A gradually introduced reform of local government accounting made it temporarily possible for municipalities in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to avoid the effective control of their budget by the authorities in charge of overseeing local government budgets and enforcing the existing...

Many governments have replaced traditional cash-based accounting with some form of accrual-based accounting system. However, empirical evidence on the effects of the public accounting system on fiscal policy is scarce. Following rules by the federal states, municipalities in Germany have adopted...

Die bestehenden Tragfähigkeitsrisiken in Deutschland resultieren aus der demografischen Alterung und sind weiterhin erheblich. Dieser Beitrag analysiert die langfristigen Auswirkungen der erhöhten asylbedingten Zuwanderung auf die öffentlichen Finanzen. Dabei wird erstmals ein erweiterter...

In 2015 and 2016, more than one million refugees arrived in Germany. While granting these migrants access to the country is an expression of humanitarian responsibility, their subsequent integration into the labor market is primarily a challenge for economic policy. For a wide range of outcomes,...

Defekte Schultoiletten und gesperrte Brücken haben in Deutschland eine neue Debatte um eine öffentliche Investitionsschwäche ausgelöst. Eine Erhöhung der öffentlichen Investitionsquote wird dabei oftmals als Allheilmittel zur Stärkung der Wirtschaft gesehen. Vielfach wird sogar eine...

Many governments have replaced traditional cash-based accounting with some form of accrual-based accounting system. However, empirical evidence on the effects of the public accounting system on fiscal policy is scarce. Following rules by the federal states, municipalities in Germany have adopted...

We study the fiscal policy reactions of municipalities in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to an unanticipated spending shock. The implementation of a horizontal transfer system led to additional contributions for selected municipalities. Using the quasi-random assignment, we examine...

This paper explores the international transmission of U.S. tax shocks and provides evidence for the German economy. Using structural vector autoregressions, we find that after a U.S. tax cut, German GDP increases moderately. While higher U.S. demand stimulates German exports, a deterioration of...

Using quarterly data for German counties, we study how housing prices and offers respond to higher transaction costs induced by tax increases. Since 2006, states can set their own tax rates on real estate transfers. Several and substantial tax hikes generate variation across time and states...

A gradually introduced reform of local government accounting made it temporarily possible for municipalities in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to avoid the effective control of their budget by the authorities in charge of overseeing local government budgets and enforcing the existing...