Felix Hörisch | HTW des Saarlandes (original) (raw)

Papers by Felix Hörisch

Research paper thumbnail of Vier fette Jahre und ein mageres – Die Finanz-, Wirtschafts- und Arbeitsmarktpolitik der grün-schwarzen Landesregierung

Research paper thumbnail of Junge Menschen im Abseits. Verschleudertes Humankapital

Seit vielen Jahren haben die Mitgliedstaaten der EU Schwierigkeiten, junge Menschen in den Arbeit... more Seit vielen Jahren haben die Mitgliedstaaten der EU Schwierigkeiten, junge Menschen in den Arbeitsmarkt zu integrieren. Insbesondere der Suden Europas ist betroffen – teils jeder Zweite der potenziell Berufstatigen zwischen 15 und 24 Jahren ist hier arbeitslos. Das an der Universitat Heidelberg geleitete Verbundforschungsprojekt CUPESSE untersucht Ursachen und Auswirkungen von Jugendarbeitslosigkeit im Norden und Suden Europas unter Einbezug verschiedener Fachdisziplinen. Die Wissenschaftler wollen Handlungsempfehlungen fur die Politik ableiten – auch um die eklatante Schere zwischen Nord und Sud schliesen zu helfen.

Research paper thumbnail of Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Fortgeschrittene Analyseverfahren in den Sozialwissenschaften, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Varieties of Capitalism and labour market opportunities for the youth

European Journal of Government and Economics

In this study, we examine the extent to which socio-economic institutions shape young people’s pe... more In this study, we examine the extent to which socio-economic institutions shape young people’s perceptions of labour market opportunity structures and their employment attitudes (i.e. skills and retraining). Building on the varieties of capitalism approach, we expect young people (aged 18–35) in coordinated market economies (CMEs) with encompassing welfare states to regard firm- and industry-specific skills as more important than their peers in liberal market economies (LMEs). To assess this proposition, we draw on original survey data and compare young people’s employment attitudes in five European countries: the United Kingdom (UK), which represents a typical liberal market economy, and Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland as representatives of coordinated market economies. To what extent do different training regimes in CMEs and LMEs shape individual attitudes towards skill formation? The empirical analysis shows that young people’s attitudes with regard to the specificity o...

Research paper thumbnail of Unpopular Social Policy Reform and Strategic Communication: An Introduction

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Large-Scale and Green? The German Covid-19 Stimulus Package in International Comparison

German Politics, 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic is a major global crisis the impact of which is likely to exceed the upheav... more The Covid-19 pandemic is a major global crisis the impact of which is likely to
exceed the upheavals caused by the last financial and economic crisis of
2008/2009. Germany as an export-oriented economy faces tremendous
economic threats in the aftermath of the pandemic such as the collapse of
global supply chains, the lockdown of economic sectors and impending job
losses. As a reaction, the German government adopted, much as in the
previous financial crisis, fiscal stimulus packages as part of a Keynesian-style
public spending programme to stabilise its economy. Yet, in addition, the
German government explicitly conceptualised its reactions as part of a
‘Package for the Future’ (Zukunftspaket), interlinking it with the second big
global challenge: climate change and environmental degradation. We evaluate
the German stimulus package on both these goals by comparing it with
stimulus packages passed in other G20 countries. Based on a Qualitative
Comparative Analysis (QCA) added by a case study of Germany, we identify
the driving determinants behind the fiscal policy reactions with regard to the
size of the stimulus package as well as its contribution to adopt long-term
environmental transformations.

Research paper thumbnail of Felix Hörisch Joural of Self-Regulatio ad Regulatio Die Fiazpolitik der erste grü-rote Koalitio i Bade-Württeerg uter de istitutioelle Apassugsdruk der Neu-Regulierug durh die Shulderese

Nach fast 58 Jahren Regierungsbeteiligung der CDU kam 2011 in Baden-Württemberg mit der Koalition... more Nach fast 58 Jahren Regierungsbeteiligung der CDU kam 2011 in Baden-Württemberg mit der Koalition aus Grünen und SPD erstmals in einem deutschen Bundesland eine Koalition unter einem grünen Ministerpräsidenten zustande. Die Frage, die in diesem Artikel analysiert werden soll, ist, inwieweit die neu ins Amt gekommene grün-rote Lan-desregierung den Anpassungsprozess an die Schuldenbremse in der Finanzpolitik anders vollzog, als dies der Parteiendifferenztheorie zufolge bei einer bürgerlichen Regierungs-beteiligung zu erwarten gewesen wäre. Diese Fragestellung soll dabei in vier Schritten beantwortet werden. Zunächst sollen die Wahlprogramme zur Landtagswahl 2011 von Grünen, SPD und CDU miteinander sowie mit dem grün-roten Koalitionsvertrag vergli-chen werden. Anschließend soll zweitens ein Überblick über die Ausgabenprioritäten der Landesregierung Kretschmann gegeben werden. Drittens werden die wesentlichen tatsächlich getätigten Reformen der grün-roten Landesregierung im Bereich der ...

