Journal articles on the topic 'Pensions – Government policy – Germany'
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1
Holtemöller, Oliver, Christoph Schult, and Götz Zeddies. "Zu den rentenpolitischen Plänen im Koalitionsvertrag 2018 von CDU, CSU und SPD: Konsequenzen, Finanzierungsoptionen und Reformbedarf." Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftspolitik 67, no. 3 (December 1, 2018): 247–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/zfwp-2018-0016.
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Abstract In the coalition agreement from February 7, 2018, the new German federal government drafts its public pension policy, which has to be evaluated against the background of demographic dynamics in Germany. In this paper, the consequences of public pensions related policy measures for the German public pension insurance are illustrated using a simulation model. In the long run, the intended extensions of benefits would lead to an increase in the contribution rate to the German public pension insurance of about two and a half percentage points. Referring to pension systems of other countries, we discuss measures in order to limit this increase in the contribution rate.
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Reuter, Norbert. "Generationengerechtigkeit in der Wirtschaftspolitik." PROKLA. Zeitschrift für kritische Sozialwissenschaft 30, no. 121 (December 1, 2000): 547–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.32387/prokla.v30i121.759.
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The new red-green government in Germany follows in economic policy the neoliberal aim of forced public debt reduction. Also the system of public pensions plans (with costs shared by employers and employees) will be reorganised, giving private pension funds payed by employees alone more weight. Both measures shall improve inter-generational justice. This claim is criticized as well in a fundamental manner as in consideration of the german situation.
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Podolskiy, Vadim A. "Social policy in Germany." Proceedings of the Southwest State University. Series: History and Law 11, no. 6 (2021): 145–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.21869/2223-1501-2021-11-6-145-155.
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Relevance. German social policy solutions became an example for imitation for other countries, including Russia, and are usually considered to be a standard due to their coverage and efficiency. Studying the German experience is valuable for development of the political science and for reforming the social policy systems. Purpose – to describe the origins and implementation of the social state in Germany. Objectives: to present the development and functioning of the pension and medical insurance systems, unem-ployment insurance and measures of the public social support. Methodology: comparative and historical approach, analysis of legal documents and institutions. Results. The foundations of the social assistance in Germany were created in the end of the XIX century and the beginning of the XX century, with introduction of programs of insurance funding for medical expenses and old-age and disability pensions, followed by unemployment insurance. The system operates for more than a century and effectively accomplishes the task of risk pooling, and it mainly relies on self-government. In the second half of the XX century the law that regulated the social assistance in Germany was extended significantly, the burden on the budget increased, as well as size of the insurance contributions. Citizens obtained the right for family benefits, the role of the housing benefits, unemployment and low-income support was increased. In the end of the XX century Germany introduced insurance to fund the long-term care. Conclusion. A developed system of social support exists in Germany, it relies on centuries-old traditions of local and corporative mutual help, with coordination and subsidies coming from the federal centre. The most powerful elements of the German social policy, which secure its’ efficiency, are historically established self-government and soli-darity
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HENNESSY, ALEXANDRA. "Explaining German Selectivity Regarding European Union Pension Directives." Journal of Public Policy 28, no. 3 (December 2008): 341–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0143814x08000925.
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ABSTRACTWhy do German policymakers support some aspects of a single European pension market, but not others? This article argues that the German government’s preferences towards European Union (EU) pension directives are best explained by combining historical institutionalism (HI) and domestic discourse analysis (DA). Each approach by itself is insufficient to account for the observed variation between 1991 and 2007. Arguments based on party ideologies offer less explanatory power. HI explains why all governments – Kohl, Schröder, and Merkel – protected employer-sponsored book reserve pensions, a cornerstone of Germany’s coordinated market economy, from the scope of EU directives. DA allows us to grasp how interests were reframed. While the status quo stance of the Kohl government succeeded in delegitimizing supporters of alternative pension security concepts, the Schröder administration imposed an economically efficient pension reform without much public support. The grand coalition, in turn, abandoned Chancellor Merkel’s initial plan to expand second-tier pensions in the light of rising pressures that the Left Party posed for the Social Democratic coalition partner.
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SCHMÄHL, WINFRIED. "Dismantling an Earnings-Related Social Pension Scheme: Germany's New Pension Policy." Journal of Social Policy 36, no. 2 (March 5, 2007): 319–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0047279406000626.
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A paradigm shift in pension policy decided by the German red–green coalition government will considerably affect the level and structure of pension benefits as well as the mix of public and private old-age security arrangements. The article starts with a brief outline of the pension schemes as they had been designed before the recent decisions, and with a few remarks on the reasons for current reform debates. The major measures of the 2001 Pension Reform are then described. The focus of the article is on the effects of the reform for (personal) income distribution and institutional design. A partial shift from (mandatory) public (pay-as-you-go financed) pensions to (voluntary) private (capital-funded) pensions and from defined benefit towards defined contribution will, among other things, reduce the benefit level in the social pension insurance. A large number of contributors – even after many years of paying contributions – will only receive benefits below the social assistance level. It can be expected that this development will transform the present earnings-related statutory pension scheme – which has a strong contribution–benefit link and is aimed at income smoothing over the lifecycle – into a basic, highly redistributive pension scheme, aimed mainly at avoiding poverty. Income inequality in old age is expected to increase as a result of the new strategy in pension policy.
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Siekmann, Helmut. "The Burden of an Ageing Society as a Public Debt: The Perspective of the German Constitutional Law and the Law of the European Union." European Public Law 13, Issue 3 (September 1, 2007): 489–518. http://dx.doi.org/10.54648/euro2007028.
