If checks and balances are aimed at protecting citizens from the government's abuse of power, why do they sometimes weaken them? We address this question in a laboratory experiment in which subjects choose between two decision rules: with and without checks and balances. Voters may prefer an...

Background: Influenza seasons can be unpredictable and have the potential to rapidly affect populations, especially in crowded areas. Prior research suggests that normative messaging can be used to increase voluntary provision of public goods, such as the influenza vaccine. We extend the...

Over the coming decades migration rates are not expected to compensate for the negative effect of low fertility rates in Germany. The size of the population and its workforce supply, particularly in terms of skilled workers, will decline. This might affect companies recruiting in the German...

Public pension schemes are most often discussed from a social welfare and public policy point of view. Nevertheless, the design of public pensions should also be taken into close consideration by companies planning and designing private pension plans for their employees. Social security and...

Well-being, measured as self-reported happiness has many determinants, which range from gender to income and political affiliation. When it comes to more or less active ways of participating in cultural activities, leisure has a significant impact in the levels of reported happiness, which is in...

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) represents a large increase in background risk for individuals. Like the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme events (e.g. financial downturns, natural disasters, war and conflict) have been shown to change attitudes towards risk. Using a risk apportionment approach, we...

The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), along with the Eastern European region, constitute a major source of skilled labor for multinational companies (MNCs). The BRICs created 22 million jobs each year in the first five years of this millennium, compared with 3.7 million in the...

Background: Influenza seasons can be unpredictable and have the potential to rapidly affect populations, especially in crowded areas. Prior research suggests that normative messaging can be used to increase voluntary provision of public goods, such as the influenza vaccine. We extend the...