This paper analyzes the intertemporal allocation effects of anticipated tax rate changes, reconsidering the recommendations of the Meade Committee in a perfect foresight general equilibrium model of economic growth. It is shown that the R-base (or consumption) tax can be more distortionary than...

1. "Making Welfare Work: the Politics of Reform", by Frank Field 2. "EU Enlargement and the Future of the Welfare State", by Hans-Werner Sinn and 3. "Globalization and the Future of Social Protection", by Vito Tanzi.

Open borders imply systems competition. This paper studies the implications of systems competition for the national competition rules. It is shown that an equilibrium where all countries retain their antitrust laws does not exist, since abolishing this law makes it possible for a single country...

The paper discusses the options for a reform of the German pension system using a model developed at CES for the German Council of economic advisors to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Research. It is argued that the German pay-as-you-go-system is efficient in a present value sense but will...

The paper studies the role of international implications after EU enlargement. Based on a formal model with migration costs for both capital and labor, it predicts a two-sided migration from the new to the old EU countries which is later reversed. As the migration pattern chosen by market forces...

Economic development in East Germany is not uniform. The building and construction industry is booming but manufacturing industry is stagnating. The paper argues that severe distortions in relative factor prices are the cause of the dichotomous development. These distortions result from...

It is shown that the net fiscal externality created by an additional member of a pay-as-you-go-pension system that is endowed with individual accounts equals the gross contributions of this member. In Germany, this equals about 175,000 Deutsche marks. The paper uses this information to design a...

Business representatives and union leaders in highly industrialised countries often accuse the governments of less-developed countries of practising social dumping in the sense of deliberately neglecting work-place safety legislation, co-determination rights and other fringe benefits which...

The paper presents a general equilibrium model of a pure exchange economy with stochastic endowment in which speculation is profitable and stabilizes prices, but is useless from a welfare point of view. Reconciling the Siegel paradox with the theory of incomplete markets we show that banning...