Research paper thumbnail of The German, the Swiss and the US Fiscal Policy Reaction to the Financial Crisis: Comparing Education and Corporate Policies from an Adapted Varieties of Capitalism Perspective

Jahrbuch für Handlungs- und Entscheidungstheorie, 2017

This paper looks at education and corporate coordination-policy outcomes within the fiscal stimul... more This paper looks at education and corporate coordination-policy outcomes within the fiscal stimulus packages of Germany, the USA, and Switzerland during the financial crisis of 2008/2009. The paper investigates assumptions derived by the Varieties of Capitalism (VoC) school while remaining open to the potential influence of political actors carrying out and/or influencing the policy making process. We show that, while the size of the fiscal stimulus packages cannot be explained by VoC logic, the composition of the fiscal stimulus packages is largely in line with the theoretical expectations of an adapted VoC framework. The findings underline the point that certain shortcomings of VoC theory only become apparent when political processes are included in the empirical verifications of central claims, which supports the need for using an adapted version of the VoC framework that also accounts for power resources.

Research paper thumbnail of Kommissionen als Mittel zur Beibehaltung des Status quo?

Zeitschrift für Politikberatung, 2010

Zusammenfassung Seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre geriet das deutsche System der Unternehmensmitbestim... more Zusammenfassung Seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre geriet das deutsche System der Unternehmensmitbestimmung zunehmend in den Fokus politischer und wissenschaftlicher Diskussionen. So forderten insbesondere zahlreiche arbeitgebernahe Kommissionen eine Reform der Unternehmensmitbestimmung. Um diesen Reforminitiativen den Wind aus den Segeln zu nehmen, setzte der damalige Bundeskanzler Schröder 2005 deshalb die „Kommission zur Modernisierung des deutschen Systems der Unternehmensmitbestimmung“ ein. Der Aufsatz soll exemplarisch am Beispiel der Unternehmensmitbestimmung Kriterien entwickeln, unter welchen Voraussetzungen es Regierungen gelingt, Kommissionen zur Legitimation der Beibehaltung des Status quo zu nutzen, und so ein Thema von der politischen Agenda zu nehmen.

Research paper thumbnail of Security or autonomy? A comparative analysis of work values and labor market policies in different European welfare states

International Journal of Social Welfare

This paper analyzes whether and how work values differ between European Welfare states and change... more This paper analyzes whether and how work values differ between European Welfare states and change over time. We proceed in three steps: First, we show that—despite EU harmonization endeavors, for example, via the Europe 2020 strategy—work values still vary substantially between European countries and welfare regimes. Second, by analyzing data from the European Social Survey 2004 and 2010, we show how labor market policies, such as active and passive labor market policies, are associated with work values and how overall levels of work values changed over this period. Third, we discuss potential implications of the heterogeneity of work values for national as well as European labor market policy making. Altogether we are able to show that work values are substantially driven by the economic structure of a country and its labor market policy making.

Research paper thumbnail of Steering the behaviour of young people: the EU’s policy approach to promote employment

Handbook of Behavioural Change and Public Policy

In this contribution we examine an issue that requires the adoption of policy instruments for mul... more In this contribution we examine an issue that requires the adoption of policy instruments for multiple target groups: youth unemployment. The selection of this problem area is motivated by the recent episode of youth unemployment in the European Union (EU). Youth unemployment – like unemployment in general – has many undesirable economic, social and political consequences for individuals and societies alike. It is associated with a multitude of economic challenges, a general lack of social support, and often leaves young people more vulnerable to physical and mental health problems (see, e.g. Brandt and Hank 2014). Here, we are interested in the policy instruments adopted by EU policy-makers in response to this problem. We compare the perceptions of young people in Germany (aged 18‒35) on the causes of unemployment and their dispositions to change their behaviours to gain employment. We chose Germany because it is the European country regarded a leader in promoting youth employment (Shore and Tosun 2019), and has a vocational education and training system in place that is widely perceived to be successful and worth to be adopted (Wieland 2015). In this way, we conduct a preliminary assessment of the fit between the policy instruments chosen and the perceptions of their target group. Concentrating on the views of young people is appropriate since despite the multitude of target groups that should be addressed by policies aiming to combat youth unemployment, the EU’s approach mostly – albeit not exclusively – concerns the supply-side and therefore, seeks to change the skills and behaviour of young people themselves (Lahusen et al. 2013; Thies et al. 2018). What are the main perceived barriers to entering and staying in employment among young Germans? How well suited are the EU level policy measures in overcoming these barriers? These are the two research questions guiding this chapter. The remainder of the chapter is organized as follows: In the next section, we provide an overview of the EU’s policy approach to promote youth employment since 1997. Subsequently, we present information based on empirical data from the CUPESSE survey for Germany on what young Germans between the ages of 18 and 35 believe to be the causes of youth unemployment and what they would be willing to do to get a (better) job. Then, we provide an assessment of the policy measures adopted at the EU level to bring young people into employment following the recommendations by Weaver (2015) on how to influence behavioural change by public policies. Finally, we conclude by summarizing the main findings on what the main perceived barriers to promoting employment among 18‒35-year-old Germans are and how well suited the EU level policy measures implemented by the German government are in overcoming these identified barriers.

