Since the beginning of the 1990s, it has been widely expected that the implementation of the European Single Market would lead to a rapid convergence of Europe’s financial systems. In the present paper we will show that at least in the period prior to the introduction of the common currency...

Die Debatte über die optimale Ausgestaltung der Alterssicherung wird in jüngster Zeit äußerst kontrovers und hitzig geführt. Dabei scheint uns ein zentraler Aspekt nicht genügend beachte zu werden: Welcher Zusammenhang besteht zwischen den Merkmalen des Finanzsystems und des...

Wenn man untersuchen möchte, ob sich die Finanzsysteme verschiedener Länder im Verlauf der letzten Jahre aneinander angeglichen haben oder demnächst angleichen werden, braucht man ein Konzept zur Beschreibung von Finanzsystemen, durch das wesentliche Strukturen, deren Unterschiede und...

We explore the country-specific institutional characteristics likely to influence an individual’sdecision to become an entrepreneur. We focus on the size of the government, on freedomfrom corruption, and on ‘market freedom’ defined as a cluster of variables related toprotection of property...

In this paper we explore the relationship between the individual decision to become anentrepreneur and the institutional context. We pinpoint the critical roles of property rights andthe size of the state sector for entrepreneurial activity and test the relationships empirically bycombining...

We study the effect of fair institutions on growth. In our model, individuals are endowed with unequal entitlements to theeconomy’s output. They can free-ride or cooperate. Cooperation is individually costly, but increases aggregate output and growth.Experimentally, we observe significantly...

mode of production exist that is based on the contributions of many software programmerswithout providing any direct monetary incentives for them? And how can these programmerscoordinate their actions without relying on either the guidance of the price mechanism or thedirection through a...

In this paper we combine a wide range of country-level institutional indicators with surveydata taken from the Global Enterprise Monitor on potential and actual entrepreneurial entry,to investigate the role of the institutions as determinants of the entrepreneurial entry,controlling for...

This paper provides a framework for the securities transaction industry inthe EU to understand the functions performed, the institutions involved andthe parameters concerned that shape market and ownership structure. Ofparticular interest are microeconomic incentives of the industry players...

A financial system can only perform its function of channelling funds from savers toinvestors if it offers sufficient assurance to the providers of the funds that they will reapthe rewards which have been promised to them. To the extent that this assurance is notprovided by contracts alone,...