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Reducing Binge Drinking? The Effect of a Ban on Late-Night-Off-Premise Alcohol Sales on Alcohol-Related Hospital Stays in Germany

Excessive alcohol consumption among young people is a major public health concern. On March 1, 2010, the German state of Baden-Württemberg banned the sale of alcoholic beverages between 10 pm and 5 am at off-premise outlets (e.g., gas stations, kiosks, supermarkets). We use rich monthly administrative data from a 70% random sample of all hospitalizations during the years 2007–2011 in Germany in order ...

Using the Life Satisfaction Approach to Value Daylight Savings Time Transitions: Evidence from Britain and Germany

Daylight savings time (DST) represents a public good with costs and benefits. We provide the first comprehensive examination of the welfare effects of the spring and autumn transitions for the UK and Germany. Using individual-level data and a regression discontinuity design, we estimate the effect of the transitions on life satisfaction. Our results show that individuals in both the UK and Germany ...

Turnout and Closeness: Evidence from 60 Years of Bavarian Mayoral Elections

One prediction of the calculus of voting is that electoral closeness positively affects turnout via a higher probability of one vote being decisive. I test this theory with data on all mayoral elections in the German state of Bavaria between 1946 and 2009. Importantly, I use constitutionally prescribed two-round elections to measure electoral closeness and thereby improve on existing work that mostly ...

Regional Crime Rates and Fear of Crime: WISIND Findings

Many people are afraid of falling prey to crime. The present report investigates the extent to which this fear is in line with the actual regional crime rates. This analysis is based on data from a comprehensive database on the fear of crime, combined with police crime statistics (specifically, adjusted crime statistics which factor in the "dark figure" of unreported crime). No evidence was found to ...

Regional Crime Rates and Fear of Crime: Distinct North-South Divide - Unified Measurement Methods Needed: Six Questions to Martin Kroh

Perceptions of Personal Security in Social Media and Search Engines: A Realistic Reflection of Actual Crime Rates?

The most common method of measuring subjective fear of crime in the general population has traditionally been through surveys. With the spread of digital technologies, however, data from social media and search engines could now help researchers learn more about people’s subjective perceptions of certain types of crime. The present article will show that although the analysis of data from social media ...

"Regional Crime Rates and Fear of Crime: Distinct North-South Divide - Unified Measurement Methods Needed." Six Questions to Martin Kroh

The interview with Prof. Dr. Martin Kroh is published in DIW Economic Bulletin 12/2015. It is available for Download as pdf-document More issues of DIW Economic Bulletin

Secular Changes in Late-Life Cognition and Well-Being: Towards a Long Bright Future with a Short Brisk Ending?

How socio-cultural contexts shape individual functioning is of prime interest for psychological inquiry. Secular increases favoring later-born cohorts in fluid intelligence measures are widely documented for young adults. In the current study, we quantify such trends in old age using data from highly comparable participants living in a narrowly defined geographical area and examine whether these trends ...

The Gender Pay Gap in leadership positions in the private sector: Women earned roughly 22 percent less than men in 2013

Although it has decreased slightly, the pay gap between women and men remains at a high level: In 2013, the gross salary of women employed full-time in leadership positions in the private sector was roughly 22 percent, or one-fifth, of the gross salary of men in such positions. In 2012, the so-called Gender Pay Gap stood at 24 percent; in 2002, it stood at 26 percent. These calculations are based on ...

The German economy is growing strongly — no signs of overheating

DIW economic experts are forecasting a growth of 2.2 percent in 2015, which should stand at 1.9 percent in 2016 - capacity utilization at nearly normal levels - foreign markets less important than before the crisis - primary growth driver is private consumption based on a good labor market - surpluses in public budgets remain high - international risks remain significant The German economy, which ...