This paper provides the results of analyses of key problems related to pension systems and their reforms in Russia and Ukraine. The pension systems and their reforms in both countries are compared. They are also compared with the general picture observed in the OECD or selected countries...

All practical evaluations of fiscal sustainability that include the effects of population ageing must utilize demographic forecasts. It is well known that such forecasts are uncertain, and that has been taken into account in some studies by using stochastic population projections jointly with...

Die äußerst günstigen Finanzierungskonditionen hatten in den 2010er Jahren einen wesentlichen Anteil daran, dass die Bruttostaatsschuldenquote in Deutschland nach der Weltfinanzkrise merklich zurückgeführt wurde. Die Autoren stellen fest, dass es jedoch keineswegs klar ist, wie lange die...

Unsere Untersuchungen zeigen flächendeckend für Deutschland, dass kreisfreie Städte im Vergleich zu kreisangehörigen Gemeinden im Durchschnitt über eine höhere Wirtschafts- und Steuerkraft verfügen. Danach erwirtschaften kreisfreie Städte ein Bruttoinlandsprodukt (BIP) von 50.854 € pro...

Social protection and revenue collection are often regarded as potential drivers of social cohesion. The article joins this debate, providing three main contributions. First, we carefully discuss the concept of social cohesion and endorse one specific definition. Second, we propose using the...

In various writings Karl Marx made references to an ‘aristocracy of finance’ in Western Europe and the United States that dominated ownership of the public debt. Drawing on original research, this paper offers the first comprehensive analysis of the pattern of public debt ownership within...

Who are the dominant owners of US public debt? Is it widely held, or concentrated in the hands of a few? Does ownership of public debt give these bondholders power over our government? What do we make of the fact that foreign-owned debt has ballooned to nearly 50 percent today? Until now, we...

We explore the effect of transparency of fiscal institutions on the scale of government and gubernatorial popularity using a formal model of accountability. We construct an index of fiscal transparency for the American states from detailed budgetary information. With cross-section data for...

We use unique panel data on the evolution of transparent budget procedures in the American states over the past three decades to explore the political and economic determinants of fiscal transparency. Our case studies and quantitative analysis suggest that both politics and fiscal policy...