Annette Illy entwickelt Bewertungsmaßstäbe zur Messung von Dezentralisierung auf kommunaler Ebene und untersucht mit modernen ökonometrischen Methoden den Einfluss von Gemeindetypen und Gemeindegröße auf die kommunale Effizienz und die Zufriedenheit der Bürger. Dies ist vor allem vor dem...

Abstract Rudolf Hrbek summarizes the arguments for the project of reforming German federalism. He describes the positions adopted at the beginning of the work of the Reform Commission set up in fall 2003 by the federal government and the state governments respectively. The Commission ended with...

The spatial evolution of the German solar industry is analysed in the light of the "window of locational opportunity" and the "selection environment" approach. The paper argues that differences in the regions' ability to promote the emergence of local external economies contribute to increasing...

This article presents the results of an empirical study on spatially concentrated industries (SCI) with 'cluster' qualities in the eastern part of Germany which have emerged so far in the process of transformation. The findings reveal that SCI in East Germany which show 'cluster' qualities, i.e....

The rising focus of politicians as well as scientists in the EU on the large urban agglomerations as centres of economic growth is accompanied by political efforts to identify and to demarcate such agglomerations under the label 'metropolitan regions'. This study develops a theoretical framework...