Suchergebnisse

"This paper analyzes the effectiveness of the tax and transfer systems in the European Union and the US to act as an automatic stabilizer in the current economic crisis. We find that automatic stabilizers absorb 38 per cent of a proportional income shock in the EU, compared to 32 per cent in the US. In the case of an unemployment shock 47 percent of the shock are absorbed in the EU, compared to 34 per cent in the US. This cushioning of disposable income leads to a demand stabilization of up to 30 per cent in the EU and up to 20 per cent in the US. There is large heterogeneity within the EU. Automatic stabilizers in Eastern and Southern Europe are much lower than in Central and Northern European countries. We also investigate whether countries with weak automatic stabilizers have enacted larger fiscal stimulus programs. We find no evidence supporting this view"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site

This paper analyzes the effectiveness of the tax and transfer systems in the European Union and the US to act as an automatic stabilizer in the current economic crisis. We find that automatic stabilizers absorb 38 per cent of a proportional income shock in the EU, compared to 32 per cent in the US. In the case of an unemployment shock 48 per cent of the shock are absorbed in the EU, compared to 34 per cent in the US. This cushioning of disposable income leads to a demand stabilization of 26 to 35 per cent in the EU and 19 per cent in the US. There is large heterogeneity within the EU. Automatic stabilizers in Eastern and Southern Europe are much lower than in Central and Northern European countries. We also investigate whether countries with weak automatic stabilizers have enacted larger fiscal stimulus programs. We find no evidence supporting this view. However, we find that active fiscal policy is lower in more open economies.

We present the first evidence on public attitudes towards two prominent euro area reform proposals (European Unemployment Benefit Scheme and Sovereign Insolvency Procedure) and assess potential impediments to their implementation by means of a randomized survey experiment in Germany. We find that there is a low willingness among German voters to accept fiscal risk-sharing through common unemployment insurance, while a sovereign insolvency procedure aimed at strengthening market discipline is supported by a majority of the electorate. Our randomized treatments confronting survey participants with potential adverse effects of the reforms lead to significant downward shifts in approval rates. Altruism, cosmopolitanism, political preference and income are important predictors of support for the reform proposals. We also show that there is a striking contrast between the low level of support for transfers to other euro area member states and a broad acceptance of inner German transfers.

We present the first evidence on public attitudes towards two prominent euro area reform proposals (European Unemployment Benefit Scheme and Sovereign Insolvency Procedure) and assess potential impediments to their implementation by means of a randomized survey experiment in Germany. We find that there is a low willingness among German voters to accept fiscal risk-sharing through common unemployment insurance, while a sovereign insolvency procedure aimed at strengthening market discipline is supported by a majority of the electorate. Our randomized treatments confronting survey participants with potential adverse effects of the reforms lead to significant downward shifts in approval rates. Altruism, cosmopolitanism, political preferences and income are important predictors of support for the reform proposals. We also show that there is a striking contrast between the low level of support for transfers to other euro area member states and a broad acceptance of inner German transfers.

In this paper, we present a dynamic scoring analysis of tax reforms for EU countries, accounting for the feedback effects resulting from the adjustment in labour supply and economy-wide reaction to tax policy changes. We combine the microsimulation model EUROMOD incorporating an estimated labour supply model, with the new Keynesian DSGE model QUEST used by the European Commission. We illustrate the results obtained when scoring specific reforms in three EU Member States.

Die Studie untersucht aktuelle Wohnortpräferenzen in der deutschen Bevölkerung und wie diese durch die Corona-Pandemie beeinflusst werden. Eine Umfrage unter 18 000 Menschen in urbanen, suburbanen und ruralen Gebieten zeigt, dass knapp 13% der Befragten aus den deutschen Großstädten plant, diese innerhalb der kommenden zwölf Monate zu verlassen. Dabei handelt es sich überproportional häufig um Menschen im jungen und mittleren Alter und um Haushalte mit Kindern. Die Umzugsbereitschaft der Befragten aus suburbanen oder ruralen Räumen ist signifikant geringer ausgeprägt als in der Gruppe der Großstadtbewohner*innen. Rund 46% der Befragten mit kurzfristigen Umzugsplänen gibt an, dass ihre Umzugspläne durch die Corona-Pandemie beeinflusst wurden. Meistgenannte Umzugsziele der befragten Großstadtbewohner*innen mit kurzfristigen Umzugsplänen sind kleinere Großstädte mit 100 000–500 000 Einwohnern (38%) und suburbane Räume im Speckgürtel einer Großstadt (30%), der ländliche Raum spielt dagegen nur eine untergeordnete Rolle (11%). Unsere Ergebnisse haben Implikationen für die kommunale Infrastrukturplanung, etwa in den Bereichen Mobilität und Bildung. Sie legen nahe, dass eine bessere Anbindung des suburbanen an den urbanen Raum und ein Ausbau der Bildungsinfrastruktur im suburbanen Raum und in kleineren Großstädten an Bedeutung gewinnen werden.

This paper investigates the relationship between the magnitude of automatic stabilizers in the tax and transfer systems of 19 EU countries and the US, and discretionary fiscal stimulus packages passed by these countries during the recent economic crisis. In particular, we ask whether countries with larger automatic stabilizers have enacted smaller discretionary fiscal stimulus programs. Our results support this hypothesis. Our findings also suggest that social transfers, in particular the rather generous systems of unemployment insurance in Europe, play a key role for the stabilization of disposable incomes and explain a large part of the difference in automatic stabilizers between Europe and the US.

This paper investigates the relationship between the magnitude of automatic stabilizers in the tax and transfer systems of 19 EU countries and the US, and discretionary fiscal stimulus packages passed by these countries during the recent economic crisis. In particular, we ask whether countries with larger automatic stabilizers have enacted smaller discretionary fiscal stimulus programs. Our results support this hypothesis. Our findings also suggest that social transfers, in particular the rather generous systems of unemployment insurance in Europe, play a key role for the stabilization of disposable incomes and explain a large part of the difference in automatic stabilizers between Europe and the US.

Abstract This paper investigates the relationship between the magnitude of automatic stabilizers in the tax and transfer systems of 19 EU countries and the US, and discretionary fiscal stimulus packages passed by these countries during the recent economic crisis. In particular, we ask whether countries with larger automatic stabilizers have enacted smaller discretionary fiscal stimulus programs. Our results support this hypothesis. Our findings also suggest that social transfers, in particular the rather generous systems of unemployment insurance in Europe, play a key role for the stabilization of disposable incomes and explain a large part of the difference in automatic stabilizers between Europe and the US.