears to be a promising means of reducing inequality within the group of pensioners. The implicit redistribution within the statutory pension system due to the empirically well-known correlation between living standards and life expectancy will decrease, and the equivalence principle can be strengthened.
Finanzausgleichsbedingte Einheitslasten der Länder – eine empirische Schätzung am Beispiel Nordrhein-Westfalens
Authors: Döring Thomas , Blume Lorenz
Published: April 2016

In Germany there exists a political consensus that the economic and fiscal burden of the German reunification should be shared by all three jurisdictional levels of the federal system. According to existing law the burden sharing between the state and local authorities has to be confined to the excess burden which follows from the financing of the German Unity Fund as well as the integration of the eastern German states into the fiscal equalisation system. Thereby, state and local authorities are in conflict with each other regarding an appropriate economic estimation of the excess burden to be caused by the fiscal equalization system. Against this background the paper explains and illustrates the economic concept of burden in terms of opportunity costs. Taking North Rhine-Westphalia as a case study the quantity of the excess burden is empirically estimated for the time period 1995 - 2009 by applying a multivariate data analysis.
Wie finanzieren sich Völkergemeinschaften? Vom Kaiserreich zur Eurokrise – Drei Modelle im Vergleich
Authors: Blankart Charles B.
Published: April 2016

Five eras of multilevel public finance are discussed: the German Kaiserreich, the Weimar Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union before and after the euro crisis. Multilevel systems can work efficiently as long as they are organized according to the principle of institutional congruence where the circles of beneficiaries, decision makers and tax payers coincide. Systems of institutional incongruence, in contrast, are prone to cost shifting and long-run unsustainability. Their dynamics often end in a deadlock in which citizens opt for a unitary state dispensing them from the burden of choice without providing them a stable budget.
Die PKV im Spagat zwischen freiheitlichem Versicherungssystem und sozialpolitischer Verantwortung
Authors: Spahn Jens
Published: April 2016

The Dual system in Germany with its separation between statutory health insurance (Gesetzlicher Krankenversicherung or GKV) and private health insurance (Privater Krankenversicherung or PKV) is a special feature when compared to other European systems. A series of regulatory changes by the legislature have to some degree made it possible for people to move within the systems and between the two systems. The fact that only civil servants, the self-employed and high-earners may insure themselves privately no longer can be historically explained. An increasing number of insured see contributions to private health insurances rise dramatically and they cannot afford to pay them anymore. Therefore, the question of the future of private health insurances is primarily a socio-political issue. Each insured person must be entitled to an affordable access to a health insurance, whether public or private, that includes all necessary medical services and medical innovations.
EU Regionalförderung: Ziele, Diagnose ihrer Wirkung und Empfehlungen für die Zukunft
Authors: Egger Peter H. , Ehrlich Maximilian von
Published: April 2016

In this paper we summarize recent research on the effects of European regional policy. Results point to a positive effect of this policy on average. One Euro spent even tends to generate more than one Euro in return in terms of GDP. However, the response varies drastically across recipient regions. First of all, there is evidence of existence of an optimum funding ratio (funds allocated relative to recipient GDP) where one Euro invested generates one Euro of return. About 36 percent of the regions receive higher funding than that, where one Euro generates less than one Euro of return (and, eventually, no return at all). Second, there is evidence of a bigger return on investment in regions with higher absorptive capacity level - measured by human capital endowments and the quality of recipient institutions. Insufficient levels of absorptive capacity lead to a wash of the Union’s transfers. About 70 percent of the regions exhibit such an insufficient level of absorptive capacity.
Verlustpartizipation von Vorständen – Eine ökonomische Analyse der Herabsetzungsmöglichkeit von Vorstandsbezügen nach dem VorstAG
Authors: Duran Mihael
Published: April 2016

This paper examines the loss participation of executives following the German law of adequacy of executive directors’ compensation (VorstAG). First I provide an overview and discussion of the relevant law’ contents. To examine the potential economic impact of the loss participation, a modified tournament model is introduced. The model implies that the aspired participation succeds only partially. Hence, the law might probably fail in it’s purpose of lowering executive directors’ compensation.
Die Vermögensteuer – Ein Comeback in der Krise?
Authors: Gambke Thomas
Published: April 2016

