Einstellungen zur sozialen Mindestsicherung

Within the debate about the future of the welfare state a guaranteed social minimum income is often discussed as an alternative to the current social security system. One objection to such a proposal argues that a social minimum income lacks social acceptance and normative recognition. Starting from the thesis that the standard instruments of survey research have little to offer for giving a detailed account of the attitudes towards a social minimum, we deploy the more complex method of Factorial Survey Design. The study sample consists of 121 employed persons. Within the study, the focus is on the criteria used and the differentiations made when people are asked to evaluate a just minimum income. It can be shown that a uniform and flat-rate social minimum possesses less legitimacy than a transfer system that differentiates entitlements according to the beneficiaries relation to the employment sphere and certain need criteria. In addition, we find support for the idea of low income subsidies as suggested by the negative income concept. Though the results give evidence of the normative attraction of a social minimum, it is also apparent that the social judgments of the respondents are influenced by in the normative principles of the existing social security arrangements.     

Time-Series Evidence on the Nonlinearity Hypothesis for Public Spending

Barro-type endogenous growth models propose a nonmonotonic relationship between productive public spending and growth. Under this so-called nonlinearity hypothesis the size and direction of growth effects due to an increase in public spending depend on the share of public spending in GDP. Employing German time-series data we examine the validity of the nonlinearity hypothesis. We estimate growth effects by using models whose coefficients are allowed to vary with the share of public spending in GDP. Our results support the hypothesis for public consumption but not for public investment data. (JEL H54 , E62 , C22 )     

Dose-Response and Risk Assessment of Airborne Hexavalent Chromium and Lung Cancer Mortality

This study evaluates the dose-response relationship for inhalation exposure to hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] and lung cancer mortality for workers of a chromate production facility, and provides estimates of the carcinogenic potency. The data were analyzed using relative risk and additive risk dose-response models implemented with both Poisson and Cox regression. Potential confounding by birth cohort and smoking prevalence were also assessed. Lifetime cumulative exposure and highest monthly exposure were the dose metrics evaluated. The estimated lifetime additional risk of lung cancer mortality associated with 45 years of occupational exposure to 1 microg/m3 Cr(VI) (occupational exposure unit risk) was 0.00205 (90%CI: 0.00134, 0.00291) for the relative risk model and 0.00216 (90%CI: 0.00143, 0.00302) for the additive risk model assuming a linear dose response for cumulative exposure with a five-year lag. Extrapolating these findings to a continuous (e.g., environmental) exposure scenario yielded an environmental unit risk of 0.00978 (90%CI: 0.00640, 0.0138) for the relative risk model [e.g., a cancer slope factor of 34 (mg/kg-day)-1] and 0.0125 (90%CI: 0.00833, 0.0175) for the additive risk model. The relative risk model is preferred because it is more consistent with the expected trend for lung cancer risk with age. Based on statistical tests for exposure-related trend, there was no statistically significant increased lung cancer risk below lifetime cumulative occupational exposures of 1.0 mg-yr/m3, and no excess risk for workers whose highest average monthly exposure did not exceed the current Permissible Exposure Limit (52 microg/m3). It is acknowledged that this study had limited power to detect increases at these low exposure levels. These cancer potency estimates are comparable to those developed by U.S. regulatory agencies and should be useful for assessing the potential cancer hazard associated with inhaled Cr(VI).     

Federalism and aging policy in the 1980s: implications for changing interest group roles in the 1990s

Shifts in the American political landscape during the 1980s had impacts on aging policy and on the behavior of aging interest groups through that decade. But perhaps even more important are the likely effects of those changes on aging policy and on the roles of age-related groups in the 1990s--and probably beyond. First, some of the major policy trends of the 1980s are sketched out, especially the renewed emphasis on federalism. Then, an assessment of their effects on aging policy and aging interest groups is provided. Next, a rationale for focusing on state-level policy and a discussion of current aging interest-group mobilization at the state level are presented. Last, the prospects for aging interest-group influence in the 1990s--a period in which the prior decade's emphasis on dual federalism is likely to continue--is addressed.     

视觉现代化——现代艺术背后的人类视觉观念(1)

20世纪初所发生的“视觉现代化”(modernising vision)转向源于自19世纪以来传统的视觉概念所发生的深刻变化。它旨在将人们从过时的观看习惯中解放出来,视觉的本质不应主要被理解为给定可见世界的机械再现模式,而应该从根本上被理解为由文化构造的、具有历史多样性的感知数据的生产性过程。现代艺术试图通过艺术品本身来创造一种现代化的视觉形式,艺术作品被定义为实现视觉现代化的手段或工具,画家试图用艺术来表达一种新的视觉观——观看中充斥着时间的流动,而绝不仅是一个明确的视觉顺序的实现;观看不是一个视觉固定化过程,而是更加有意识地、集中地观察世界。从丢勒式的空间中心透视观到塞尚式的时间和空间相结合的多重透视观,后者更加强调了观者的参与和观看的过程,这种观看方式的变化也是人与世界关系的变化。视觉现代化的探讨在今天仍然具有重要的意义⁽²⁾。     

Rapid Trading bei deutschen Aktienfonds: Evidenz aus einer großen deutschen Fondsgesellschaft

This paper is the first to examine rapid trading among German equity mutual fund investors. Using data on inflows and outflows provided by a large German mutual fund company for all of its equity funds, we find strong evidence for rapid trading. It is particularly pronounced for small funds, risky funds, funds with low nominal prices, and international funds. However, we find no evidence of market timing activities. Furthermore, unlike in the US, rapid trading is less pronounced for funds with high loads. This shows that rapid trading among German fund investors is not explained by churning due to brokers’ advice. Rather, our results are consistent with the view that some investors use mutual funds for short-term, speculative purposes. The funds among which we observe the strongest rapid trading show lottery-like characteristics. Regarding fund performance, we find (at most) only very weak evidence for a negative impact of rapid trading on fund performance before the fund scandal of 2003, and no evidence afterwards.     

The managerial power approach: Is it testable?

Journal of Management and Governance - The central hypothesis of the managerial power approach (MPA) states that power is the main driver of executive compensation. The positive impact of power on...