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This article is based on the assumption that the financial burden of an ageing society can be considered as an ‘implicit’ public debt. The future claims (‘prospective entitlements’) to unfunded public pension systems will result in severe financial strains for public finances because of the demographic developments in Germany and other industrialized nations. A closer analysis of the German (federal) constitution reveals that there are almost no provisions to handle the potential dangers from this foreseeable development. The rules on explicit public debt and the accounting requirements for the government are in this respect of little value. The law of the European Union, on the other hand, contains a somewhat better starting point as the EC Treaty requires the ‘sustainability’ of the fiscal policy. By this it offers at least a rudimentary guideline for a long term budget-policy regulation of the ‘implicit’ public debt. Stricter legal rules would, however, require an amendment of primary law of the European Union or at least a substantial redefinition of the existing definitions of the European system of Economic Accounts (ESA). One of the chief purposes of this article is to look for legal tools taking the expected financial burdens into proper account and make it more ‘visible’ for the budgetary process. It is not primarily designed to cut future pensions or to exclude ‘soft’ means from solving the underlying substantive problems. The comparative analysis of additional legal systems is left to further research. Dieser Artikel beruht auf der Annahme, dass die finanziellen Lasten einer alternden Gesellschaft als‘implizite’ Staatsschulden angesehen werden können. Anwartschaften auf Rentenzahlungen durch umlagenfinanzierte Alterssicherungssysteme können wegen des demographischen Wandels in Deutschland und anderen Industrienationen zu erheblichen Belastungen für die öffentlichen Finanzen führen. Eine genauere Prüfung der Vorgaben des Grundgesetzes für die Staatsfinanzen zeigt, dass es kaum Vorschriften gibt, welche sich mit den Gefahren aus der voraussehbaren Entwicklung befassen. Die Regeln über die Staatsverschuldung und die Rechnungslegung haben in dieser Hinsicht wenig Wert. Das Recht der Europäischen Union bietet dagegen etwas bessere Ansatzpunkte, da der EG-Vertrag die‘Nachhaltigkeit’ der Finanzpolitik verlangt. Dadurch bietet er zumindest eine rudimentäre Richtschnur für eine langfristige haushaltsmäßige Regelung der ‘impliziten’ öffentlichen Schulden. Striktere Rechtsregeln würden aber eine Änderung des primären Gemeinschaftsrechts oder zumindest eine substanzielle Umdeutung der Definitionen des Europäischen Systems der Europäischen Gesamtrechnung (ESVG) erfordern. Eines der Hauptziele dieser Untersuchung besteht darin, nach geeigneten juristischen Instrumenten zu suchen, welche die kommenden finanziellen Lasten hinreichend erfassen und im Rahmen des Finanzverfassungsrechts handhabbar machen. Sie ist nicht darauf ausgerichtet, Instrumente zur Kürzung künftiger Pensions- und Rentenzahlungen zu entwickeln oder ‘weichere’ Instrumente zur Lösung der zugrunde liegenden materiellen Probleme auszugrenzen. Die vergleichende Analyse weiterer Rechtsordnungen bleibt künftiger Forschung vorbehalten.
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Haerendel, Ulrike. "Inklusion und Exklusion: Rentenpolitik im rassistischen NS-Wohlfahrtsstaat." Die Rentenversicherung in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus 68, no. 2-3 (February 1, 2019): 93–105. http://dx.doi.org/10.3790/sfo.68.2-3.93.
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Zusammenfassung Die Rentenpolitik im NS-Staat begnügte sich mit kleinen Änderungen gegenüber dem eingeschlagenen Pfad, die aber häufig mit propagandistischer Aufwertung verkauft wurden. Während Renten mindestens bis zum Krieg auf sehr niedriges Niveau sanken, gab es gewisse Leistungsausweitungen, die den Rentenbezug erleichterten und mehr Menschen ins System inkludierten, so auch Nicht-Erwerbstätige. Die rassistische Ausgrenzung von „Staatsfeinden“, Juden, Sinti und Roma und anderen Unerwünschten lief von Anfang an parallel. Sie wurde nicht nur durch Normen und Maßnahmen des Regimes vorangebracht, sondern auch von den Rentenversicherungsträgern selbst gefordert und umgesetzt. Mit Beginn der Deportationen wurden Renten ausgesetzt und dann ganz entzogen, während gleichzeitig Leistungsverbesserungen die Heimatfront stabilisieren sollten. Abstract Inclusion and Exclusion: The Old Age Pension System in the Racist Welfare State 1933 – 1945 During the Third Reich, pension policy deviated very little from the previous path, although Nazi-propaganda stated major improvements. Whereas pensions dropped to a very low level until World War II, there were expansions of benefits, too. By making it easier to qualify for a pension, including especially non-workers, the coverage of the retirement system increased. However, the discrimination of Jews and other so called outlaws took place from the very beginning in the National Socialist society. Not only the judicial system and other instruments of the government were excluding Jews from the social security system, but also the administration of the pension insurance. With the beginning of the Shoah pension benefits to Jews have been put on hold and withdrawn later on. At the same time improvements of benefits for the “Germans at home” were meant to stabilize the war society.
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Ferris, James M. "Local Government Pensions and Their Funding: Policy Issues and Options." Review of Public Personnel Administration 7, no. 3 (July 1987): 29–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0734371x8700700304.
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Bernhard, Patrick. "Der Tod und die Rente: Tuberkulosebekämpfung und Sozialversicherung im Nationalsozialismus." Die Rentenversicherung in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus 68, no. 2-3 (February 1, 2019): 129–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.3790/sfo.68.2-3.129.
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Zusammenfassung Historisch betrachtet ist die Rentenversicherung einer der wichtigsten institutionellen Akteure des deutschen Sozialsystems im Kampf gegen die Volkskrankheit Tuberkulose, die noch zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts die Statistik der Todesursachen anführte. Wie der Beitrag auf der Basis umfangreicher Archivrecherchen zeigt, blieb die Rentenversicherung auch nach der nationalsozialistischen Machteroberung strukturell in erheblichem Maß in die öffentliche Gesundheitspolitik eingebunden und arbeitete eng mit den für die Tuberkulosebekämpfung zuständigen Stellen von Staat und NSDAP zusammen. Das geschah jedoch nicht ausschließlich, weil die nationalsozialistische Diktatur Druck auf die Rentenversicherung ausübte, wie nach 1945 in apologetischer Absicht zu lesen war. Neben Zwang spielten noch andere Faktoren eine entscheidende Rolle: starke institutionelle Kontinuitäten und ein spezifisches Traditionsverständnis innerhalb der Rentenversicherung, ideologische Schnittmengen im Denken von NS-Gesundheitspolitikern und leitenden Mitarbeitern der Rentenversicherung sowie Eigeninteressen von Heilanstalten, die das nationalsozialistische Zwangssystem für Tuberkulosekranke nutzten, um sich unbequemer Tuberkulosepatienten zu entledigen. Im Extremfall bedeutete das die eigenständige Ermordung von Patienten durch Ärzte der Rentenversicherung. Abstract Death and Social Security: The German State Pension System and Anti-Tuberculosis Battles under National Socialism Seen in historical context, the state pension system was among the most important institutional actors in the German social system in the fight against the widespread public health crisis of tuberculosis, which remained a major statistical cause of death at the beginning of the 20th century. Based on extensive archive research, this paper demonstrates that to a significant extent, the pension system remained structurally embedded in public health policy after the National Socialist seizure of power, working hand in hand with the NSDAP and the government agencies responsible for combating tuberculosis. Their close cooperation was not merely the result of pressure exerted by the Nazi dictatorship on pension insurance, as one reads in post-1945 apologetic texts. Alongside coercion, other factors played a critical role, including major institutional continuities and a specific understanding of tradition within the pension insurance system, ideological overlap between the thinking of National Socialist health policy-makers and leading state pension officials, and the self-interest of sanatoria, which used the coercive National Socialist system for tuberculosis patients to rid themselves of undesirable tuberculosis patients. In extreme cases, this meant the deliberate murder of patients by pension system doctors.
