Unit root tests for time series with level shifts are considered. The level shift is assumed to occur at a known time point. In contrast to some other proposals the level shift is modeled as part of the intercept term of the stationary component of the data generation process which is separated...

The conditions under which European monetary policy is likely to be conducted are investigated by means of multi-variate time series modelling using aggregated data of all eleven European Monetary Union member states. A cointegration analysis identifies two stable long-run relationships within a...

It has long been recognized that aggregating time series introduces correlation between consecutive values of the aggregated observations (see Working (1960)). This paper investigates the effect of aggregation on the relation between variables assuming that the data generating process involves...

In 2001 more than 80 percent of the Swiss electorate voted in favour of a constitutional amendment which aims at stopping the expansion of the public debt. A convincingly simple and seemingly intuitive formula provides an easy-to-implement expenditure rule for the budgetary process. This...

This paper argues that radical uncertainty is the outcome of standard market activity. The theoretical findings are corroborated with empirical analyses. The model example is applied to asset pricing and radical uncertainty is found a solution to various asset pricing "puzzles". In conclusion,...

Die Misere an den deutschen Hochschulen wird einmütig beklagt, schon in der Analyse der Ursachen dieser Krise aber scheiden sich die Geister. Woran krankt die deutsche Universität aus ökonomischer Sicht? Muß Hochschulbildung öffentlich bereitgestellt werden, oder ist ein marktorientiertes...

In der Diskussion um die Frage, wie ökonomische Bildung im allgemeinbildenden Schulwesen in Deutschland verankert werden soll, wird der Stellenwert der Wirtschaftswissenschaften als Bezugsdisziplin aktuell kontrovers diskutiert. Wir vertreten in dieser Diskussion die These, dass die Anbindung...