Research paper thumbnail of Die Finanzpolitik der ersten grün-roten Koalition in Baden-Württemberg unter dem institutionellen Anpassungsdruck der Neu-Regulierung durch die Schuldenbremse

Nach fast 58 Jahren Regierungsbeteiligung der CDU kam 2011 in Baden-Wurttemberg mit der Koalition... more Nach fast 58 Jahren Regierungsbeteiligung der CDU kam 2011 in Baden-Wurttemberg mit der Koalition aus Grunen und SPD erstmals in einem deutschen Bundesland eine Koalition unter einem grunen Ministerprasidenten zustande. Die Frage, die in diesem Artikel analysiert werden soll, ist, inwieweit die neu ins Amt gekommene grun-rote Landesregierung den Anpassungsprozess an die Schuldenbremse in der Finanzpolitik anders vollzog, als dies der Parteiendifferenztheorie zufolge bei einer burgerlichen Regierungsbeteiligung zu erwarten gewesen ware. Diese Fragestellung soll dabei in vier Schritten beantwortet werden. Zunachst sollen die Wahlprogramme zur Landtagswahl 2011 von Grunen, SPD und CDU miteinander sowie mit dem grun-roten Koalitionsvertrag verglichen werden. Anschliesend soll zweitens ein Uberblick uber die Ausgabenprioritaten der Landesregierung Kretschmann gegeben werden. Drittens werden die wesentlichen tatsachlich getatigten Reformen der grun-roten Landesregierung im Bereich der Fin...

Research paper thumbnail of Regulation vs Symbolic Policy-Making: Genetically Modified Organisms in the German States

German Politics

Germany’s federal states can enforce stricter regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMOs... more Germany’s federal states can enforce stricter regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) than does the national government. Empirically, the study analyses two outcomes at the state level: the symbolic accession to the GMO-free network, in which regional units mobilise against the EU’s regulatory approach, and hard GMO policies/regulations. Besides focussing on political parties and environmental interest groups, the article provides various additional theoretical explanations for the variation in outcomes. The research questions are the following: what conditions a state’s accession to the GMO-free network? What conditions a state’s adoption of GMO regulations? To assess these questions, the study employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. One finding is that the inclusion of the Green Party in government is not a predominant condition for the adoption of regulations, but ministers affiliated with the Greens are dominant drivers of symbolic policy-making. The study reveals differing regulatory action by CDU/CSU ministers in the western and eastern states, which can be explained by the differing interests of farmers. Other findings reveal that SPD ministers regulated GMOs to much the same extent as CDU/CSU or Green ministers. Environmental interest groups were also found to have positively conditioned symbolic policy-making, having no effect, however, on the adoption of concrete regulations.

Research paper thumbnail of Social capital and the impact of the recent economic crisis: Comparing the effects of economic and fiscal policy developments

Social Policy & Administration

In this contribution, we offer an analysis that evaluates the impact of the recent financial and ... more In this contribution, we offer an analysis that evaluates the impact of the recent financial and economic crisis on social capital. An economic crisis offers a unique chance to study people's associational lives, volunteering, network-making, and trust-building under duress. Theoretical perspectives on the relationship between social capital and economic development emphasize a reciprocal relationship between the two. Therefore, we hypothesize that if economic performance is compromised, this might lead to an erosion of social capital. More importantly, however, we also argue that states can actively intervene by means of fiscal policy measures. We will illustrate our approach by comparing 29 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries before and after the crisis. Using qualitative comparative analysis, we demonstrate that imperatives related to fiscal policy stimuli provide leverage on social capital development.

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding massive youth unemployment during the EU sovereign debt crisis: a configurational study

Comparative European Politics

After the economic downturn of 2008, youth unemployment rose rapidly in the EU. Simultaneously, m... more After the economic downturn of 2008, youth unemployment rose rapidly in the EU. Simultaneously, many countries were also facing increasing public deficits. In this context, the EU developed a set of policies to tackle youth unemployment and public debt. While policies to fight unemployment were underpinned by the concept of social investment, austerity was seen as the best way to reduce public debt. These different approaches to the crisis led to a growing tension between the two policy areas. This problem was particularly visible in the countries most affected by the sovereign debt crisis where youth unemployment remained very high for a long period of time. Not only were countries with high public debt and low growth unable to invest sufficiently in active labour market policies (ALMPs), but also, at the same time, austerity policies depressed the economic activity. This study uses the fsQCA methodology. Our results point to the existence of one necessary condition for high youth unemployment—low expenditure on ALMPs. The analysis of sufficient conditions points to the existence of one configuration: the countries most affected by the sovereign debt crisis and characterized by having a demand-led growth model, combined a low GDP growth with a low expenditure on ALMPs. Together, this led to high levels of youth unemployment.

Research paper thumbnail of Youth employment in Europe: Coordination as a crucial dimension