This article describes the concept of a property levy („Vermögensabga be“) of the German Green Party in the context of other property related taxes such as real estate tax and inheritance tax. It explains the advantages of a property levy in contrast to a property tax. Moreover, the necessity to reduce public debts and to stop the unabated evolution of unequal property is outlined.
Die Vermögensteuer – Comeback in der Krise? Oder: Wie importieren wir die Krise auch zu uns?
Authors: Goebel Lutz
Published: April 2016

Family entrepreneurs in all honesty cannot grasp this new concept. Just now, while we are still experiencing a worldwide financial and economic crisis, which has by no means been overcome yet, there is talk of increasing taxation of assets. In recent years, small and medium-sized and larger family-run companies have succeeded in improving their equity ratio. This helped weathering the crisis better, allowed us to hold on to key specialists in our workforce and made us become more independent of a banking industry shaken to its core. And now, of all times, models are discussed to once again withdraw equity and the ability to place investments from German companies, whether directly or indirectly. Unfortunately, the people proposing these models work with smoke and mirrors that may mislead the less informed public. Even a 1 or 1.5 % tax or levy on assets will result in an explosion of the accumulated fiscal burden on a company’s income of additionally approx. 20 %, especially since the proposed new taxes are only to be paid from profits.

Excessive taxation is therefore more or less preprogrammed. Does anyone really consider the way ahead if one of the last locomotives of the European economy is thus slowed down economically?
Zur Bedeutung des Manifests der Marktwirtschaft oder: Das Lambsdorff-Papier im 31. Jahr
Authors: Feld Lars P.
Published: April 2016

In the German federal elections on September 22, 2013, for the first time after 64 years, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) was not elected to the German federal parliament, the Bundestag, anymore. Less surprising than this fact is the malice of its political opponents with which this landslide defeat was accompanied. In this paper, it is argued that the hostility towards the Free Democrats originates from its turn to the Christian Democrats in 1982 with the so called Manifesto for the Market Economy written by Otto Graf Lambsdorff, then Federal Minister of the Economy. The Manifesto argued for a consolidation of public finance and tax reductions, for reforms in the labor market and the social security systems, and for a liberalization and privatization policy. While the Free Democrats did not achieve much of that agenda during the coalition with the Christian Democrats, it influenced the Agenda 2010 by Chancellor Schröder. The paper concludes with a proposal for a renewal of supply side policies in Germany and a renewal of the reform agenda.
Braucht Deutschland einen Kapazitätsmarkt für eine sichere Stromversorgung?
Authors: Haucap Justus
Published: April 2016

This paper argues against the rapid implementation of capacity mechanisms in Germany. There is no systematic, non-temporary market failure in the German wholesale electricity market which could justify such a Government intervention. Neither the low elasticity of demand nor debatable public good characteristics nor the potentially missing acceptance of price spikes can support the idea of that the energy only market may fail to guarantee reliability of supply. In addition, there are currently no resilient signs of any shortage of supply. In contrast, the German wholesale electricity market is still characterized by over-capacities. The worldwide experience with capacity mechanisms also demonstrates most of all that no capacity market design is ever stable, but subject to change in often quite short intervals. Potential low-cost options to safeguard security of supply include a strategic reserve against generation failures. In addition, the Federal Cartel Office should correct its position that dominant firms must not offer electricity at a price above the short-run marginal cost. Such a prescription forecloses the market and chokes off investment and would in most other cases be regarded as an anticompetitive foreclosure strategy of a dominant firm.
Versorgungssicherheit im Strommarkt – Kapazitätsmechanismen
Authors: Amelung Adrian , Wambach Achim
Published: April 2016

