Vom Stabilitäts- und Wachstumsgesetz zum Wohlstands- und Nachhaltigkeitsgesetz

The German Act to Promote Economic Stability and Growth will soon be 50 years old. New challenges require an economic policy which transcends the aims of this law. The new policy has to combine economic growth and stability with fiscal, social and ecological sustainability, both at the national and European levels. The author provides an overview on such comprehensive target systems and puts forward ideas on how to integrate the enlarged economic policy agenda into an Act to Promote Welfare and Sustainability.     

Optionen zur Stärkung des Pharmastandorts Deutschland

Deutschland hat seine vormals führende Stellung als „Apotheke der Welt“ l?ngst eingebü?t und verliert als Standort für die forschende Arzneimittelindustrie international immer weiter an Bedeutung. Woran l?sst sich dies erkennen? Ist das hierzulande besonders dicht geknüpfte Netz pharmarelevanter Regulierungen die Ursache? Und was l?sst sich industrie-, forschungs- und gesundheitspolitisch gegen die weitere Erosion des Pharmastandorts Deutschland tun? Prof. Dr. Dieter Cassel, 68, ist Emeritus für Wirtschaftspolitik im Fachbereich Betriebswirtschaft – Mercator School of Management – der Universit?t Duisburg-Essen, Campus Duisburg. Dieser Beitrag beruht in wesentlichen Teilen auf Ergebnissen des Gutachtens „Steuerung der Arzneimittelausgaben und St?rkung des Forschungsstandortes für die pharmazeutische Industrie“ von IGES Berlin (B. H?ussler, M. Albrecht), D. Cassel, E. Wille und WIdO Bonn (H. Schr?der, K. Nink, Chr. Lankers) vom 2. Juni 2006 im Auftrag des Bundesministeriums für Gesundheit (BMG). Siehe BMG (Hrsg.): Forschungsbericht 006 – Gesundheitsforschung, Berlin 2006.     

Ehrgeizige Pläne der Ampelkoalition zur beruflichen Weiterbildung

Wirtschaftsdienst - Der Koalitionsvertrag der neuen Ampelregierung listet zwar Vorschläge zur Neuausrichtung der beruflichen Weiterbildung auf, bleibt aber mit seinen Vorschlägen...     

Plädoyer zur gesetzlichen Regelung des Streikrechts – eine Replik

In the recent past, Germany has experienced increasing strike activity by small trade unions. This became possible through a change in high-level legislation allowing competition between trade unions at the firm level. The German government has responded by implementing a new law, which restricts this competition, but many observers regard it as inappropriate. In a recent issue of this journal, the Scientific Advisory Board to the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure proposes specific legal measures to be taken. The present paper comments on these proposals. It supports the claim for legal regulation of strike activities, but it deviates with regard to the scope of application. The point is made that striking is an activity that inherently requires legal regulation, and that legal regulation is only dispensable in sectors governed by strong competition.     

(Un-)konventionelle Methoden zur Finanzierung der Ampelpläne

The new German government plans to increase investment spending considerably, yet without increasing taxes or reforming the debt brake enshrined in the constitution. This article explores the government’s (un)conventional approaches to squaring this circle.

     

Das europäische Verfahren zur Vermeidung und Korrektur von Leistungsbilanzungleichgewichten

The Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP) is part of a institutional framework known as the so-called “sixpack“, which has come into effect on December 13th 2011 in response to the European financial and debt crisis. The crisis has shown that internal and external imbalances (in particular current account deficits) are strongly intertwined. The MIP should identify external imbalances at an early stage and thus compel countries to correct these imbalances to forestall potential crises. Methodological questions are discussed, which are to be resolved to ensure the effectiveness of the MIP.     

Die verbogene Verfassung — zur Neuregelung der Bund-Länder-Finanzbeziehungen ab 2020

The federal legislature has adopted a new system of intergovernmental fiscal relations from 2020 onwards which will change the federal structure of Germany considerably. In particular, the abolition of the horizontal equalisation among the Länder (Länderfinanzausgleich) and its replacement by an equalisation of fiscal power (Finanzkraftausgleich) within the distribution of the revenues of sales taxes changes the underlying structure of the German federal state fundamentally. The new legislation indicates this shift of the federal balance: the federation will take over the construction of motorways completely. Federal authorities also gain new powers in controlling the use of federal funds by the Länder. Instead of a balance of the federation and the Länder we will get a dominance of the federation.     

Finanzielle Repression — ein Instrument zur Bewältigung der Krisenfolgen?

Financial repression committed by central banks has been put forward as a means to secretly reduce the real burden of high public debts. Financial repression has allegedly played an important role in the impressive reduction of the US debt ratio after World War II. A mix of conventional budget consolidation and rapid growth was the main driver in this relative debt reduction with a minor role for financial repression. But does financial repression really exist? The authors express different opinions on evidence for this concept. Those authors who find that there are indicators of financial repression fear redistributive tendencies between debtors and creditors and high opportunity costs in the form of savings and investment distortions. Therefore, financial repression is not a “cure” for the high public debts amassed in the euro area during the recent sovereign debt and banking crisis. Furthermore, the high sovereign debts in the euro area may threaten economic development and impose high costs on society. Therefore, reducing these debts is politically highly relevant, and fiscal policy should be characterised by a modest reduction in government spending and/or tax increases, combined with a policy promoting economic growth. Macroprudential regulations should supplement this financial policy.     

Konvergenzen und Divergenzen im „Währungsraum USA“ im Vergleich zur Eurozone

Die aktuelle Krise l?sst vermuten, dass die Eurozone noch lange nicht die theoretischen Voraussetzungen für einen optimalen W?hrungsraum erfüllt. Demgegenüber sind die USA ein funktionierendes W?hrungsgebiet, obwohl sich wichtige wirtschaftliche Kennziffern zwischen den einzelnen Bundesstaaten deutlich unterscheiden. Allerdings wirken in den USA Ausgleichsmechanismen, die in der Eurozone nicht vorhanden sind.     

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.