International Journal of Social Welfare

Coordination has attracted considerable attention in the various sub-disciplines of political sci... more Coordination has attracted considerable attention in the various sub-disciplines of political science. For example, public choice research on collective action problems acknowledges coordination as a situation in which ‘cheating’ among actors is not rewarded. Assuming that we have a game between two players A and B, both players are rewarded if they jointly choose either strategy ‘a’ or strategy ‘b’. If they fail to coordinate their strategies, and one player goes for ‘a’ and the other one for ‘b’, both receive a payoff of zero. This need to align decisions with one another represents the basic logic of the ‘coordination game’ (see Holzinger, 2001). In comparative political economy, coordination also plays an important role (Hall & Gingerich, 2009; Hall & Soskice, 2001). There the idea is that employers coordinate among themselves to produce collective goods, and in so doing, social institutions such as labour unions support the employers (Regini, 2003). The coordination or the lack of it in the economic domain then has implications for adjacent policy domains such as (higher) education (see Busemeyer & Trampusch, 2012). Policy studies have elaborated on coordination as a means to produce more effective and/or efficient solutions to policy problems since these are typically not limited to the actions taken in one policy domain, but may require actions in two or more policy domains (see Tosun & Lang, 2017). Public administration has concentrated on institutions and procedures that are conducive to coordination, such as centralised agencies and leadership (e.g., May et al., 2011). Research in public administration and public policy is broader than the previous perspectives in the sense that the analytical interest includes the proposing, adoption and implementation of policies. Coordination has been a research theme in studies concentrating on specific types of policies such as climate change, development cooperation and environmental protection (see Tosun & Lang, 2017). In marked contrast, and somewhat surprisingly, studies of social welfare have paid little attention to coordination (but see, e.g., Heidenreich & Rice, 2016). One of them is the empirical investigation by Zimmermann, Aurich, Graziano, and Fuertes (2014), in which the authors examine to what extent the local-level public employment services in Germany coordinate employment policies with measures in other policy domains. This perspective is insightful since, in many if not most cases, welfare policy and service delivery require a coordination of the measures in the different policy domains such as education, economy, employment, family affairs, housing and migration. To reduce this knowledge gap, the theme of this special issue is coordination. The key argument we advance is that there exist various forms of coordination and that each of these forms has the potential to advance our understanding of how welfare-related policies come about, how they are delivered and what their effects are. Why is it analytically rewarding to study coordination? The myopic nature of policy-making makes it difficult to pursue and attain coordination. As Jochim and May (2010, p. 304) put it, ‘each of the relevant [policy] subsystems provides a separate lens through which to view problems’, which is complemented by separate ‘histories’ and the involvement of different interests. Following this perspective, even if desirable, coordination is not easy to attain and when it is attained it is worth analysing how this is so. In the next section, we introduce in detail our key concepts and provide a rationale for the analytical focus of this special issue. Subsequently, we explain how the contributions relate to each other and which insights we can gain from them regarding the overarching theme. In the closing discussion section, we offer some concluding remarks and develop a specific research agenda for research on coordination in social welfare.

Research paper thumbnail of Promoting workplace-based training to fight youth unemployment in three EU countries: Different strategies, different results?

International Journal of Social Welfare

During the economic crisis, youth unemployment grew exponentially in many European countries. It ... more During the economic crisis, youth unemployment grew exponentially in many European countries. It was argued that countries with a high level of firm involvement in the provision of initial vocational training were better equipped to address this problem. Boosting workplace‐based training was therefore seen as the right strategy to tackle unemployment. Using Denmark, Spain and the UK as case studies, this article analyses how countries with different skill formation systems have improved this type of training. While the UK reinforced the voluntaristic character of its training regime, Denmark improved the quality of its vocational education, and Spain made reforms to the training and apprenticeship contract. Interestingly, the countries achieved different results. To explain this divergence, it is argued that while the reforms made in the UK and Denmark were compatible with the national institutions and coordination mechanisms, this was not the case in Spain, where reforms were implemented in a non‐complementary way. Key Practitioner Message: After the economic crisis it was argued that countries with a high level of firm involvement in the provision of initial VET were better equipped to fight youth unemployment. The study analysed how countries with different skill formation systems improved this type of training and assessed their relative success. The article shows that when implementing reforms policy makers must take into account the institutions and mechanisms of coordination that prevail in each country. Otherwise, reforms may be unsuccessful.

Research paper thumbnail of Perceived economic self-sufficiency: a country- and generation-comparative approach

European Political Science

Existing datasets provided by statistical agencies (e.g. Eurostat) show that the economic and fin... more Existing datasets provided by statistical agencies (e.g. Eurostat) show that the economic and financial crisis that unfolded in 2008 significantly impacted the lives and livelihoods of young people across Europe. Taking these official statistics as a starting point, the collaborative research project "Cultural Pathways to

Research paper thumbnail of Framing Effects and Comparative Social Policy Reform: Comparing Blame Avoidance Evidence from Two Experiments

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 2015

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Fiscal Policy in Hard Times: A Fuzzy-Set QCA of Fiscal Policy Reactions to the Financial Crisis

Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft, 2013

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Vier fette Jahre und ein mageres – Die Finanz-, Wirtschafts- und Arbeitsmarktpolitik der grün-schwarzen Landesregierung

Research paper thumbnail of Junge Menschen im Abseits. Verschleudertes Humankapital

Seit vielen Jahren haben die Mitgliedstaaten der EU Schwierigkeiten, junge Menschen in den Arbeit... more Seit vielen Jahren haben die Mitgliedstaaten der EU Schwierigkeiten, junge Menschen in den Arbeitsmarkt zu integrieren. Insbesondere der Suden Europas ist betroffen – teils jeder Zweite der potenziell Berufstatigen zwischen 15 und 24 Jahren ist hier arbeitslos. Das an der Universitat Heidelberg geleitete Verbundforschungsprojekt CUPESSE untersucht Ursachen und Auswirkungen von Jugendarbeitslosigkeit im Norden und Suden Europas unter Einbezug verschiedener Fachdisziplinen. Die Wissenschaftler wollen Handlungsempfehlungen fur die Politik ableiten – auch um die eklatante Schere zwischen Nord und Sud schliesen zu helfen.

