Service cheques in Europe - a model for Germany? Employment effects and macro-economic costs: five scenarios

In the mid-nineties, near all european governments look almost desperately for a panacea against sluggish growth and high unemployment. Since this problem concerns mainly low-skilled workers, the creation of low-profile jobs in the personal service sector still seems to be one of the most promising solutions. After a long period of scepticism dominating economic thinking about the growth potential of this sector, a renaissance of the service-idea is taking place at the moment. The so called service cheque finds itself at the centre of this new policy approach. Its objective is twofold: to subsidize demand and to reduce the cost of labour. After France and Belgium, Germany is the third country introducing it at a large scale. The findings of this essay back up the opinion that direct welfare benefits, promoting the use of service-cheques, are preferable to those that rely on tax-relief incentives. On the other hand, the idea to provide households with a special welfare benefit in terms of service-cheques could prove risky once the system's high elasticity of output provokes uncontrollable budget deficits. Alternative models should therefore also be considered. -- Zu Beginn der neunziger Jahre suchen alle europäischen Regierungen beinahe händeringend nach neuen Politikansätzen zur Förderung eines beschäftigungsintensiven Wachstums. Da vor allem geringer qualifizierte Arbeitnehmer von konjunktureller und zunehmend struktureller Arbeitslosigkeit betroffen sind, erscheint die Schaffung neuer Arbeitsplätze im personennahen Dienstleistungssektor die erfolgversprechendste Lösung zu sein. Nachdem die traditionelle Wirtschaftstheorie für lange Jahre dieser Idee eine Absage erteilt hat, erlebt der Dienstleistungsgedanke zur Zeit eine Renaissance. Im Mittelpunkt dieser Politik steht der sogenannte Dienstleistungsscheck. Nach Frankreich und Belgien ist Deutschland das dritte Land, welches dieses Instrument in großem Stil einsetzt. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie unterstützen die Ansicht, daß direkte Transferleistungen besser dazu geeignet sind, den personennahen Dienstleistungssektor zu fördern, als Systeme, die Steuererleichterungen verwenden. Andererseits zeigt die vorliegende Analyse, daß Transfermodellen eine hohe Output-Elastizität innewohnt, welche das Risiko von unkontrollierbaren Einbussen öffentlicher Gelder bei gleichzeitig schwachen employmentseffekten beinhalten. Alternativmodelle sollten deshalb ebenso berücksichtigt werden.

Stock price responses on the German suspension of genetically modified maize

This note investigates the effect of the German governments' decision to suspend the cultivation of genetically modified maize on the stock returns of involved companies. Moreover, the first announcement to investigate a ban as well as a court decision rejecting Monsanto's lawsuit against the suspension are considered. This study is motivated by the expectation that these decisions have consequences beyond the small German market for genetically modified maize. An event study is used to evaluate the economic impacts on stock returns of Monsanto, Bayer and BASF. We find slight evidence that stock prices of Monsanto and BASF responded negatively to the German suspension of genetically modified maize.Event study, Bt maize, Monsanto, Bayer, BASF, GM crops

Evidence of slowing yield growth – the example of Swiss cereal yields

We analyze trends in yield growth and yield variability of barley, maize, oats, rye triticale and wheat in Switzerland from 1961 to 2006. In contrast to linear trends in cereal yield growth that are usually assumed for Europe, cereal yields have leveled off due to widespread extensive cereal production in Switzerland since the early 1990’s. This might also indicate prospects for future crop yield developments in other countries if similar farming practices are widely-used. Even though we find increasing yield variability for barley and rye, no increasing trend in relative yield variability (relative to yield levels) is found for all analyzed crops. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the importance of robust regression methods to ensure reliable results in trend estimation.climate change, crop yield development, detrending, robust regression, Switzerland, crop yield variability, agri-environmental policy

A direct cerebello-telencephalic projection in an electrosensory mormyrid fish

After injections of the posterior part of the lateral zone of the area dorsalis telencephali (Dlp) with either horseradish peroxidase or the newly available carbocyanine dye DiI, efferent cells were labeled in the valvula cerebelli of the mormyrid fish,Gnathonemus petersii. This may be a unique connection for this group of electrosensory teleosts, since no other vertebrate has ever been reported before to have a direct cerebello-telencephalic projection

Nuclear systems in space? Does/will the public accept them?