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Bernhard, Patrick. "Der Tod und die Rente: Tuberkulosebekämpfung und Sozialversicherung im Nationalsozialismus." Die Rentenversicherung in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus 68, no. 2 (February 1, 2019): 129–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.3790/sfo.68.2.129.
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Zusammenfassung Historisch betrachtet ist die Rentenversicherung einer der wichtigsten institutionellen Akteure des deutschen Sozialsystems im Kampf gegen die Volkskrankheit Tuberkulose, die noch zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts die Statistik der Todesursachen anführte. Wie der Beitrag auf der Basis umfangreicher Archivrecherchen zeigt, blieb die Rentenversicherung auch nach der nationalsozialistischen Machteroberung strukturell in erheblichem Maß in die öffentliche Gesundheitspolitik eingebunden und arbeitete eng mit den für die Tuberkulosebekämpfung zuständigen Stellen von Staat und NSDAP zusammen. Das geschah jedoch nicht ausschließlich, weil die nationalsozialistische Diktatur Druck auf die Rentenversicherung ausübte, wie nach 1945 in apologetischer Absicht zu lesen war. Neben Zwang spielten noch andere Faktoren eine entscheidende Rolle: starke institutionelle Kontinuitäten und ein spezifisches Traditionsverständnis innerhalb der Rentenversicherung, ideologische Schnittmengen im Denken von NS-Gesundheitspolitikern und leitenden Mitarbeitern der Rentenversicherung sowie Eigeninteressen von Heilanstalten, die das nationalsozialistische Zwangssystem für Tuberkulosekranke nutzten, um sich unbequemer Tuberkulosepatienten zu entledigen. Im Extremfall bedeutete das die eigenständige Ermordung von Patienten durch Ärzte der Rentenversicherung. Abstract Death and Social Security: The German State Pension System and Anti-Tuberculosis Battles under National Socialism Seen in historical context, the state pension system was among the most important institutional actors in the German social system in the fight against the widespread public health crisis of tuberculosis, which remained a major statistical cause of death at the beginning of the 20th century. Based on extensive archive research, this paper demonstrates that to a significant extent, the pension system remained structurally embedded in public health policy after the National Socialist seizure of power, working hand in hand with the NSDAP and the government agencies responsible for combating tuberculosis. Their close cooperation was not merely the result of pressure exerted by the Nazi dictatorship on pension insurance, as one reads in post-1945 apologetic texts. Alongside coercion, other factors played a critical role, including major institutional continuities and a specific understanding of tradition within the pension insurance system, ideological overlap between the thinking of National Socialist health policy-makers and leading state pension officials, and the self-interest of sanatoria, which used the coercive National Socialist system for tuberculosis patients to rid themselves of undesirable tuberculosis patients. In extreme cases, this meant the deliberate murder of patients by pension system doctors.
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BRIDGEN, PAUL, and TRAUTE MEYER. "The Liberalisation of the German Social Model: Public–Private Pension Reform in Germany since 2001." Journal of Social Policy 43, no. 1 (October 29, 2013): 37–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0047279413000597.
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AbstractSome commentators view reforms to the German political economy since the 1990s as constituting a broad liberalisation of a previously coordinated market economy (e.g., Streeck, 2009). Others argue that by maintaining protection for core workers the reforms represent a dualisation rather than liberalisation (e.g., Palier and Thelen, 2010). This debate has paid little attention to public–private pension reform since 2001. This paper argues that pensions have been a crucial component of the German social model since 1957 and demonstrates why comprehensive analysis of its development must consider them. After summarising how public and occupational pensions have supported core German workers since 1957, the paper calculates core workers’ projected net pensions and those of less privileged employees before and after recent reforms. On this basis, it concludes that pension reforms have created a system more characteristic of a liberal than a dualised political economy. Since the reform, the projected pensions of today's young workers are closer to the poverty line, and the gap between the projected benefits of core and peripheral workers has narrowed. Increasingly, as young core workers age, they will thus have less incentive to invest in employer specific skills, a development that threatens the model as a whole.
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Kaye, Geraldine. "Topical Pension Problems (A Personal Overview)." Journal of the Staple Inn Actuarial Society 28 (March 1985): 115–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0020269x00009762.
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Much discussion is taking place currently in the United Kingdom on the subject of pensions. Conferences and symposia have been conducted at various times on many aspects of pensions by such diverse bodies as the Policy Studies Institute (1), the Institute of Fiscal Studies (2), the Trades Union Congress (3), the Pensions Management Institute, the Confederation of British Industry, the National Association of Pension Funds and even our own Institute (4) (in the case of our Institute, on the whole field). The Government announced an all-embracing enquiry on 16 December 1983. This has been divided into separate parts. Evidence for the first part concerned with ‘portable pensions’ was required by 31 January 1984. Despite the very tight deadline, written evidence was obtained from over 1,500 different sources. This serves to show just how much interest was currently being aroused. The final results of the full Government enquiry are not yet available (September 1984). The unprecedented speed with which the Government has proceeded demonstrates the importance that it attaches to the issues raised, and suggests that any prompted legislation will be given a degree of priority.
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RING, PATRICK JOHN. "Security in Pension Provision: A Critical Analysis of UK Government Policy." Journal of Social Policy 34, no. 3 (June 15, 2005): 343–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0047279405008810.
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The Labour government has often argued that it is attempting to find a ‘third way’ in politics, appearing to take its inspiration from Anthony Giddens and, in relation to Labour's pensions policy, Giddens' notion of ‘positive welfare’.Noting that the government maintains that ‘pensions are all about security’, and that it has declared the importance of this position throughout its reform of UK pension provision, this article critically examines the nature of the ‘security’ its reform is likely to deliver. Using the work of Giddens, it notes the importance of the concept of ontological security, and the relevance of trust to security. From this basis, and drawing upon the work of both Giddens and Niklas Luhmann, it goes on to consider whether the government's reforms of the three pillars of pension provision in the UK – state provision, occupational provision and personal provision – are capable of delivering greater security in pension provision.It concludes that, quite apart from the potential criticisms of the conception of positive welfare itself, the government's apparent adoption of such an approach has failed to appreciate adequately the importance of ontological security to any understanding of welfare. As a consequence, it is suggested that the practical outcome is reform that is likely to create much less security in pension provision than either Giddens' approach, or indeed regular government pronouncements, might suggest.