Due to the specifics of the product electricity and electricity markets, there are considerable doubts whether „energy-only-electricity-markets“ can guarantee a desired level of security of energy supply. If in peak load periods, the price inelastic demand exceeds the supply, there will be blackouts, in which the price mechanism fails in the short term. Underinvestment in generation capacity is the result. Politico-economic problems, like politically set price limits and high security standards as well as time inconsistency problems of government actions increase this problem substantially. With the „Versorgungssicherheitsverträgen“ the authors suggest a capacity mechanism, which solves the problems at hand without affecting the efficient power plant use on the spot market.
Disparate Entwicklung der Wohnungsmärkte fordert die Politik
Authors: Arentz Oliver
Published: April 2016

The regional differences in the housing markets are enormous and will continue to exacerbate in the future. The main task for the housing policy is to take appropriate long term measures depending on the market structure. A central aspect of future housing policy is the site development. Potential conflicts of interest with other social objectives must be detected and resolved. Creating a trading system for development rights appears to be promising. In order to secure housing for low income households, the housing allowance (Wohngeld) must be promptly adjusted to the market conditions. The public housing sector should be seen as an instrument for the stabilization of neighborhoods. Appropriate market rents secure a housing supply at a high level.
Die Finanzierungslücke der Gesetzlichen Rentenversicherung in Deutschland – Eine Simulationsstudie zu Lösungsmöglichkeiten
Authors: Bollacke Steffen
Published: April 2016

Population aging challenges pay-as-you-go pension systems. Solving the associated funding problem constantly motivates reform processes. In addition to an aging population, specific regulations of the German public pension system lead to an increasing financial burden of national finances. To ensure sustainable funding of pensions, the calculation formula of the German public pension system will be investigated in this paper. It will be shown, that there are two alterable parameters, which are not optimally used regarding the funding of public pensions. Simulations show that a variable demographic factor to calculate public pensions can reduce the financial burden of national finances.
Kostenkontrolle im Föderalismus
Authors: Blankart Charles B. , Ehmke David Christoph
Published: April 2016

Credit is the backbone of capitalism because credit allows allocating resources efficiently to economic activities. For the case of distress, a bankruptcy regime is established which allows reviving viable but financially distressed businesses and to liquidate structurally distressed businesses in an orderly asset distribution procedure. Bankruptcy is ex ante of utmost importance because it incentivizes debtors and creditors to adjust credit costs and lending practice to expect ex post outcomes. Bankruptcy has, however, been abolished under socialism leading to systems of soft budget constraints which are lenient towards inefficient managements. Since the fall of socialism, mixed capitalist-socialist economies prevail in most countries of the world with bankruptcy procedures for private enterprises, but not for public entities, more importantly, even restructuring procedures are not available for these public establishments. Instead, debt brakes should do the job. However, debt brakes invite governments to externalize public debts and to shift them to lower entities - from the state to the local level - leading to “institutional incongruence”, i. e. the drifting apart of the circles of beneficiaries, decision makers, and taxpayers. Three models of institutional congruence are analyzed, ranging between vertical fiscal control and fiscal autonomy. The logical consequence of fiscal autonomy is then the establishment of restructuring procedures, which are presented along the procedures of Chapter 9 of the US Bankruptcy Act and private ordering procedures such like those of the Paris and the London Club.
Rahmenbedingungen für eine effektive Versorgungssteuerung in Stadt und Land
Authors: Greß Stefan , Stegmüller Klaus
Published: April 2016

General practitioner (GP) care in Germany is characterized by a disparate distribution of GPs. There is considerable oversupply in many urban areas while there is undersupply in many rural regions. Centralized planning of GP capacities so far has not been able to ameliorate this unequal distribution. What is more, several health policy reforms have not been able to make capacity planning more effective. We suggest a framework for more effective allocation of GP resources by decentralizing capacity planning to the level of local municipalities.
Ärztemangel im ländlichen Raum – Neue Anreizstrukturen und innovative Versorgungsmodelle als Ausweg? Zur Bedeutung einer patientenorientierten Steuerung
Authors: Zerth Jürgen
Published: April 2016