Public attitudes toward the use of nuclear energy on earth and in space are discussed. Survey data are presented which show that the public believes nuclear energy should play an important role in our energy supply. However, based on broad attitude research, there should be no expectation that the public will accept or support the use of nuclear energy unless it meets special needs and offers special and significant benefits. It is proposed that a public information program be adopted that results in getting recognition and support for the space program broadly and for the missions that benefit substantially from or require nuclear energy for their accomplishment

Poor people's knowledge : helping poor people to earn from their knowledge

How can we help poor people to earn more from their knowledge rather than from their sweat and muscle? This paper draws lessons from projects intended to promote and protect the innovation, knowledge, and creative skills of poor people in poor countries, particularly to improve the earnings of poor people from such knowledge and skills. The international community has paid considerable attention to problems associated with intellectual property that poor countries buy-such as the increased cost of pharmaceuticals brought on by the WTO's agreement on the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS). This paper is about the other half of the development-intellectual property link. It is about the knowledge poor people own, create, and sell rather than about what they buy. The paper calls attention to a broad range of poor people's knowledge that has commercial potential. It highlights the incentives for and concerns of poor people-which may be different from those of corporate research, northern nongovernmental organizations, or even entertainment stars from developing countries who already enjoy an international audience. The studies find that increased earnings is sometimes a matter of poor people acquiring commercial skills. Legal reform, though often necessary, is frequently not sufficient. Moreover, the paper concludes that the need for novel legal approaches to protect traditional knowledge has been overemphasized. Standard instruments such as patents and copyrights are often effective. Rather than legal innovation, there is a need for economic and political empowerment of poor people so that they have the skills to use such instruments and the influence to insist that institutional structures respond to their interests. Finally, the paper concludes that there is minimal conflict between culture and commerce. There are many income-earning expressions of culture, and it is incorrect to presume that expressions of culture must always be income-using.Cultural Heritage&Preservation,Environmental Economics&Policies,Arts&Music,Public Health Promotion,Cultural Policy,Environmental Economics&Policies,Cultural Heritage&Preservation,Arts&Music,Cultural Policy,Health Monitoring&Evaluation

Classical and quantum satisfiability

We present the linear algebraic definition of QSAT and propose a direct logical characterization of such a definition. We then prove that this logical version of QSAT is not an extension of classical satisfiability problem (SAT). This shows that QSAT does not allow a direct comparison between the complexity classes NP and QMA, for which SAT and QSAT are respectively complete.Comment: In Proceedings LSFA 2011, arXiv:1203.542

Measuring student use of ICT: a summary of findings of ICT use in Queensland Catholic schools

[Abstract]: The measurement of student learning outcomes as a result of the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the curriculum has become the focus of recent investigations with a view to improving teaching and learning. For example, a 2005 AARE Conference symposium provided insights into a range of current approaches for measuring ICT use in Australian schools (Fitzallen & Brown, 2006; Lloyd, 2006; Trinidad, Newhouse & Clarkson, 2006; Finger, Jamieson-Proctor, & Watson, 2006). These approaches stem from requirements for the measurement of student outcomes as a result of ICT integration, in line with recent priorities that emphasise outcomes (Andrich, 2002) and accountability (Gordon, 2002). However, researching and measuring the impact of ICT integration in schools has been found to be problematic (Cuttance, 2001). In Queensland, an instrument for measuring student use of ICT in the curriculum was developed, trialled and evaluated (Jamieson-Proctor, Watson, Finger, Grimbeek, & Burnett, 2007). This instrument has shown to be useful in measuring ICT use by students in Queensland State schools (Jamieson-Proctor & Finger, 2006; Jamieson-Proctor, Burnett, Finger & Watson, 2006). This paper summarises the findings obtained from the administration of the instrument in 130 Catholic schools in Queensland