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Janes, Jackson, and Stephen Szabo. "Angela Merkel's Germany." Current History 106, no. 698 (March 1, 2007): 106–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/curh.2007.106.698.106.
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Rabe, Birgitta. "The Role of Firm Pensions for Job Change in Germany." Journal of Contextual Economics – Schmollers Jahrbuch 125, no. 1 (January 1, 2005): 63–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.3790/schm.125.1.63.
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Castiglioni, Rossana. "The Politics of Retrenchment: The Quandaries of Social Protection under Military Rule in Chile, 1973–1990." Latin American Politics and Society 43, no. 4 (2001): 37–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-2456.2001.tb00187.x.
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AbstractChile's military government replaced the country's universalistic social policy system with a set of market-oriented social policies. Taking evidence from three areas (pensions, education, and health care), this study seeks to explain why the military advanced a policy of deep retrenchment and why reform of health care was less thorough than it was in pensions and education. The radical transformation of policy relates to the breadth of power concentration enjoyed by General Pinochet and his economic team, the policymakers' ideological positions, and the role of veto players. The more limited reform of health care is linked to the actions of a powerful veto player, the professional association of physicians.
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Rogers, Edmund. "A ‘most imperial’ contribution: New Zealand and the old age pensions debate in Britain, 1898–1912." Journal of Global History 9, no. 2 (May 23, 2014): 189–207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1740022814000035.
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AbstractThe extent of imperial influences upon nineteenth- and early twentieth-century British life, including in the development of social policy, has attracted significant scholarly interest in the past decade. The bearing of New Zealand's 1898 Old-Age Pensions Act upon the British debate over elderly poverty exemplifies the contested transfer of social policy ideas from settler colony to ‘Mother Country’. Reformers in Britain hailed a model non-contributory pension system with an imperial pedigree. However, the widely acknowledged distinction between ‘old’ countries such as Britain, and ‘new’ countries of English-speaking settlement, characterized the New Zealand example's reception. While progressives identified the colony as a ‘clean slate’ lacking the obstructive historical inheritance of the Poor Law, critics of state-funded pensions warned against drawing policy-making lessons from New Zealand. Yet when a reformist Liberal government introduced an Old Age Pensions Bill in 1908, it used Britain's age to justify the legislation's relative conservatism.
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Cooke, Martin. "Policy Changes and the Labour Force Participation of Older Workers: Evidence from Six Countries." Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement 25, no. 4 (2006): 387–400. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/cja.2007.0015.
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ABSTRACTIn response to the anticipated pressures of population aging, national governments and supranational bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU) have promoted policies to encourage the labour force participation of older workers. The recent elimination of mandatory retirement in Ontario is an example of such a policy, and others include changes to national pension systems and changes to disability and employment insurance programs, active labour-market policies, and the promotion of phased or gradual retirement. This paper reviews the different policy approaches taken in the six countries included in the Workforce Aging in the New Economy (WANE) project, placing Canadian policy approaches in relation to those taken in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. From the life course perspective, the policy approaches discussed here do not consider the heterogeneity of older workers' life courses or the related domains of health and family. As well, the changes made thus far do not appear likely to lead to increased labour force participation by older workers, and some may leave older workers at greater risk of low income and low-wage work.
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PRICE, DEBORA. "Closing the Gender Gap in Retirement Income: What Difference Will Recent UK Pension Reforms Make?" Journal of Social Policy 36, no. 4 (August 8, 2007): 561–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0047279407001183.
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AbstractThe second report of the Pensions Commission sought to establish a framework for a sustainable pension system for future generations of pensioners in the UK. The framework has been largely accepted by government in their recent White Paper, Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pension System (2006). Legislation will follow. The Commission and the government have made a number of claims about how their proposals will benefit women. Reforms have been welcomed by women's lobby groups. This article presents a gendered analysis of the Pensions Commission proposals using unpublished data generated by Pensim2, a pensions' simulator developed by the Department for Work and Pensions. Substantial improvements for women will be in the long term only, and will depend heavily on the extent to which gendered patterns of work and family life change in future. For women who follow traditional paths of combining part-time work with looking after children and kin, outcomes will depend on partnering arrangements. If they are married or cohabiting, they will be better off; but if they live alone in later life, the principal advantage of the proposals will be a reduction in means testing rather than an improvement in levels of income.
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Stasiuk, O. S. "TEXT TYPE SPECIFICS OF GOVERNMENT POLICY STATEMENT IN GERMANY." Linguistic and Conceptual Views of the World, no. 65 (1) (2019): 163–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.17721/2520-6397.2019.1.18.
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The article investigates text type specifics of government policy statement in Germany. The major types of the government policy statement in Germany that appear in different communicative situations are described. The first type is the government policy statement that is submitted at the beginning of the legislative session. The second type is the government policy statement concerning current political themes. The language means that are used in the government policy statement of each type are revealed.
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FRIEDBERG, LEORA. "Labor market aspects of state and local retirement plans: a review of evidence and a blueprint for future research." Journal of Pension Economics and Finance 10, no. 2 (April 2011): 337–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1474747211000072.
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AbstractTraditional defined benefit (DB) pension plans remain the overwhelming norm for teachers, policemen and other employees of state and local governments. The incentives for workers with DB pension plans to stay in their jobs shift dramatically over the course of their careers. Moreover, limited transferability of pension wealth across states and between public and private jobs impedes mobility in the labor market. Yet, little is known about the labor market effects of pensions on state and local government workers. The literature on private-employer pensions has made contributions on some of these fronts in recent years that can shed light on policy concerns raised by the possibility that pension plans will be modified in coming years. Moreover, some of the limitations constraining research on pensions may be overcome by focusing on government workers, with recent work on public school teachers pointing the way. Very recent studies are finding strong retirement responses to age- and tenure-related incentives built into state pension plans.