In Germany there is an ongoing debate on the adequate distribution of physicians that are obliged to guarantee the overall access to health care. Especially in rural regions the number of general practioners will decline in the next years. From a health economics point of view it has to be discussed which role physicians have to play within different forms of organizing care and cure. In the paper, a standardized utility function that depicts physicians’ interest helps to figure out the range in which physicians have an interest to choose an engagement in rural environments contingent of aspects of risk sharing between caretaker und cost payers. In consequence, patient driven care models will enforce new organizational and institutional arrangements of division of labour between medical practitioners as well as new needs to reorganize regional medical facilities.
Interaktionseffekte zwischen Mindestlöhnen und Lohnsubventionen. Eine Analyse zur Beschäftigung in den USA und in Deutschland
Authors: Berthold Norbert , Coban Mustafa
Published: April 2016

We examine theoretically and empirically how wage subsidies and minimum wages interact regarding to employment opportunities, and how these interactive effects vary across different groups of workers. Assuming a neoclassical labor market and heterogeneous work, subsidized low-skilled worker displace less-skilled workers. The effect on non-subsidized low-skilled workers remains theoretically open. The empirical examination for the US shows that increasing minimum wages decreases less-skilled employment, haven’t an effect on non-subsidized low-skilled employment and induce a hump-shape of subsidized low-skilled employment. For Germany, however, several simulation studies indicate that the provided minimum wage and existing wage subsidies do not cause substitution effects, but lower employment of all workers in the low wage sector regardless of a grant funding.
Tarifpluralität fünf Jahre nach dem BAG-Urteil
Authors: Bachmann Ronald , Schmidt Christoph M.
Published: April 2016

This article examines the likely effects of a draft bill of the German government which aims at restraining multi-unionism in Germany. We argue that since 2010, when the Federal Labour Court eased restrictions on multi-unionism, hardly any signs of adverse effects of this court ruling can be observed. Furthermore, the draft bill would have strong negative consequences for small, mainly occupation-based, unions in Germany. Therefore, the bill does not seem to be a good instrument for regulating labour relations in Germany.
Spartengewerkschaften, Statuskonflikte und Gemeinwohl: Gesetzlicher Ordnungsrahmen statt Laissez-faire
Authors: Lesch Hagen
Published: April 2016

In December 2014, the German Federal Government adopted a draft law on the exclusive applicability of collective agreements - the so-called Tarifeinheitsgesetz. Critics see this as an unacceptable interference to the freedom of association. They point out, that despite multi-unionism you can neither observe a substantial increase in new trade unions being set up nor an increase in labor disputes. Proponents of the legal regulation argue that the industrial peace obligation would be jeopardized by competing unions. Craft unions negotiated twice as intense as industrial unions. In industries with union competition, risk of conflicts would accumulate. In addition, the public interest would be harmed if unions battled out their rivalries during collective bargaining negotiations. The proposed law tackled these problems by providing stronger incentives for cooperation between competing unions.
Weitere Integrationshürden für Flüchtlinge mit Bleibeperspektive abbauen
Authors: Wilhelm Alexander
Published: April 2016

The Federal Government has set in train important reforms to improve access to the labour market also for asylum seekers with a realistic perspective to stay and tolerated residents who are not the object of a work ban. Since ever more people are seeking protection in Germany against political persecution, war or expulsion, this is sensible and necessary. Not all, but many of them will stay in Germany for long periods or even forever. For those people, who have a realistic perspective to stay as recognized refugees or asylum seekers, it is in the own interest of the German society to integrate them rapidly and give them the possibility to earn their living. The reform package already set in place by the Federal Government within the last year will help to achieve this aim, but it is clear already, that there is further need for action. So that asylum seekers and tolerated residents can move successfully into the labour market, they must be supported and given targeted assistance, above all through corresponding measures for learning the language and integration. Especially early and comprehensive measures for the early identification of competencies, qualifications and work experience are needed to facilitate effective access especially to education, the dual vocational training system and employment. Furthermore, remaining legal obstacles regarding access to training and employment for asylum seekers and tolerated residents who are not the object of a work ban need to be further reduced. In addition, there is an urgent need to improve the cooperation of all public authorities involved in the asylum- and integration process as well as the capacity of the public employment service (employment agencies and job centers) to deal with the integration of refugees into the labour market.
Kommunale Realsteuerpolitik auf dem Prüfstand – eine empirische Auswertung am Beispiel Rheinland-Pfalz
Authors: Döring Thomas
Published: April 2016