Research paper thumbnail of Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Fortgeschrittene Analyseverfahren in den Sozialwissenschaften, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Varieties of Capitalism and labour market opportunities for the youth

European Journal of Government and Economics

In this study, we examine the extent to which socio-economic institutions shape young people’s pe... more In this study, we examine the extent to which socio-economic institutions shape young people’s perceptions of labour market opportunity structures and their employment attitudes (i.e. skills and retraining). Building on the varieties of capitalism approach, we expect young people (aged 18–35) in coordinated market economies (CMEs) with encompassing welfare states to regard firm- and industry-specific skills as more important than their peers in liberal market economies (LMEs). To assess this proposition, we draw on original survey data and compare young people’s employment attitudes in five European countries: the United Kingdom (UK), which represents a typical liberal market economy, and Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland as representatives of coordinated market economies. To what extent do different training regimes in CMEs and LMEs shape individual attitudes towards skill formation? The empirical analysis shows that young people’s attitudes with regard to the specificity o...

Research paper thumbnail of Unpopular Social Policy Reform and Strategic Communication: An Introduction

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Large-Scale and Green? The German Covid-19 Stimulus Package in International Comparison

German Politics, 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic is a major global crisis the impact of which is likely to exceed the upheav... more The Covid-19 pandemic is a major global crisis the impact of which is likely to
exceed the upheavals caused by the last financial and economic crisis of
2008/2009. Germany as an export-oriented economy faces tremendous
economic threats in the aftermath of the pandemic such as the collapse of
global supply chains, the lockdown of economic sectors and impending job
losses. As a reaction, the German government adopted, much as in the
previous financial crisis, fiscal stimulus packages as part of a Keynesian-style
public spending programme to stabilise its economy. Yet, in addition, the
German government explicitly conceptualised its reactions as part of a
‘Package for the Future’ (Zukunftspaket), interlinking it with the second big
global challenge: climate change and environmental degradation. We evaluate
the German stimulus package on both these goals by comparing it with
stimulus packages passed in other G20 countries. Based on a Qualitative
Comparative Analysis (QCA) added by a case study of Germany, we identify
the driving determinants behind the fiscal policy reactions with regard to the
size of the stimulus package as well as its contribution to adopt long-term
environmental transformations.

Research paper thumbnail of Felix Hörisch Joural of Self-Regulatio ad Regulatio Die Fiazpolitik der erste grü-rote Koalitio i Bade-Württeerg uter de istitutioelle Apassugsdruk der Neu-Regulierug durh die Shulderese

Nach fast 58 Jahren Regierungsbeteiligung der CDU kam 2011 in Baden-Württemberg mit der Koalition... more Nach fast 58 Jahren Regierungsbeteiligung der CDU kam 2011 in Baden-Württemberg mit der Koalition aus Grünen und SPD erstmals in einem deutschen Bundesland eine Koalition unter einem grünen Ministerpräsidenten zustande. Die Frage, die in diesem Artikel analysiert werden soll, ist, inwieweit die neu ins Amt gekommene grün-rote Lan-desregierung den Anpassungsprozess an die Schuldenbremse in der Finanzpolitik anders vollzog, als dies der Parteiendifferenztheorie zufolge bei einer bürgerlichen Regierungs-beteiligung zu erwarten gewesen wäre. Diese Fragestellung soll dabei in vier Schritten beantwortet werden. Zunächst sollen die Wahlprogramme zur Landtagswahl 2011 von Grünen, SPD und CDU miteinander sowie mit dem grün-roten Koalitionsvertrag vergli-chen werden. Anschließend soll zweitens ein Überblick über die Ausgabenprioritäten der Landesregierung Kretschmann gegeben werden. Drittens werden die wesentlichen tatsächlich getätigten Reformen der grün-roten Landesregierung im Bereich der ...

Research paper thumbnail of The German, the Swiss and the US Fiscal Policy Reaction to the Financial Crisis: Comparing Education and Corporate Policies from an Adapted Varieties of Capitalism Perspective

Jahrbuch für Handlungs- und Entscheidungstheorie, 2017

This paper looks at education and corporate coordination-policy outcomes within the fiscal stimul... more This paper looks at education and corporate coordination-policy outcomes within the fiscal stimulus packages of Germany, the USA, and Switzerland during the financial crisis of 2008/2009. The paper investigates assumptions derived by the Varieties of Capitalism (VoC) school while remaining open to the potential influence of political actors carrying out and/or influencing the policy making process. We show that, while the size of the fiscal stimulus packages cannot be explained by VoC logic, the composition of the fiscal stimulus packages is largely in line with the theoretical expectations of an adapted VoC framework. The findings underline the point that certain shortcomings of VoC theory only become apparent when political processes are included in the empirical verifications of central claims, which supports the need for using an adapted version of the VoC framework that also accounts for power resources.

Research paper thumbnail of Kommissionen als Mittel zur Beibehaltung des Status quo?