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Turner, Claire. "Work, pensions and poverty: a better deal under the next government." Quality in Ageing and Older Adults 16, no. 1 (March 9, 2015): 22–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/qaoa-11-2014-0041.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how the next government could develop a better deal in relation to work, pensions and poverty. The paper argues that given the changing face of poverty, the next government should focus on creating better jobs if it is really to encourage people to work longer and save more for retirement. Furthermore, it could do more to support those who are currently under-saving for retirement. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on evidence from a number of recent qualitative and quantitative JRF research reports and government statistical data. Findings – The paper suggests policy recommendations for the next government focused on creating better jobs and helping those on lower incomes increase their pension pots. This includes: ensuring that the minimum wages is set with regard to the changing price of essentials and changing average earnings; raising awareness of the Living Wage and playing a leadership role; industrial strategies for low paid sectors; mid-life career reviews and increased rights for those aged 60 and over; the redistribution of tax relief on pension contributions and the auto-escalation of workplace pensions. Originality/value – This paper looks at the issue of an ageing society, work and pensions through a poverty lens.
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ZHU, HUOYUN, and ALAN WALKER. "Pensions and social inclusion in an ageing China." Ageing and Society 39, no. 7 (June 6, 2018): 1335–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0144686x17001593.
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ABSTRACTThe inclusive development strategy proposed by the Chinese government embraces social inclusion for older people. In line with most developing countries, China's policy on social inclusion for older people focuses almost exclusively on material security in the form of pensions. This paper examines the impact of pensions on social inclusion for older people across four dimensions: family interaction, social support, social participation and self-assessment using data from the 2014 China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey. The results demonstrate that pensions improve dramatically the relationships between older adults and their family members and friends, and therefore their social inclusion in the life world. The exception is social participation which seems to be immune to material income effects. However, the stratified pension system in China generates complex and hierarchical effects on social inclusion among different sub-groups. Social inclusion among older people with high exclusion risks but low pensions is very sensitive to pension levels. Conversely, most pensions are distributed to those with the lowest exclusion risks as a result of the disappearance of their impact on social inclusion. We argue that future social inclusion policies for older people in China should focus first on achieving greater equality in pensions.
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Zureck, Alexander, Viktoria Daus, and Philippe Krahnhof. "Critical Analysis of Pensions Taking into Account Selected Aspects of Financial Literacy." International Journal of Innovation and Economic Development 6, no. 3 (2020): 29–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.18775/ijied.1849-7551-7020.2015.63.2003.
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In this study we investigate the impact of government debt on the economic growth of General financial education, so-called financial literacy, which plays an essential role in private retirement provisions. A study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2015 shows that financial literacy is not prevalent in Germany (OECD, 2015). The aim of this scientific paper is to underline the importance of financial literacy for private retirement provisions. Due to the falling level of pensions in Germany, investments in a private pension are essential. Therefore, a regression analysis is carried out. An academic goal is to analyze if gender, net income and academic degree have a positive impact on financial literacy. In summary, it can be said that there is a significant influence of gender. With regard to the significant imbalance in the gender distribution (three quarters are male), the data should be expanded in the future. While net income as well as academic degree both have positive effect, correlation was only shown for net income. An ideal level of private retirement provisions was not determined in the empirical study. Based on these empirical insights, it is recommended that the federal states should invest in the financial education of their citizens to counteract poverty in age.
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Jensen, Svend E. Hougaard, Torben Möger Pedersen, and Tove Birgitte Foxman. "Experiences with Occupational Pensions in Denmark." Vierteljahrshefte zur Wirtschaftsforschung 88, no. 1 (January 1, 2019): 11–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.3790/vjh.88.1.11.
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Summary: This paper focuses on the development of the funded, occupational pension (OP) system in Denmark. Launched in 1987, as a grand agreement between social partners backed by the government, and as part of the collective wage bargaining process, the Danish OP system differs from the set-up in most other countries, where OP schemes typically have been introduced as part of the legislative process. The OP schemes, being a major component of the overall Danish pension system, have attracted a lot of international attention in recent years and play a key role behind the system’s success with respect to achieving satisfactory coverage, providing high replacement rates and not least, for keeping fiscal policy on a sustainable path. Finally, the paper discusses a number of future challenges, mainly related to the interaction between private and public pensions in a welfare state.
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Schmähl, Winifried. "The '1992 Reform' of Public Pensions in Germany: Main Elements and Some Effects." Journal of European Social Policy 3, no. 1 (February 1993): 39–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/095892879300300103.
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GEYER, JOHANNES, and VIKTOR STEINER. "Future public pensions and changing employment patterns across birth cohorts." Journal of Pension Economics and Finance 13, no. 2 (November 12, 2013): 172–209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1474747213000334.
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AbstractWe analyse the impacts of changing employment patterns and pension reforms on the future level of public pensions across birth cohorts in Germany. The analysis is based on a microsimulation model and a rich data set that combines household survey data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) and process-produced microdata from the German pension insurance. We account for cohort effects in individual employment and unemployment affecting earnings over the life cycle as well as the differential impact of recent pension reforms. For individuals born between 1937 and 1971, cohort effects vary greatly by region, gender and education, and strongly affect life cycle earnings profiles. The largest effects can be observed for younger cohorts in East Germany and for the low educated. Using simulated life cycle employment and income profiles, we project gross future pensions across cohorts taking into account changing demographics and recent pension reforms. Simulations show that pension levels for East German men and women will fall dramatically among younger birth cohorts, not only because of policy reforms but also due to higher cumulated unemployment. For West German men, the small reduction of average pension levels among younger birth cohorts is mainly driven by the impact of pension reforms, while future pension levels of West German women are increasing or stable due to rising labour market participation of younger birth cohorts.
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Hinrichs, Karl. "Reforming labour market policy in Germany." Benefits: A Journal of Poverty and Social Justice 15, no. 3 (October 2007): 221–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.51952/xjar5423.
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Active and passive labour market policy in Germany has been reformed by a series of laws implemented between 2003 and 2005. This article focuses on the fundamental and most controversial change of income support for unemployed people. The so-called Hartz IV reform had grave implications for many of those who were long-term unemployed and came at a high price for the then incumbent coalition government of Social Democrats and the Green Party, eventually leading to premature federal elections in September 2005. Although the labour market situation started to improve in 2006, it remains unclear whether and to what extent declining unemployment figures are in fact due to the recent labour market reforms.
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Lambert, Frederic, and Hyunmin Park. "Income Inequality and Government Transfers in Mexico." IMF Working Papers 19, no. 148 (July 11, 2019): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.5089/9781498320863.001.
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We analyze microdata from Mexico's survey on household income and expenditures (ENIGH) to study the evolution of income inequality in Mexico over 2004-16, identify its sources, and investigate how it was affected by government social policy. We find evidence of only a small decline in inequality over this period. The observed decline may be attributed to government transfers, notably targeted cash transfers (Prospera) and non-contributory pensions. In 2016, those two programs accounted for more than two thirds of the reduction in the Gini coefficient due to government transfers. Other transfer programs such as farmland subsidies (Proagro), government scholarships, and non-monetary transfers for medical expenditures have not been as effective.
