Local Economic Structure and Urban Growth in Germany
Michael Schwartz, Christoph Hornych, Martin T. W. Rosenfeld, Annette Illy
Journal of Urban Economics,
2010
Abstract
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How does Institutional Setting Affect the Impact of EU Structural Funds on Economic Cohesion? New Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe
Marina Grusevaja, Toralf Pusch
Journal of Common Market Studies,
2012
Abstract
Structural Funds are the main instrument of the EU Cohesion Policy. Their effective use is subject to an ongoing debate in political and scientific circles. European fiscal assistance under this heading should promote economic and social cohesion in the member states of the European Union. Recently the domestic institutional capacity to absorb, to distribute and to invest Structural Funds effectively has become a crucial determinant of the cohesion process and has attracted attention of the scientific community. The aim of this study is to shed light on the effectiveness of Structural Funds in the countries of the first Central and Eastern European enlargement round in 2004. Using regional data for these countries we have a look on the impact of several institutional governance variables on the effectiveness of Structural Funds. In the interpretation of results reference is made to regional economics. Results of the empirical analysis indicate an influence of certain institutional variables on the effectiveness of Structural Funds in the new member states.
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Federal grants for local development to stop economic decline? – Lessons from Germany
Peter Haug, Martin T. W. Rosenfeld
Consequences of the International Crisis for European SMEs – Vulnerability and resilience. Routledge Studies in the European Economy, Routledge,
2012
Abstract
Der Beitrag untersucht - theoretisch und empirisch - die Angebotseffekte der öffentlichen Investitionen, die im Rahmen des im Jahr 2009 gestarteten „Konjunkturpakets II“ (genauer: das darin enthaltene sog. „Zukunftsinvestitionsgesetz“) gefördert wurden. Im theoretischen Teil des Beitrags werden die verzerrenden Effekte von Investitionszuweisungen auf die Bereitstellung von öffentlichen Kapital und die örtliche Wirtschaftsentwicklung behandelt. Entsprechend der theoretischen Literatur zur effizienten Bereitstellung von öffentlichen Gütern, zu öffentlichen Vorleistungsgütern und Wachstum haben zweckgebundene Investitionszuweisungen diverse negative allokative Effekte: Erstens führen sie zu einer Verzerrung der relativen Faktorpreise für die Kommune, was wiederum übermäßig große Bestände an öffentlichem Kapital und eine Pareto-ineffiziente Bereitstellung von öffentlichen Gütern begünstigt. Zweitens können langfristig wachstumsfördernde Wirkungen durch schuldenfinanzierte öffentliche Investitionen nur für öffentliche Vorleistungsgüter erwartet werden, die entweder die Produktivität des privater Unternehmen direkt steigern oder indirekt über eine Steigerung der Faktorproduktivität wirken, vor allem über eine Erhöhung des Bestandes an Humankapital. Im empirischen Teil konnten trotz des jüngsten Anstiegs der kommunalen Investitionen mittels Regressionsanalyse kein Zusammenhang mit den gewährten KPII-Mitteln für Sachsen belegt werden. Weiterhin erwiesen sich die Finanzkraft der sächsischen Kommunen und die Höhe der erhaltenen KPII-Zuweisungen als voneinander unabhängig. Insgesamt können aufgrund der Konzentration der Fördermittel auf öffentliche Konsumgüter anstelle von öffentlichen Vorleistungsgütern nur marginale Wachstumseffekte von den geförderten Investitionen für die Zukunft erwartet werden.
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The Synchronization of Wage Dynamics across EMU Members: A Test of the Endogeneity Hypothesis
Herbert S. Buscher, Hubert Gabrisch
Empirica,
No. 3,
2012
Abstract
We test the hypothesis of an endogenous currency area for the labor market of the Euro area: has the introduction of a common currency caused wage dynamics to become more synchronized and to be able to cushion for asymmetric shocks? Trade intensity, sector specialization and financial integration are tested for being the driving forces for the endogenous synchronization of wage dynamics. We use regression techniques with instrument variables, and find evidence of persistent asymmetries in nominal wage formation, despite a single currency and monetary policy. We explain the result with more specialization following financial integration, and with still existing differences in wage formation and labor market institutions. We conclude that the euro zone is not endogenous with respect to wage formation. Rather, there are incentives for beggar-thy-neighbor policies in the Euro area.
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Financial Crisis Risk, ECB “Non-standard“ Measures, and the External Value of the Euro
Stefan Eichler
Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance,
No. 3,
2012
Abstract
I study the impact of banking and sovereign debt crisis risk of EMU member states on the external value of the euro. Using a regime switching model, I find that the external value of the euro has significantly responded to financial crisis risk during the period of November 2008–November 2011, while no significant effect is found for the period from February 2006 to October 2008. This suggests that the monetary expansion and interest rate cuts associated with the ECB's “non-standard” measures may have reduced the external value of the euro.
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Bank Bailouts and Moral Hazard: Evidence from Germany
Lammertjan Dam, Michael Koetter
Review of Financial Studies,
No. 8,
2012
Abstract
We use a structural econometric model to provide empirical evidence that safety nets in the banking industry lead to additional risk taking. To identify the moral hazard effect of bailout expectations on bank risk, we exploit the fact that regional political factors explain bank bailouts but not bank risk. The sample includes all observed capital preservation measures and distressed exits in the German banking industry during 1995–2006. A change of bailout expectations by two standard deviations increases the probability of official distress from 6.6% to 9.4%, which is economically significant.
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Monetary Policy in a World Where Money (Also) Matters
Makram El-Shagi, Sebastian Giesen
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 6,
2012
Abstract
While the long-run relation between money and inflation as predicted by the quantity theory is well established, empirical studies of the short-run adjustment process have been inconclusive at best. The literature regarding the validity of the quantity theory within a given economy is mixed. Previous research has found support for quantity theory within a given economy by combining the P-Star, the structural VAR and the monetary aggregation literature. However, these models lack precise modelling of the short-run dynamics by ignoring interest rates as the main policy instrument. Contrarily, most New Keynesian approaches, while excellently modeling the short-run dynamics transmitted through interest rates, ignore the role of money and thus the potential mid-and long-run effects of monetary policy. We propose a parsimonious and fairly unrestrictive econometric model that allows a detailed look into the dynamics of a monetary policy shock by accounting for changes in economic equilibria, such as potential output and money demand, in a framework that allows for both monetarist and New Keynesian transmission mechanisms, while also considering the Barnett critique. While we confirm most New Keynesian findings concerning the short-run dynamics, we also find strong evidence for a substantial role of the quantity of money for price movements.
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Specialization versus Diversification: Perceived Benefits of Different Incubation Models
Michael Schwartz, Christoph Hornych
International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management,
No. 3,
2012
Abstract
Business incubator initiatives are a widespread policy instrument for the promotion of entrepreneurship, innovation and the development of new technology-based firms. Recently, there has been an increasing tendency for the more traditional diversified incubators to be superseded by incubators focusing their support elements, processes and selection criteria on firms from one specific sector, and its particular needs. Despite the increasing importance of such specialized incubators in regional innovation strategies, the question of whether they are advantageous has neither been investigated empirically nor discussed theoretically in detail. Drawing on large-scale survey data from 161 firms incubated in either diversified or specialized incubators in Germany, we investigate the benefits to firms of being part of a specialized business incubator as opposed to being part of a generalized business incubator. The investigation of the value-added contribution of specialized incubators, in particular regarding hardware components, business assistance, networking and reputation gains, reveals considerable differences compared to the more diversified incubation model.
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