Catching-up, Regional Disparities and EU Cohesion Policy: The Case of Hungary

Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) such as Hungary are not only relatively backward with respect to the ‘old’ EU Member States (EU-15), but they are also witnessing a worrying rise of regional inequalities within their boundaries. With the example of Hungary, we try to identify the factors behind catching-up with the EU-15 in some regions (‘winner regions’) and falling-behind in others (‘loser regions’). By its very definition, EU cohesion policy has to consider both problems (national catching-up vs. the containment of regional disparities) very carefully in the enlarged EU. This is a complex issue, as regional policies often seem to face an equity-efficiency trade-off, as will bw shortly shown. On the basis of this analysis, we discuss how EU cohesion policy could contribute to attain higher national growth and, at the same time, contribute to the decrease in regional disparities. We use a theoretical approach that combines an endogenous growth framework with a new economic geography. The model we use shows that – in contrast to the traditionally used transport infrastructure policies – a policy that reduces the cost of innovation or increases the diffusion of innovation is able to reduce regional income inequality and agglomeration, and increase the national growth rate. The regional policies involved could be primary subsidies for research and technological development, investment in human capital or ICT infrastructure. In the final two sections of the paper, we discuss whether these regional policy prescriptions would fall on fertile soil in the light of Hungary's economic reality, and which could be promising EU cohesion policy schemes that would incorporate an innovation-oriented regional policy approach.

Zahlt Deutschland drauf? Was die Neue Ökonomische Geographie der deutschen Politik für die Verhandlung um den europäischen Etat mit auf den Weg geben kann

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"Statistical Matching Using Propensity Scores: Theory and Application to the Levy Institute Measure of Economic Wellbeing"

This paper summarizes the background, type, logic, and working procedure of the statistical matching used in the Levy Institute Measure of Economic Wellbeing (LIMEW) project to combine the various data sets used to produce the synthetic data set with which the LIMEW is constructed. We use the match between the 2001 Survey of Consumer Finances and Annual Demographic Survey of Current Population Survey data sets to demonstrate the procedure and results of the matching. Challenges facing the use of this technique, such as the distribution of weights, are discussed in the conclusion.

The impact of immigration on Germany's society: the German contribution to the pilot research study "The impact of immigration on Europe's societies" within the framework of the European Migration Network

Die Studie gibt einen Überblick über den derzeitigen Stand der Migrationsforschung und zeigt sowohl wichtige Ergebnisse als auch Forschungslücken auf. Die Studie nimmt einen Abriss über die Entwicklung der Zuwanderung in Deutschland seit Mitte der 1950er Jahre vor und behandelt ausführlich den Einfluss der Zuwanderung in den Bereichen Wirtschaft, Kultur und Politik. Darüber hinaus werden überblicksmäßig die strukturellen Rahmenbedingungen der Integration von Zuwanderern behandelt. Es handelt sich bei dieser Studie um den deutschen Beitrag zur Pilotforschungsstudie "The Impact of Immigration on Europe's Societies" im Rahmen des Europäischen Migrationsnetzwerks (EMN).The study provides an overview of the current state of migration research, and shows both important results and gaps in the research that has been carried out. The study provides an outline of developments in immigration in Germany since the mid-1950s and deals in detail with the influence exerted by immigration in the fields of economics, culture and politics. Further, an overview is provided of the structural framework of the integration of immigrants

"Nos amis les Allemands" - zum Diskurs der aktuellen Deutschland-Begeisterung in Togo

Der Artikel versucht, die gegenwärtige Begeisterung für Deutschland in Togo zu erklären. Diese Begeisterung scheint ein Ergebnis von Diskursen zu sein, die bis in die Zeit zurückreichen, als Togo noch eine deutsche Kolonie (1884-1914) war. Die verschiedenen Schichten dieses Phänomens werden hier in einer diskursiv-historischen Perspektive erörtert. Die Deutschland-Begeisterung kann als ein Phänomen verstanden werden, das sich durch die Überlagerung vieler Interessen (real und/oder fiktional, privat und öffentlich) herausgebildet hat. Daher sollte die Deutschland-Begeisterung nicht einfach als abwegig abgetan werden. Sie manifestiert die Erinnerungskultur und speziell den Umgang mit der deutschen Kolonialzeit in Togo

Addressing Demand for Sex Trafficking in Sweden and the United Kingdom: An Interpretive Policy Analysis of Demand Reduction Policies, in Consideration of the Principles of Deterrence Theory

In recent years, the problem of sex trafficking has migrated to the forefront of prostitution policy discussions, shifting the focus away from arguments surrounding the morality of prostitution, and instead, to consideration of the most effective prostitution policy approach to combat sex trafficking. One popular solution focuses on reducing the demand for sex trafficking by reducing the overall demand for prostitution. In order to reduce demand for prostitution, people must be deterred from purchasing sexual services, in any form, which may be accomplished by criminalizing the purchase of prostitution. The present inquiry will compare the demand reduction approaches of Sweden and the United Kingdom, evaluating each approach in relation to deterrence theory, which comprises the fundamental basis for demand reduction principles