How much does household collateral constrain regional risk sharing?

We construct a new data set of consumption and income data for the largest US metropolitan areas, and we show that the extent of risk-sharing between regions varies substantially over time. In times when US housing collateral is scarce nationally, regional consumption is about twice as sensitive to income shocks. We also document higher sensitivity in regions with lower housing collateral. Household-level borrowing frictions can explain this new stylized fact. When the value of housing relative to human wealth falls, loan collateral shrinks, borrowing (risk-sharing) declines, and the sensitivity of consumption to income increases. Our model aggregates heterogeneous, borrowing-constrained households into regions characterized by a common housing market. The resulting regional consumption patterns quantitatively match those in the data.     

Rundfunkfinanzierung: von Gebühren und Beiträgen jetzt zur Indexierung?

The 2013 reform of the system for federal funding for public broadcasting has not put the issue to rest, as the reform has been followed by many critical voices. For example, the public broadcaster ARD now suggests linking its funding to GDP. As different types of funding streams alter how efficient and effectively public broadcasters can pursue their non profit goals, this article analyses options for funding public broadcasting. It seems that a mixed approach would serve as a possible solution.     

Business cycle variation in the risk-return trade-off

In the United States and other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, the expected returns on stocks, adjusted for volatility, are much higher in recessions than in expansions. We consider feasible trading strategies that buy or sell shortly after business cycle turning points that are identifiable in real time and involve holding periods of up to 1 year. The observed business cycle changes in expected returns are not spuriously driven by changes in expected near-term dividend growth. Our findings imply that value-maximizing managers face much higher risk-adjusted costs of capital in their investment decisions during recessions than expansions.     

Jobs on the wire: In search of the perfect labor market

The Internet as the most recent development in communication technology might dramatically reduce transaction costs and thereby lead to the emergence of a nearly perfect market. This would have drastic implications for labor markets and the social security system. In the first part of the paper, the influence of the Internet on transaction costs is examined. It is shown that the Internet will not necessarily lead to a decrease of transaction costs. Therefore, it is not clear whether the Internet will promote a perfect labor market. Moreover, it is shown that an outsourcing to the Internet will only take place for certain jobs which can be easily standardised. The second part of the paper shows what an Internet‐based labor market may look like. To show this, the model of monopolistic competition is used. A result of these considerations is that an increased outsourcing to the Internet may lead to a kind of association of freelancers. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Global System of Finance

A bstract .   In the last decades, revolutionary changes in financial markets, instruments, and institutions have stimulated empirical and theoretical investigations into the interaction of the financial and the "real" side of economic systems. While a considerable body of empirical investigations seems to provide evidence of positive correlations between stock market development and economic growth, there is no consensus in other social sciences as to whether there are two-way linkages, and if so, how to conceive a possible mechanism of interaction. Particularly, the hypergrowth and ubiquity of financial markets has triggered controversial debates on how to understand today's economic landscape. With the objective of clarifying the relationship between finance and economy, this article restructures the present debate through the lenses of Talcott Parsons's and Niklas Luhmann's theories of social systems. Basic system-theoretical ideas on social aspects of finance and economy as well as on uncertainty and risk hint at new insights into the global system of finance that might go far beyond explanatory models of causality.     

What pupils can learn from working with robotic direct manipulation environments

This study investigates what pupils aged 10–12 can learn from working with robots, assuming that understanding robotics is a sign of technological literacy. We conducted cognitive and conceptual analysis to develop a frame of reference for determining pupils’ understanding of robotics. Four perspectives were distinguished with increasing sophistication; “psychological”, “technological”, “function”, and “controlled system”. Using Lego® Mindstorms® NXT robots, as an example of a Direct Manipulation Environment, we developed and conducted a lesson plan to investigate pupils’ reasoning patterns. There is ample evidence that pupils have little difficulty in understanding that robots are man-made technological and functional artifacts. Pupils’ understanding of the controlled system concept, more specifically the complex sense-reason-act loop that is characteristic of robotics, can be fostered by means of problem solving tasks. The results are discussed with respect to pupils’ developing technological literacy and the possibilities for teaching and learning in primary education.     

Möglichkeiten zur Kompensation der kalten Progression: Wirkung in Österreich

Regardless of the latest tax reform the fiscal drag brings an additional tax burden of € 6.2 billion for the period 2016-2021 to Austrian taxpayers. In 2021 alone this fiscal drag will levy an additional € 2.17 billion. The study in hand gives an overview how other countries control the fiscal drag and analyses the effect of such adjustments in the Austrian tax system. Depending on the adjustment model, the range of the fiscal drag by 2021 lies between a tax burden of € 4 billion (tax brackets adjusted once the cumulative inflation reaches the 5 percent threshold) and between a tax reduction of € 1.6 billion (the tax system is adjusted to the development of nominal wages). In the latter case an adjustment leads to an over-compensation of the fiscal drag yielding a constant tax burden relative to income. For the entire elimination of the fiscal drag an annual inflationary adjustment of the tax brackets, tax credits and deductibles is necessary.     

Moralisierung in der Steuerpolitik: Was taugen die jüngsten Steuervorschläge?

Die Bundesregierung hat auf die steigende Staatsverschuldung mit zahlreichen Vorschl?gen zur Ausweitung der Besteuerung reagiert. Allen Vorschl?ge ist gemein, dass sie auf das Gerechtigkeitsempfi nden der Bev?lkerung abzielen und damit leichter durchsetzbar scheinen. Die Autoren erl?utern in diesem Beitrag, ob diese Steuervorschl?ge überhaupt mit den erwünschten Zielen übereinstimmen.