In Germany, state and local authorities are repeatedly in conflict with each other regarding the funding of municipal households. Concerning this matter a sufficient fiscal endowment of local public authorities does not only depend on a deemed-to-satisfy provision of state grants but also requires an adequate exhaustion of existing sources of revenues at the local government level. Against this background, the paper analyses local tax policy in order to assess whether the involved potential of budget finance is exploited sufficiently. Taking Rhineland-Palatinate as a case study the degree of tax exploitation (local business tax, local property tax) is empirically estimated for the time period 2007 – 2013.
Der deutsche Taximarkt – das letzte (Kollektiv-)Monopol im Sturm der „neuen Zeit“
Authors: Pape Annika , Wein Thomas
Published: April 2016

Smartphone-Apps and web-based tools improve the transparency of taxi rides with regard to prices and routing. These technical innovations reduce asymmetric information. Hence, obligatory knowledge tests of streets and important places are no longer necessary. However, the provision of taxis may yield a waiting externality. Empirically the regulator takes the costs, structures into account and, therefore, acts for the purpose of public interests. Nonetheless, the population variable seems questionable. The reasons for the puzzling results might refer to different perceptions with regard to waiting time in sparsely populated areas.
Ascidian bioresources: common and variant chemical compositions and exploitation strategy – examples of Halocynthia roretzi, Styela plicata, Ascidia sp. and Ciona intestinalis
Authors: Zhao Yadong , Li Jiebing
Published: April 2016

To explore abundant marine ascidian bioresources, four species from two orders have been compared in their chemical compositions. After a universal separation of the animal body into two fractions, all tunics have been found rich in carbohydrate contents, while all inner body tissues are richer in proteins. Cellulose is present almost exclusively in the tunics and more in the order Stolidobranchia, while more sulfated polysaccharides are present in Phlebobranchia species. Almost all proteins are collagens with a high essential amino acid index and high delicious amino acid (DAA) content. All fractions also have high contents of good-quality fatty acids and trace minerals but low toxic element contents, with different sterols and glycosaminoglycans. There are species-specific characteristics observed for vanadium accumulation and sterol structures which are also meaningful for ascidian chemotaxonomy and resource exploitation. It is suggested that in addition to the present utilizations of tunics for cellulose production and of some species’ inner body tissues as human food, one should explore all species’ inner body tissues as human foods and all tunics as food or animal feed with the contained cellulose as dietary fiber. Collagens, sulfated polysaccharides, glycosaminoglycans, sterols and trace elements could be explored as byproducts for, e.g. pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
Influence of the Ce:YAG Amount on Structure and Optical Properties of Ce:YAG-PMMA Composites for White LED
Authors: Armetta Francesco , Sibeko Motshabi A. , Luyt Adriaan S. , Chillura Martino Delia F. , Spinella Alberto , Saladino Maria Luisa
Published: April 2016

Ce:YAG-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composites were prepared by using a melt compounding method, adding
several amounts of Ce:YAG in the range 0.1–5 wt. %. The optical properties of the obtained
composites and of the composites combined with a blue LED were measured to investigate the effect of the amount of
Ce:YAG on the resulting emitted light in view of possible application in white LED manufacture. An increase
in Ce:YAG amount caused an increase in the emission and a shift of 15 nm, influencing the white
LED performance. The structure and morphology of the composites were studied. The results show that the interaction
between the two components, observed by using solid state NMR experiments, are the responsible for the observed shift.
Progress in Fixed-Photon-Energy Time-Efficient Double Imaging Photoelectron/Photoion Coincidence Measurements in Quantitative Flame Analysis
Authors: Felsmann Daniel , Lucassen Arnas , Krüger Julia , Hemken Christian , Tran Luc-Sy , Pieper Julia , Garcia Gustavo A. , Brockhinke Andreas , Nahon Laurent , Kohse-Höinghaus Katharina
Published: April 2016

