We outline a procedure for combining six cross-sections of the German Sample Survey of Income and Expenditure, and discuss potential pitfalls of such a venture. Particularly, we investigate the consequences of a major break in the survey design for inter-temporal comparisons of expenditure...

Die Einführung des flächendeckenden gesetzlichen Mindestlohns von 8,50 Euro ist ein großes, mit vielen sozialpolitischen Risiken verbundenes Experiment. Dieser Übersichtsartikel zeigt, dass weder die unterschiedlichen theoretischen Erklärungsmodelle noch die große Anzahl empirischer...

By using estimates from an Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS), we investigate how the German energy tax on car fuels changes the private households-CO2 emissions, living standards, and post-tax income distribution. Our results show that the tax implies a trade-off between the aim to reduce...

Ein moderner und nachhaltiger Sozialstaat braucht eine gesunde Mischung aus staatlicher Fürsorge und Eigenverantwortung. Die Hartz-Reformen versuchten, die richtige Mischung mit dem Prinzip des Förderns und Forderns in der Grundsicherung herzustellen. Zahlreiche Menschen sind seither nicht...

We examine financial literacy in Germany and its relevance for financial well-being. Using data from the Panel on Household Finances collected in 2021, we show that about 62% of German households answer the Big Three financial literacy questions correctly. Those with lower education, who are out...

This paper examines the evolution of the redistributive role of the State in Brazil at the beginning of the 21st century. For this purpose, we compute the marginal effects of the cash transfers, taxes, and in-kind benefits on inequality using the Lerman-Yitzhaki progressivity index. Our main...

We show that review platforms reduce healthcare interruptions for patients looking for a new physician. We employ a difference-in-differences strategy using physician retirements as a “disruptive shock” that forces patients to find a new physician. We combine insurance claims data with...

We present the first comprehensive evidence on the role of cognitive ability and personality traits in the selection of electoral candidates and election of politicians. Using unique data that combine population registers and election statistics from local government elections in Finland with...

That historical inequality can affect long run macroeconomic performance has been argued by a large literature on endogenous inequality using models of indivisibilities in occupational choice, in the presence of borrowing constraints. These models are characterized by a continuum of steady...

Curriculum tracking, the separation of secondary school students into academic and vocational tracks, correlates positively with pretracking achievement in both British and international data. I argue that this correlation is caused by the incentives emanating from the track placement decision....