Zeitschrift für Politikberatung, 2010

Zusammenfassung Seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre geriet das deutsche System der Unternehmensmitbestim... more Zusammenfassung Seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre geriet das deutsche System der Unternehmensmitbestimmung zunehmend in den Fokus politischer und wissenschaftlicher Diskussionen. So forderten insbesondere zahlreiche arbeitgebernahe Kommissionen eine Reform der Unternehmensmitbestimmung. Um diesen Reforminitiativen den Wind aus den Segeln zu nehmen, setzte der damalige Bundeskanzler Schröder 2005 deshalb die „Kommission zur Modernisierung des deutschen Systems der Unternehmensmitbestimmung“ ein. Der Aufsatz soll exemplarisch am Beispiel der Unternehmensmitbestimmung Kriterien entwickeln, unter welchen Voraussetzungen es Regierungen gelingt, Kommissionen zur Legitimation der Beibehaltung des Status quo zu nutzen, und so ein Thema von der politischen Agenda zu nehmen.

Research paper thumbnail of Security or autonomy? A comparative analysis of work values and labor market policies in different European welfare states

International Journal of Social Welfare

This paper analyzes whether and how work values differ between European Welfare states and change... more This paper analyzes whether and how work values differ between European Welfare states and change over time. We proceed in three steps: First, we show that—despite EU harmonization endeavors, for example, via the Europe 2020 strategy—work values still vary substantially between European countries and welfare regimes. Second, by analyzing data from the European Social Survey 2004 and 2010, we show how labor market policies, such as active and passive labor market policies, are associated with work values and how overall levels of work values changed over this period. Third, we discuss potential implications of the heterogeneity of work values for national as well as European labor market policy making. Altogether we are able to show that work values are substantially driven by the economic structure of a country and its labor market policy making.

Research paper thumbnail of Steering the behaviour of young people: the EU’s policy approach to promote employment

Handbook of Behavioural Change and Public Policy

In this contribution we examine an issue that requires the adoption of policy instruments for mul... more In this contribution we examine an issue that requires the adoption of policy instruments for multiple target groups: youth unemployment. The selection of this problem area is motivated by the recent episode of youth unemployment in the European Union (EU). Youth unemployment – like unemployment in general – has many undesirable economic, social and political consequences for individuals and societies alike. It is associated with a multitude of economic challenges, a general lack of social support, and often leaves young people more vulnerable to physical and mental health problems (see, e.g. Brandt and Hank 2014). Here, we are interested in the policy instruments adopted by EU policy-makers in response to this problem. We compare the perceptions of young people in Germany (aged 18‒35) on the causes of unemployment and their dispositions to change their behaviours to gain employment. We chose Germany because it is the European country regarded a leader in promoting youth employment (Shore and Tosun 2019), and has a vocational education and training system in place that is widely perceived to be successful and worth to be adopted (Wieland 2015). In this way, we conduct a preliminary assessment of the fit between the policy instruments chosen and the perceptions of their target group. Concentrating on the views of young people is appropriate since despite the multitude of target groups that should be addressed by policies aiming to combat youth unemployment, the EU’s approach mostly – albeit not exclusively – concerns the supply-side and therefore, seeks to change the skills and behaviour of young people themselves (Lahusen et al. 2013; Thies et al. 2018). What are the main perceived barriers to entering and staying in employment among young Germans? How well suited are the EU level policy measures in overcoming these barriers? These are the two research questions guiding this chapter. The remainder of the chapter is organized as follows: In the next section, we provide an overview of the EU’s policy approach to promote youth employment since 1997. Subsequently, we present information based on empirical data from the CUPESSE survey for Germany on what young Germans between the ages of 18 and 35 believe to be the causes of youth unemployment and what they would be willing to do to get a (better) job. Then, we provide an assessment of the policy measures adopted at the EU level to bring young people into employment following the recommendations by Weaver (2015) on how to influence behavioural change by public policies. Finally, we conclude by summarizing the main findings on what the main perceived barriers to promoting employment among 18‒35-year-old Germans are and how well suited the EU level policy measures implemented by the German government are in overcoming these identified barriers.

Research paper thumbnail of Die Finanzpolitik der ersten grün-roten Koalition in Baden-Württemberg unter dem institutionellen Anpassungsdruck der Neu-Regulierung durch die Schuldenbremse

Nach fast 58 Jahren Regierungsbeteiligung der CDU kam 2011 in Baden-Wurttemberg mit der Koalition... more Nach fast 58 Jahren Regierungsbeteiligung der CDU kam 2011 in Baden-Wurttemberg mit der Koalition aus Grunen und SPD erstmals in einem deutschen Bundesland eine Koalition unter einem grunen Ministerprasidenten zustande. Die Frage, die in diesem Artikel analysiert werden soll, ist, inwieweit die neu ins Amt gekommene grun-rote Landesregierung den Anpassungsprozess an die Schuldenbremse in der Finanzpolitik anders vollzog, als dies der Parteiendifferenztheorie zufolge bei einer burgerlichen Regierungsbeteiligung zu erwarten gewesen ware. Diese Fragestellung soll dabei in vier Schritten beantwortet werden. Zunachst sollen die Wahlprogramme zur Landtagswahl 2011 von Grunen, SPD und CDU miteinander sowie mit dem grun-roten Koalitionsvertrag verglichen werden. Anschliesend soll zweitens ein Uberblick uber die Ausgabenprioritaten der Landesregierung Kretschmann gegeben werden. Drittens werden die wesentlichen tatsachlich getatigten Reformen der grun-roten Landesregierung im Bereich der Fin...

