This paper studies alternative methods of privatizing a formerly communist firm in the presence of imperfect risk markets. The methods include cash sales, a give-away scheme, and a participation contract where the government retains a sleeping fractional ownership in the firm. It is shown that,...

This edition marks the seventh annual report of the European Economic Advisory Group (EEAG) at CESifo. This year, the report focuses on the chances and challenges of globalisation. After providing a somewhat clouded business forecast for Europe and the world, the report discusses, among other...

In this article specific hypotheses on the shape of a rational agent’s risk preference function are derived from psychophysical laws. Weber’s law is used to establish the hypothesis of constant relative risk aversion for a myopic expected-utility maximizer. Weber’s law. Fechner’s law and...

This paper analyzes the intertemporal allocation effects of anticipated tax rate changes, reconsidering the recommendations of the Meade Committee in a perfect foresight general equilibrium model of economic growth. It is shown that the R-base (or consumption) tax can be more distortionary than...

Crisis Issue: The papers in this title have been written in response to the global financial and economic crisis that has been ongoing since Summer 2007. Top economists provide a concise and accessible evaluation of major developments in trade and trade policy. Economic Policy has earned a...