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Rowlingson, Karen. "Research Round-Up." Benefits: A Journal of Poverty and Social Justice 11, no. 2 (June 2003): 113–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.51952/grrd9140.
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Policy research is often concerned with quite ‘immediate’ problems such as whether a particular policy is working well or not. Such research often incorporates the definitions used by policy makers but Deborah Mabbett’s research is of a more fundamental nature. She takes a critical look at how disability categories are established in different European countries. The second piece also concerns a very broad issue – the effect of devolution on social security policy. It concentrates on Housing Benefit to discuss the tensions arising from the current division of responsibilities in relation to housing policy. The government set a deadline of 2004 to reduce the number of children in low-paid households by a quarter compared with 1998/99. This date is fast approaching and research highlighted here by the New Policy Institute suggests that the government still has a long way to go to achieve this. Having said that, the trend is in the right direction with some recent progress on reducing income poverty. Is self-employment a good way to escape poverty? Research, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, reviews the evidence on self-employment as a route off benefits and concludes that we must be cautious with our conclusions as there is a lack of evidence on this subject. There is some evidence, however, to suggest that self-employment is a very precarious activity for many people. And finally, another study funded by the Department for Work and Pensions measured public attitudes to e-government. The findings suggest that the majority of people still rely on traditional methods for getting in touch with government but that there is some interest in using the Internet in the future.
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SEEKINGS, JEREMY. "BRITISH COLONIAL POLICY, LOCAL POLITICS, AND THE ORIGINS OF THE MAURITIAN WELFARE STATE, 1936–50." Journal of African History 52, no. 2 (July 2011): 157–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021853711000247.
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ABSTRACTMauritius's unusual welfare state dates back to the introduction of non-contributory old-age pensions in 1950. This article examines the origins of this reform, focusing on the interactions between political actors in both Mauritius (local planters, political activists, and the colonial government) and London (the Colonial Office and Labour Party). Faced with riots among unorganised sugar estate workers in 1937, the colonial administration considered welfare reforms as part of a package intended to substitute for political change. The nascent Mauritian Labour Party used its links to the British Labour Party to apply additional pressure on the Colonial Office and, hence, the Governor in Mauritius. Welfare reform was stalled, however, by resistance from, initially, the governor and, later, the Colonial Office. It took partial democratisation in 1948 to push the local administration towards reluctant reform. The choice of tax-financed old-age pensions reflected the combination of a small and open economy, the absence of surplus land, poorly organised workers, and an effective state.
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Anderson, Karen M., and Traute Meyer. "Social Democracy, Unions, and Pension Politics in Germany and Sweden." Journal of Public Policy 23, no. 1 (January 2003): 23–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0143814x03003027.
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This article investigates the politics of reforming mature, pay-as-you-go pensions in the context of austerity. In both Sweden and Germany the Social Democratic party leadership advocated reform in response to similar financial and demographic pressures, but the Swedish reform was more successful in correcting perceived program weaknesses and in defending social democratic values. To explain this difference in outcomes, we focus on policy legacies and the organizational and political capacities of labor movements. We argue that existing pension policies in Germany were more constraining than in Sweden, narrowing the range of politically feasible strategies. By contrast, in Sweden, existing pension policy provided opportunities for turning vices into virtues and financing the transition to a new system. In addition, the narrow interests of German unions and the absence of institutionalized cooperation with the Social Democratic Party hindered reform. By contrast, the Swedish Social Democrats' bargaining position in pension reform negotiations with non-socialist parties was formulated with blue collar union interests in mind. The encompassing interests of Swedish unions and their close links with the Social Democrats facilitated a reform compromise.
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Yeh, Chung-Yang, Hyunwook Cheng, and Shih-Jiunn Shi. "Public–private pension mixes in East Asia: institutional diversity and policy implications for old-age security." Ageing and Society 40, no. 3 (September 25, 2018): 604–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0144686x18001137.
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AbstractPrevious studies of East Asian welfare regimes focus on similarities between social security schemes. In contrast, this paper explores cross-national variations in public–private pension mixes in six welfare states: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. Our research echoes the pension policy analysis of international organisations but takes a step forward with emphasis on the historical and institutional characteristics of the respective pension systems. The analysis identifies three institutional patterns. First, the statist pension system (Taiwan and China) primarily relies on public pensions to provide old-age security, with private pensions playing a rather minor role. Second, in the dualist pension system (Japan and Korea) both public and private pensions work in parallel to ensure retirement income, though a clear security gap exists between workers in the formal and informal economies. Finally, the individualist pension system (Hong Kong and Singapore) is characterised by genuine fully funded individual accounts, emphasising citizens’ own responsibilities for ensuring old-age security. These three types of pension systems demonstrate distinct institutional characteristics and policy outcomes, illustrated by the juxtaposition of their institutional structures as well as by the comparison of key indicators collected from government reports and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development statistics. The paper concludes with a theoretical reflection of East Asian pension policies and a diagnosis of the distinct challenges confronted by each of the various pension patterns.
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Joo, In Suck. "‘Energy Transformation’ Policy of Germany: Cooperation and Conflict between Federal Government and State Government." JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 19, no. 2 (December 31, 2016): 35. http://dx.doi.org/10.15235/jir.2016.12.19.2.35.
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Barrell, Ray J., and Sylvia Gottschalk. "Fiscal Policy in Europe." National Institute Economic Review 201 (July 2007): 33–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0027950107083047.
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In the past twelve months the government budget situation in Germany has improved markedly, and the budget deficit has moved from 3.2 per cent of GDP in 2005 to 1.7 per cent in 2006, with further improvements in prospect. Over the same period in France, the budget deficit moved marginally from 3 per cent of GDP in 2005 to 2.5 per cent of GDP in 2006. The prospects for further improvement appear limited as the new government plans to cut taxes to stimulate the economy. Projections for budget deficits are very uncertain, as they are the difference between two large numbers (receipts and spending) that are difficult to predict accurately. Figures 1 and 2 plot the errors around our budget projections for France and Germany based on stochastic simulations on NiGEM. The 95 per cent confidence limit for our forecast one year ahead is around 1 per cent of GDP around our central forecast, and uncertainty increases into the future. As we can see from figures 3 and 4, our forecast errors for France and Germany have been well within the 95 per cent bands in the past three years, except for our one year ahead forecast for Germany for 2006. The budget improved by 1.5 per cent of GDP more than we had anticipated, and this appears to have been due to unexpectedly high tax receipts, rather than to changed policy.
