We evaluate explanations for why Germany grew so quickly in the 1950s. The recent literature has emphasized convergence, structural change and institutional shake-up while minimizing the importance of the postwar shock. We show that this shock and its consequences were more important than...

Different models of protection against labor market risks are associated with diverging models of economic performance. Historically established institutional complementarities between labor market regulation, unemployment protection, and vocational training tend to mirror specific national...

The clock is ticking and time is running short for us to have a realistic chance to get climate change under control and prevent it becoming irreversible and selfsustaining. Phasing out coal is widely seen as a 'low hanging fruit' of climate policy commitments in the move towards a net zero...