Research paper thumbnail of Regulation vs Symbolic Policy-Making: Genetically Modified Organisms in the German States

German Politics

Germany’s federal states can enforce stricter regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMOs... more Germany’s federal states can enforce stricter regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) than does the national government. Empirically, the study analyses two outcomes at the state level: the symbolic accession to the GMO-free network, in which regional units mobilise against the EU’s regulatory approach, and hard GMO policies/regulations. Besides focussing on political parties and environmental interest groups, the article provides various additional theoretical explanations for the variation in outcomes. The research questions are the following: what conditions a state’s accession to the GMO-free network? What conditions a state’s adoption of GMO regulations? To assess these questions, the study employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. One finding is that the inclusion of the Green Party in government is not a predominant condition for the adoption of regulations, but ministers affiliated with the Greens are dominant drivers of symbolic policy-making. The study reveals differing regulatory action by CDU/CSU ministers in the western and eastern states, which can be explained by the differing interests of farmers. Other findings reveal that SPD ministers regulated GMOs to much the same extent as CDU/CSU or Green ministers. Environmental interest groups were also found to have positively conditioned symbolic policy-making, having no effect, however, on the adoption of concrete regulations.

Research paper thumbnail of Social capital and the impact of the recent economic crisis: Comparing the effects of economic and fiscal policy developments

Social Policy & Administration

In this contribution, we offer an analysis that evaluates the impact of the recent financial and ... more In this contribution, we offer an analysis that evaluates the impact of the recent financial and economic crisis on social capital. An economic crisis offers a unique chance to study people's associational lives, volunteering, network-making, and trust-building under duress. Theoretical perspectives on the relationship between social capital and economic development emphasize a reciprocal relationship between the two. Therefore, we hypothesize that if economic performance is compromised, this might lead to an erosion of social capital. More importantly, however, we also argue that states can actively intervene by means of fiscal policy measures. We will illustrate our approach by comparing 29 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries before and after the crisis. Using qualitative comparative analysis, we demonstrate that imperatives related to fiscal policy stimuli provide leverage on social capital development.

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding massive youth unemployment during the EU sovereign debt crisis: a configurational study

Comparative European Politics

After the economic downturn of 2008, youth unemployment rose rapidly in the EU. Simultaneously, m... more After the economic downturn of 2008, youth unemployment rose rapidly in the EU. Simultaneously, many countries were also facing increasing public deficits. In this context, the EU developed a set of policies to tackle youth unemployment and public debt. While policies to fight unemployment were underpinned by the concept of social investment, austerity was seen as the best way to reduce public debt. These different approaches to the crisis led to a growing tension between the two policy areas. This problem was particularly visible in the countries most affected by the sovereign debt crisis where youth unemployment remained very high for a long period of time. Not only were countries with high public debt and low growth unable to invest sufficiently in active labour market policies (ALMPs), but also, at the same time, austerity policies depressed the economic activity. This study uses the fsQCA methodology. Our results point to the existence of one necessary condition for high youth unemployment—low expenditure on ALMPs. The analysis of sufficient conditions points to the existence of one configuration: the countries most affected by the sovereign debt crisis and characterized by having a demand-led growth model, combined a low GDP growth with a low expenditure on ALMPs. Together, this led to high levels of youth unemployment.

Research paper thumbnail of Youth employment in Europe: Coordination as a crucial dimension

International Journal of Social Welfare

Coordination has attracted considerable attention in the various sub-disciplines of political sci... more Coordination has attracted considerable attention in the various sub-disciplines of political science. For example, public choice research on collective action problems acknowledges coordination as a situation in which ‘cheating’ among actors is not rewarded. Assuming that we have a game between two players A and B, both players are rewarded if they jointly choose either strategy ‘a’ or strategy ‘b’. If they fail to coordinate their strategies, and one player goes for ‘a’ and the other one for ‘b’, both receive a payoff of zero. This need to align decisions with one another represents the basic logic of the ‘coordination game’ (see Holzinger, 2001). In comparative political economy, coordination also plays an important role (Hall & Gingerich, 2009; Hall & Soskice, 2001). There the idea is that employers coordinate among themselves to produce collective goods, and in so doing, social institutions such as labour unions support the employers (Regini, 2003). The coordination or the lack of it in the economic domain then has implications for adjacent policy domains such as (higher) education (see Busemeyer & Trampusch, 2012). Policy studies have elaborated on coordination as a means to produce more effective and/or efficient solutions to policy problems since these are typically not limited to the actions taken in one policy domain, but may require actions in two or more policy domains (see Tosun & Lang, 2017). Public administration has concentrated on institutions and procedures that are conducive to coordination, such as centralised agencies and leadership (e.g., May et al., 2011). Research in public administration and public policy is broader than the previous perspectives in the sense that the analytical interest includes the proposing, adoption and implementation of policies. Coordination has been a research theme in studies concentrating on specific types of policies such as climate change, development cooperation and environmental protection (see Tosun & Lang, 2017). In marked contrast, and somewhat surprisingly, studies of social welfare have paid little attention to coordination (but see, e.g., Heidenreich & Rice, 2016). One of them is the empirical investigation by Zimmermann, Aurich, Graziano, and Fuertes (2014), in which the authors examine to what extent the local-level public employment services in Germany coordinate employment policies with measures in other policy domains. This perspective is insightful since, in many if not most cases, welfare policy and service delivery require a coordination of the measures in the different policy domains such as education, economy, employment, family affairs, housing and migration. To reduce this knowledge gap, the theme of this special issue is coordination. The key argument we advance is that there exist various forms of coordination and that each of these forms has the potential to advance our understanding of how welfare-related policies come about, how they are delivered and what their effects are. Why is it analytically rewarding to study coordination? The myopic nature of policy-making makes it difficult to pursue and attain coordination. As Jochim and May (2010, p. 304) put it, ‘each of the relevant [policy] subsystems provides a separate lens through which to view problems’, which is complemented by separate ‘histories’ and the involvement of different interests. Following this perspective, even if desirable, coordination is not easy to attain and when it is attained it is worth analysing how this is so. In the next section, we introduce in detail our key concepts and provide a rationale for the analytical focus of this special issue. Subsequently, we explain how the contributions relate to each other and which insights we can gain from them regarding the overarching theme. In the closing discussion section, we offer some concluding remarks and develop a specific research agenda for research on coordination in social welfare.

