In this paper we apply standard cartel theory to identify the major institutional stabilizers of Germany?s area tariff system of collective bargaining between a single industry union and the industry?s employers association. Our cartel analysis allows us to demonstrate that recent labor policy...

In this paper, we examine students' attitudes towards various allocation mechanisms for a scarce resource. For this purpose, we have run a survey among officers of the German military who are enrolled in different courses of study (such as economics) at the University of the German Federal Armed...

Das Fußballstadion von Hannover 96 wird für die WM 2006 umgebaut, sodass statt 50.480 vorübergehend nur noch 23.000 Zuschauerplätze verfügbar sind. Weil die Ticketpreise vom Verein um bis zu 70 Prozent angehoben wurden, gab es wütende Proteste unter den Fans (vgl. Heike, 2003). Die...

This paper provides a hedonic price analysis of mobile telephones for the German market. We have assembled data on 302 different handsets from 25 manufacturers over the period from May 1998 to November 2003. While volume has a negative effect on the price of a mobile handset, the number of...

Kaum eine ordnungspolitische oder regulatorische Frage hat in der deutschen Telekommunikationsbranche wohl in den letzten Jahren für so viel Aufruhr gesorgt, wie die Einführung des neuen §9a in das Telekommunikationsgesetz (TKG). Die neue Vorschrift sieht vor, dass die Bundesnetzagentur...

This paper offers a cartel explanation for the stability of German collective bargaining institutions.We show that a dense net of legal safeguards has been yarned around the wage setting cartel. These measures make deviation by cartel insiders less attractive and simultaneously erect entry...

Germany is the laggard of Europe, yet the country is world champion in merchandise exports. The paper tries to solve this theoretical and empirical puzzle by diagnosing a "pathological export boom" and a "bazaar effect". Excessively high wages defended by unions and the welfare state against the...

Long-term public sector sponsored training programs often show little or negative short-run employment effects and often it is not possible to assess whether positive long-run effects exist. Based on unique administrative data, this paper estimates the longrun differential employment effects of...