This paper makes a fresh attempt at characterizing optimal commodity taxes. Under the usual assumptions, an extremely simple expression of second-best commodity taxes is derived, showing tax rates as functions of observable variables only, rather than as functions of unobservable variables such...

The paper evaluates the theoretical literature on public pension schemes. First, the terms pay-as-you-go and capital reserve are made precise. These two systems are then compared, followed by a consideration of their efficiency properties. Thereafter conversion policies are discussed.

Public pension schemes can be designed either as capital reserve systems or as unfunded (or pay-as-you-go) schemes. In the literature it has been alleged that unfunded schemes are intergenerationally efficient in Pareto's sense. Here we show that this holds only if contributions to the system...

Seit einigen Monaten wird in der Fachliteratur und den Medien eine teils heftige Diskussion um die sogenannten Target2-Salden geführt. Vordergründig geht es dabei um ein Verrechnungssystem der Notenbanken der Eurozone. Laut Hans-Werner Sinn, der die Debatte angestoßen hat, haben die in diesem...