Photoelectron photoion coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy as an attractive new technique for
combustion analysis was used in a fixed-photon-energy configuration to provide quantitative
species profiles in laminar premixed flames. While such measurements are conventionally
performed with molecular-beam mass spectrometry (MBMS) using electron ionization (EI) or
vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization (PI) with synchrotron radiation, these techniques
have some limitations. The possibility to record photoelectron spectra (PES) simultaneously
with photoionization data, providing fingerprint information for reliable species
identification, presents a significant advantage of PEPICO spectroscopy especially in
complex reactive mixtures. The multiplex approach presented here, enhanced by the imaging
capabilities of the electron and ion detection in the so-called double-imaging PEPICO scheme
(i2PEPICO), provides, in different experimental situations, an
unprecedentedly detailed combustion analysis regarding both species identification and
quantification. Problems and perspectives of the present fixed-photon-energy PEPICO approach
will be discussed.
Re-evaluating the Anthropocene
Authors: Dalby Simon
Published: April 2016

Perhaps the most obvious point about the Anthropocene debate is the one that gets lost most frequently, precisely because it is the most obvious. Paul Crutzen's now famous outburst in 2000 (see Crutzen & Stoermer 2000) stating that we do not live in the Holocene anymore was made in part because he was grappling with the question of the enormity of the anthropogenic transformations of the Earth system. It matters that he formulated the term to indicate the scale of transformation in geological language.
Partial Raphe Dysfunction in Neurotransmission Is Sufficient to Increase Mortality after Anoxic Exposures in Mice at a Critical Period in Postnatal Development
Authors: Barrett Karlene T. , Dosumu-Johnson Ryan T. , Daubenspeck J. Andrew , Brust Rachael D. , Kreouzis Vasileios , Kim Jun Chul , Li Aihua , Dymecki Susan M. , Nattie Eugene E.
Published: April 2016

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases often have abnormalities of the brainstem raphe serotonergic (5-HT) system. We hypothesize that raphe dysfunction contributes to a failure to autoresuscitate from multiple hypoxic events, leading to SIDS. We studied autoresuscitation in two transgenic mouse models in which exocytic neurotransmitter release was impaired via conditional expression of the light chain from tetanus toxin (tox) in raphe neurons expressing serotonergic bacterial artificial chromosome driversPet1orSlc6a4. These used recombinase drivers targeted different portions of medullary raphe serotonergic, tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2)+neurons by postnatal day (P) 5 through P12: approximately one-third in triple transgenicPet1::Flpe, hβactin::cre, RC::PFtoxmice; approximately three-fourths inSlc6a4::cre, RC::Ptoxmice; with the first model capturing a near equal number ofPet1+,Tph2+versusPet1+,Tph2low or negativeraphe cells. At P5, P8, and P12, “silenced” mice and controls were exposed to five, ∼37 s bouts of anoxia. Mortality was 5–10 times greater in “silenced” pups compared with controls at P5 and P8 (p= 0.001) but not P12, with cumulative survival not differing between experimental transgenic models. “Silenced” pups that eventually died took longer to initiate gasping (p= 0.0001), recover heart rate (p= 0.0001), and recover eupneic breathing (p= 0.011) during the initial anoxic challenges. Variability indices for baseline breathing distinguished “silenced” from controls but did not predict mortality. We conclude that dysfunction of even a portion of the raphe, as observed in many SIDS cases, can impair ability to autoresuscitate at critical periods in postnatal development and that baseline indices of breathing variability can identify mice at risk.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTMany sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases exhibit a partial (∼26%) brainstem serotonin deficiency. Using recombinase drivers, we targeted different fractions of serotonergic and raphe neurons in mice for tetanus toxin light chain expression, which prevented vesicular neurotransmitter release. In one model, approximately one-third of medullary Tph2+neurons are silenced by postnatal (P) days 5 and 12, along with some Pet1+,Tph2low or negativeraphe cells; in the other, approximately three-fourths of medullary Tph2+neurons, also with some Tph2low or negativecells. Both models demonstrated excessive mortality to anoxia (a postulated SIDS stressor) at P5 and P8. We demonstrated fatal vulnerability to anoxic stress at a specific time in postnatal life induced by a partial defect in raphe function. This models features of SIDS.