This paper explores how different means of citizen participation influence urban policies at the city level. The study considers four case studies in two cities, Berlin, Germany and Sao Paulo, Brazil, covering different stages of the policy cycle. Informed by the assessment of qualitative...

In this paper, we assess the impact of major German structural reforms from 1999 to 2008 on key macroeconomic variables. By many, these reforms, especially the Hartz reforms on the labor market, are considered to be the root of observed imbalances in the Euro Area. Our simulations within a...

A rational financial constitution of the EU should be able to fulfil redistributive objectives at minimum costs. The present financial system of the Community is not compatible with this requirement. After the decisions of the European Council in Berlin on the Agenda 2000 the fundamental flaw of...

In der Diskussion um die Reform der föderalen Finanzverfassung wird oft eine Stärkung der Steuerautonomie der Länder gefordert. Seitens der Befürworter wird die damit verbundene Ausweitung der Eigenverantwortlichkeit begrüßt, von der stärkere Anreize für eine solide Haushaltspolitik und...