Research paper thumbnail of Promoting workplace-based training to fight youth unemployment in three EU countries: Different strategies, different results?

International Journal of Social Welfare

During the economic crisis, youth unemployment grew exponentially in many European countries. It ... more During the economic crisis, youth unemployment grew exponentially in many European countries. It was argued that countries with a high level of firm involvement in the provision of initial vocational training were better equipped to address this problem. Boosting workplace‐based training was therefore seen as the right strategy to tackle unemployment. Using Denmark, Spain and the UK as case studies, this article analyses how countries with different skill formation systems have improved this type of training. While the UK reinforced the voluntaristic character of its training regime, Denmark improved the quality of its vocational education, and Spain made reforms to the training and apprenticeship contract. Interestingly, the countries achieved different results. To explain this divergence, it is argued that while the reforms made in the UK and Denmark were compatible with the national institutions and coordination mechanisms, this was not the case in Spain, where reforms were implemented in a non‐complementary way. Key Practitioner Message: After the economic crisis it was argued that countries with a high level of firm involvement in the provision of initial VET were better equipped to fight youth unemployment. The study analysed how countries with different skill formation systems improved this type of training and assessed their relative success. The article shows that when implementing reforms policy makers must take into account the institutions and mechanisms of coordination that prevail in each country. Otherwise, reforms may be unsuccessful.

Research paper thumbnail of Perceived economic self-sufficiency: a country- and generation-comparative approach

European Political Science

Existing datasets provided by statistical agencies (e.g. Eurostat) show that the economic and fin... more Existing datasets provided by statistical agencies (e.g. Eurostat) show that the economic and financial crisis that unfolded in 2008 significantly impacted the lives and livelihoods of young people across Europe. Taking these official statistics as a starting point, the collaborative research project "Cultural Pathways to

Research paper thumbnail of Framing Effects and Comparative Social Policy Reform: Comparing Blame Avoidance Evidence from Two Experiments

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 2015

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Fiscal Policy in Hard Times: A Fuzzy-Set QCA of Fiscal Policy Reactions to the Financial Crisis

Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft, 2013

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Unternehmensmitbestimmung im nationalen und internationalen Vergleich – Entstehung und ökonomische Auswirkungen

Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht empirisch-analytisch die Entstehung und die ökonomischen Auswir... more Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht empirisch-analytisch die Entstehung und die ökonomischen Auswirkungen der Unternehmensmitbestimmung. Zunächst wird auf Basis der gängigen Staatstätigkeitstheorien untersucht, warum und in welchem Ausmaß in EU- und OECD-Staaten Aufsichtsratsmitbestimmung eingeführt wurde. Danach wird der Einfluss der Stärke der Unternehmensmitbestimmung auf die ökonomische Performanz deutscher DAX- und MDAX-Unternehmen sowie auf Arbeitslosigkeit, Beschäftigung, Wirtschaftswachstum und Einkommensverteilung im EU- und OECD-Staatenvergleich analysiert.

Research paper thumbnail of Das grün‐rote Experiment in Baden-Württemberg. Eine Bilanz der Landesregierung Kretschmann 2011-2016

Der Sammelband analysiert, ob der Regierungswechsel hin zu Grün‐Rot in Baden-Württemberg auch zu ... more Der Sammelband analysiert, ob der Regierungswechsel hin zu Grün‐Rot in Baden-Württemberg auch zu einem entsprechend rapiden Politikwechsel im Bundesland geführt hat. Nach 57 Jahren Regierungsbeteiligung der CDU kam mit der von Winfried Kretschmann geführten Koalition aus Grünen und SPD 2011 in Baden-Württemberg erstmals in einem deutschen Bundesland eine Koalition unter Führung eines grünen Ministerpräsidenten zustande. Die Abwahl der CDU‐FDP‐Regierungskoalition stellte eine Zäsur in der Politik und der Geschichte des Landes Baden‐Württemberg dar.