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Christof, Schiller, and Kuhnle Stein. "The Erosion of The Institutional Pillars of the German Sozialstaat." Korean Journal of Policy Studies 23, no. 1 (August 31, 2008): 73–103. http://dx.doi.org/10.52372/kjps23104.
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In scholarly literature, Germany often serves as a prime example of the conservative welfare state par excellence. Notwithstanding, a huge number of welfare reforms have been introduced since 1980, in particular during the last ten years. The article examines whether the institutional welfare elements attributed to Germany are still intact based on an analytical review of reforms in the areas of pensions, long-term care, and policies regarding families, the labor market, and health care. Have reforms been path-dependent adjustments, or are signs of transformative change evident? The conclusion is that the model conservative welfare state no longer exists, and that a new hybrid welfare state, combining elements from several types of welfare states, is developing. While we find substantial liberalization (of social risks) in most social policy areas, we also find extended state responsibility and more universalism (inspired by Scandinavian countries) in the area of family policy.
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Katelouzou, Dionysia, and Eva Micheler. "Investor Capitalism, Sustainable Investment and the Role of Tax Relief." European Business Organization Law Review 23, no. 1 (January 31, 2022): 217–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40804-021-00232-0.
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AbstractThis contribution examines the connection between investor capitalism and sustainable investment. It will be observed in this article that investor capitalism has gone through a structural change. Individual investors have been replaced by funds. Financial service providers have emerged that assist investors in managing and holding investments. This development coincided and was arguably facilitated by the growth in workplace and personal pensions. Pensions are subsidised by the government through tax relief. This financial contribution of the government is justified on social policy grounds. But it has the effect that pension savers, who receive substantial return by saving tax, are deprived of a reason to take an interest in how their money is invested. This not only deprives the service providers assisting pension savers from oversight from their ultimate customers. It also can help to explain why pension savers do not actively select investment products but rely on the default settings suggested by their employers. If the government is serious about encouraging investor capitalism to bring about sustainable business it should start with its own financial contribution, which has coincided with the emergence of the current model of investor capitalism, and connect pension tax relief to sustainable investment practices.
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Simonovits, András. "The Boomerang of Female40: Seniority Pensions in Hungary, 2011–2018." European Journal of Social Security 21, no. 3 (August 22, 2019): 262–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1388262719869527.
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In 2011, the Hungarian government introduced special seniority pensions (Female40): Females, who have accumulated at least 40 years of eligibility (related to the length of contributions), can retire at any age without actuarial benefit reduction. The elimination of other early retirement schemes in 2012 and slowly rising real wages made the policy change even more popular: the lifetime benefit was maximised at the earliest age of retirement. Since 2016, real wages have been growing rather fast; making delayed retirement attractive. Without being noticed by the public at large, Female40 has become a boomerang for its former beneficiaries as immediate retirement from 2014 causes losses rather than gains to the foregoing retirees.
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Conrad, Jobst. "Reflections on science and technology policy advice to government in Germany." Science and Public Policy 20, no. 2 (April 1993): 97–104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/spp/20.2.97.
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Lane, Bradley W., Natalie Messer–Betts, Devin Hartmann, Sanya Carley, Rachel M. Krause, and John D. Graham. "Government Promotion of the Electric Car: Risk Management or Industrial Policy?" European Journal of Risk Regulation 4, no. 2 (June 2013): 227–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1867299x00003366.
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There are two prominent motivations for why governments seek to promote the electric car: risk management and industrial policy. This article provides operational definitions of these two motivations and uses them to characterize the public policies of six political jurisdictions: California, China, the European Union, France, Germany, and the United States. The article finds that while the European Union is focused primarily on risk management, China, Germany and the United States are primarily engaged in industrial policy. California and France are intermediate cases with a substantial blend of industrial policy and risk management. Future research into the ramifications of industrial policy for liberalized international trade is recommended.
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Ogorek, Markus, and Tian Pu. "The Allocation of Cultural Policy Powers in the Federal Republic of Germany." German Law Journal 6, no. 10 (October 1, 2005): 1335–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2071832200014358.
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The Federal Republic of Germany is a state that shows a strong support for culture of any kind. While it is not explicitly stated anywhere in theGrundgesetz(Basic Law), it can be argued that very few nations regard the promotion of the arts, sciences and education as a public undertaking to the extent that Germany does. The federal structure of the German constitution is reflected in the allocation of governmental tasks between the federal government and the individual federal states, orLänder. Under this structure, theLänderbear the primary responsibility for cultural matters. However, contrary to widely-held belief, the Basic Law also grants the federal government a range of legislative, administrative and financial powers with respect to cultural matters. Although when taken together these do not add up to a comprehensive promotional authority of the federal government in the cultural sector, due to numerous individual empowerments, the federal government is without doubt in a position to take an active role in cultural affairs to a significant extent.
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Gandjour, Afschin. "Underuse of innovative medicines in Germany: A justification for government intervention?" Health Policy 122, no. 12 (December 2018): 1283–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2018.08.009.
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BUCKLEY, CYNTHIA. "Obligations and expectations: renegotiating pensions in the Russian Federation." Continuity and Change 13, no. 2 (August 1998): 317–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0268416097003032.
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Changing established systems of government entitlement is a thorny proposition, even for popular states with sturdy holds on the reigns of power. The Russian Federation, in the throes of a severe economic downturn, extreme political instability and social crisis, has nonetheless altered the official stance toward forms of entitlement from the previous regime. Benefits cut from the ‘social contract’ have included guaranteed employment, free post-secondary education and access to state-subsidized apartments, in attempts to redefine the lines of authority and responsibility between citizens and the state. Other lines of responsibility appear sacrosanct. The Soviet pension system, more specifically the old age and service pensions, remains in place, but with extreme delays in payment, poor indexing to the cost of living and high levels of tax evasion.In this article I examine the ways in which both the legacy of Soviet pension policies and post-1991 economic and social trends have constrained policy options concerning pension reform, particularly in reference to old age pensions, and prevented a serious re-evaluation of pension provision. The Russian Federation government inherited a pension system ill-equipped to cope with its aging population. However, the previous pension system did deliver payments on a regular basis to nearly one in five citizens before 1991. Unlike other areas of often unfulfillable social services guarantees (housing for families, quality health care and free access to higher education), the pension system represented a Soviet social programme that provided consistent direct assistance to a large proportion of the population. Pension payments were an expected entitlement.
