There is a growing momentum to base the poverty line on total consumption expenditure as it is a better measure of welfare. This chapter explores three related approaches to measuring household welfare that together represent an alternative ‘inductive’ measuring approach. We focus on...

In Germany, R&D subsidies are an important tool to support innovation in the private sector. This paper studies the welfare effects of R&D subsidies distributed through the German federal government’s thematic R&D programs between 1994 and 2011. The analysis is based on a structural model of...

This paper reassesses the general trade-off between ad valorem and specific taxationusing an economic model that features love-of-variety preferences and encompasses awide range of market conduct – including both quantity and price competition – whileallowing for firm entry and exit. We...

Engel's law is known to be extraordinarily consistent across time and space. Accordingly, it has been widely used to determine poverty. However, also among the poorest, a certain amount of non food spending is necessary. To substantiate the distinction between necessities and luxuries, already...

Engel's law is known to be extraordinarily consistent across time and space. Accordingly, it has been widely used to determine poverty. However, also among the poorest, a certain amount of non food spending is necessary. To substantiate the distinction between necessities and luxuries, already...

I develop a technique useful for obtaining more precise estimates of demand and supply curves when constrained to market-level data. It augments the estimation routine with data on the average characteristics of consumers that purchase different products. I apply the technique to the automobile...