Children and their parents resemble each other in terms of economic preferences such as patience and risk tolerance. What drives the intergenerational correlation in preferences? We build a model of preference formation that combines genetic transmission, state influence through childcare...

Auch 35 Jahre nach der Deutschen Einheit bleiben die Wirtschafts- und Finanzkraft in den ostdeutschen Ländern unterdurchschnittlich. Im deutschen Finanzföderalismus führt das zu hohen Finanztransfers, die immer wieder politische Debatten auslösen. Dabei ist das geringe Steueraufkommen...

Abadie, Diamond, and Hainmueller's (2015) analysis of the costs of German reunification is a flagship study for the "synthetic control method" (SCM). Yet three issues can be identified. First, Abadie et al. remove countries that performed poorly in the 1990s from their donor pool, potentially...