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Same, but Different? Testing Monetary Policy Shock Measures

In this study, we determine the reliability and exogeneity of four popular monetary policy shock measures, namely the narrative series of Romer and Romer (2004), the high-frequency series of Barakchian and Crowe (2013), the high-frequency series of Gertler and Karadi (2015), and the hybrid series of Miranda-Agrippino and Ricco (2018b). To this end, we employ the Proxy-SVAR model and different empirical ...

Optimal Benefit-Based Corporate Income Tax

Abstract:   I derive an optimal benefit-based corporate tax rate formula as a function of the public input elasticity of profits and the (net of) tax elasticity of profits. I argue that the existence of the corporate income tax should be justified by the benefit-based view of taxation: firms should pay tax according to the benefits they receive from the use of the public input. I argue that...

Monetary Policy, Bank Bailouts, and the Sovereign-Bank Risk Nexus in the Euro Area

The article analyses the empirical relationship between bank credit risk and sovereign credit risk in the euro area, using a system of simultaneous equations identified through heteroskedasticity. We first confirm a two-way causality between both risks, which amplifies initial credit risk shocks. We also document significant credit risk spillovers between sovereigns and banks in the periphery and the ...

No Evidence for a Protective Effect of Education on Mental Health

This paper analyzes whether education has a protective effect on mental health. To estimate causal effects, we employ an instrumental variable (IV) technique that exploits a reform extending compulsory schooling by one year implemented between 1949 and 1969 in West Germany. We complement analyses on the Mental Component Summary (MCS) score as a generic measure of overall mental health with an MCS-based ...

The MARS Algorithm in the Spatial Framework: Non-Linearities and Spatial Effects in Hedonic Models

Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS) is a simple and powerful non-parametric technique that automatizes the selection of non-linear terms in regression models. Non-linearities and spatial effects are natural characteristics in numerous spatial hedonic pricing models. In this paper, we propose using the MARS data-driven methodology combined with the Instrumental Variables method in order to ...

Tied and Troubled: Revisiting Tied Migration and Subsequent Employment

ObjectiveThis article looks at couples' migration decision making processes and their gender‐specific employment consequences after migration to Germany.BackgroundInternational migration has evolved into a common experience for couples around the globe. Previous research has focused on the internal migration of couples and families. This article is the first to consider couples' international migration ...

Using Mathematical Graphs for Questionnaire Validation

We present an approach for studying three quality issues related to survey data, namely the detection of interviewer misbehaviour, the correct implementation of the questionnaire programming and possible redundant paths, which lead to case numbers hindering feasible statistical analysis. The idea is using a theoretical graph model for describing all possible paths through...

Increasing numbers of older individuals in Germany burdened by housing costs

Housing costs have risen sharply since 1996, especially for renters - Two thirds of older renting households spend over 30 percent of their income on rent compared with 38 percent in 1996 – People living alone in particular are affected by high housing costs Housing costs are rising in Germany. This is becoming a more widespread problem for individuals aged 65 and older, as their incomes are not increasing ...

Inclusive Transformation of the European Materials Sector: Report for the EUKI 2018 Project “Climate Friendly Materials Platform: Supporting Transition in Central and Southern Europe”

Just released: the 2018 SOEP Wave Report

The 2018 SOEP Wave Report with reports from Kantar and the SOEP unit at DIW Berlin on our fieldwork, publications, activities, and new developments including the SOEP-IS module "Foxes" and the research project SOEP-RV, linking the SOEP with administrative pension data.