Nachdem das ifo Institut im Mai des Jahres 2002 seine Studie zur Aktivierenden Sozialhilfe vorgestellt hatte, wurde in Deutschland eine Diskussion zu den Möglichkeiten einer aktivierenden Sozialpolitik zum Zwecke der Entwicklung des Niedriglohnsektors geführt. Am Beginn der Diskussion standen...

Der Sozialstaat wurde geschaffen, die Fehlfunktionen des Arbeitsmarktes zu korrigieren und mehr soziale Gerechtigkeit herzustellen, als es der Markt vermag. Aber der Sozialstaat trägt seinerseits zu den sichtbaren Defekten des Arbeitsmarktes bei. Besonders problematisch ist die heutige...

In this paper, we analyze how to utilize discount rates in intergenerational projects. Firstly, neoclassical decision-making is depicted in Ramsey and overlapping-generations models (OLG-models). Afterwards we investigate the utilization of time preference rates and opportunity cost rates in an...

This paper analyses the choice of an inter-generational discount rate as well as a method for inter-generational discounting. It is shown that the pure time preference rate is irrelevant for inter-generational comparisons. However, the application of the growth time preference rate - with...

Ecological damages have to be evaluated in monetary terms for implementation in an economic analysis. Economic theory is based upon individual preferences (methodological individualism): Ecological damages can only be socially evaluated when individual values are available. However, in sharp...

This paper investigates the sustainability of the German economy when reaching the Kyoto emissions reduction target. We use a special intergenerational discounting technique which actually takes into account intergenerational peculiarities in an overlapping generations modeling framework which...

We investigate the systematic intergenerational discounting of climate policy on basis of the neo-classical benefit-cost analysis. Reference point is the Ramsey-rule which results from optimal growth theory. The agents live infinitely long. This signifies that intergenerational comparisons do...