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Benz, Arthur, and Jörg Broschek. "Transformative Energy Policy in Federal Systems." Canadian Journal of European and Russian Studies 14, no. 2 (April 27, 2021): 56–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.22215/cjers.v14i2.2762.
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Transforming the energy system towards an increasing share of renewables requires a significant change of a policy to redirect the path-dependent evolution of a highly complex technical system. Moreover, a new path of development towards energy provision from renewables has to be stabilized to assure sustainability. The federal systems in Canada and Germany diverge in the institutional conditions relevant for policy change and stability. Canadian federalism separates powers in energy policy and allows the federal and provincial governments to change policies on their own. In contrast, German federalism requires co-operation between federal and Länder governments which favors policy stability but renders significant change unlikely.
However, energy transformation started in the 1990s in Germany under conditions that allowed the federal government to avoid the usual mode of joint decision-making. In Canada, provincial governments took the lead in energy transformation, when the conservative federal government showed no interest in intergovernmental coordination. The article explains these shifts in power within the institutional framework. It also discusses the consequences, considering the stability of transformative energy policy. In Germany, policy change from the center undermined the stabilizing structures of intergovernmental coordination, in Canada, institutional conditions favoring continuity never existed. Hence in both countries, governments changed policies but failed to reform institutions of governance.
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Sievering, Oliver. "Economic effects of the digital divide on pensioners in Germany regarding retail banking services." Central and Eastern European eDem and eGov Days 325 (March 1, 2018): 69–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.24989/ocg.v325.6.
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In the recent two decades, many service sector companies like banks altered their services and fees towards a regime whereby customers either bank online on their own or face comparatively high fees. The current phase of interest rates close to zero or even below - due to the euro crisis - enhances this trend. Many commercial banks in Germany have increased their fees for current accounts significantly, the common "free current account" policy has come more or less to an end. Many of the pensioners - in Germany there are more than 20 million retirees - are affected, because their pensions are quite low and they are not familiar with doing their banking the online way. This paper analyzes the situation based upon statistical data and develops other fee structures which are more just, from a social point of view, than burdening the elderly with low incomes.
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Deken, Johan Jerone De. "Pensions and the reduction of non-wage labour costs. Modelling a decade of reforms in Germany." Journal of European Social Policy 12, no. 4 (November 1, 2002): 277–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/a028427.
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The reduction of non-wage labour costs has become a top priority of virtually all social insurance reforms in the European Union. This paper starts out by discussing the levers politicians can theoretically manipulate to lower non-wage labour costs without undermining the equilibrium between revenue and expenditure in social security, focusing on pension schemes. After a discussion of general options open to policymakers, the paper discusses the reforms in Germany during the past decade, in particular the most recent pension reform that seeks to introduce a privately administered funded element into the statutory scheme. It concludes by critically assessing the extent to which this partial return to funding will allow the country to overcome the pending demographic crisis of social security, and by pointing to reform options that have not been considered.
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Iliffe, Steve, and Vari Drennan. "Assessment of older people in the community: from ‘75-and-over checks’ to National Service Frameworks." Reviews in Clinical Gerontology 14, no. 4 (November 2004): 257–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0959259805001577.
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Population aging, escalating costs in pensions, health care and long-term care have prompted the emergence of a new policy agenda for active aging and quality of life in old age across the European Union. In the UK, the government has made a commitment to improve services for older people through combating age discrimination, engaging with older people, better decision-making for services for older people, better meeting of older people's needs and promoting a strategic and ‘joined-up’ approach. A raft of policy initiatives not only sets the tone for service reconfiguration but also specifies objectives and time scales.
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Canzler, Weert. "Transport Infrastructure in Shrinking (East) Germany." German Politics and Society 26, no. 2 (June 1, 2008): 76–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.3167/gps.2008.260205.
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Policy on transport infrastructure in Germany will come under increasing pressure thanks to considerable changes in basic conditions. Demographic change, shifts in economic and regional structures, continued social individualization, and the chronic budget crisis in the public sphere are forcing a readjustment of government action. At root, the impact of the changes in demographics and economic structures touches on what Germans themselves think their postwar democracy stands for. Highly consensual underlying assumptions about Germany as a model are being shaken. The doctrine that development of infrastructure is tantamount to growth and prosperity no longer holds. The experience in eastern Germany shows that more and better infrastructure does not automatically lead to more growth. Moreover, uniform government regulation is hitting limits. If the differences between boom regions and depopulated zones remain as large as they are, then it makes no sense to have the same regulatory maze apply to both cases. In transportation policy, that shift would mean recasting the legal foundations of public transport.
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Biggs, Andrew G. "The Long-Term Solvency of Teacher Pension Plans: How We Got to Now and Prospects for Recovery." Educational Researcher 52, no. 2 (February 17, 2023): 98–115. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0013189x221093352.
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The COVID-related financial market decline and economic recession have raised new concerns regarding the financial sustainability of retirement plans for state and local government employees, the largest group of whom is public school teachers. Using data from the Public Plans Database and the National Income and Product Accounts, I analyze teacher pension plans over the 2001–2019 period, seeking to answer questions regarding teacher pensions’ funded status, investment decisions and returns, adequacy of contributions, and generosity of benefits. These data show that teacher pension funding peaked at the beginning of the 2001–2019 period due to the tech bubble’s inflation of asset values, but then it declined thereafter due to investment returns that significantly underperformed assumptions, failures by sponsoring governments to consistently make full contributions, and increases in the generosity of pension benefits. School districts will face substantial funding challenges in the post-COVID period, as investment losses are factored into contribution rates, government revenues available to make contributions shrink, and education funding from state governments comes under pressure. I outline several policy alternatives that policymakers may consider, but none would make restoring teacher pensions to full funding a painless process.
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Upite, Inese, and Feliciana Rajevska. "Development of service pension policy in Latvia from 1996 until 2016." SHS Web of Conferences 51 (2018): 03011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20185103011.
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The government made a decision to terminate the development of the service pension in 1997. However, during 1998–2016 the scope of service pension beneficiaries was extended. Thereby along with the overall social insurance pension system, the social pension scheme has been established and developed for a certain range of people funded by the state budget – the system of the service pension. The aim of the article is to explore the development of the service pension policy during 1996–2016. To accomplish it, in the framework of the study concepts related to the service pensions and the tendencies of reformation of the service pension schemes were studied. The international practice and the experience of several countries were explored, as well as the analysis of legal acts, policy planning papers and statistics was performed. The purpose of the service pension has changed and diversified, moreover, the issues regarding the service pension coverage are promoted by a group of politicians, escaping a wider discussion in public and even in the government.