Democracy and Society
Democracy and Society

Economic Consequences of Authoritarian Governance as Illustrated by Hungary
This report analyzes Hungary’s economic development since the return of the FIDESZ government in 2010, benchmarking its trajectory against the Visegrád countries and Romania.
Alexander Radunz IW

The new federal government's 100-day program
In the wake of the 2025 federal elections, 1,071 HR managers and HR experts were surveyed in the IW Personnel Panel in spring 2025 to find out which HR policy-related issues the new federal government should tackle in the first 100 days and what it should do to create better framework conditions for companies in Germany.
Susanne Seyda / Thomas Schleiermacher IW

Economic restrictions for the implementation of the financial package
With three central adjustments, Bundestag and Bundesrat have fundamentally changed the architecture of state finances.
Tobias Hentze in cooperation with Hubertus Bardt / Martin Beznoska / Markus Demary / Michael Grömling / Jochen Pimpertz / Axel Plünnecke / Thomas Puls / Thilo Schaefer / Oliver Stettes / Michael Voigtländer IW

A comparison of regional development
Over the past ten years, a clear economic catch-up process can be observed in East Germany in comparison with West Germany.
Matthias Diermeier / Christian Oberst / Samina Sultan / Henrik Förster IW
Our Experts

Prof. Dr. Knut Bergmann
Head of Communication and the Branch Office in Berlin
Tel: +49 30 27877-110 Mail: bergmannAll news
Critical Choices: How Malaysia and Germany can Navigate Shifting Energy Geostrategy
Malaysia and Germany, as constructive and reliable participants in globally interdependent energy (as well as trade and financial) markets, face an increasingly hostile, volatile, and uncertain environment surrounding energy choices.
Fiscal Effects of Having Children
The fiscal effects of children are relevant to various areas of policymaking.
Expert Workshop on the Industrial Accelerator Act
The German Economic Institute (IW) and Frontier Economics are pleased to invite you to a rapporteur & stakeholder workshop on the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) in Brussels.
Universal entitlement, unequal provision: childcare in segregated German cities
One mechanism driving persistent inequalities in childcare provision, despite rising investments and a substantial expansion of childcare facilities, may consist in the locational choices of providers, who eschew poorer neighbourhoods.
A Comparison of Public Revenues Across the Federal States
To ensure equivalent living conditions, the federal government influences the revenues of the states and municipalities. Under the fiscal equalization system, financially weak states receive surpluses in the distribution of sales tax revenues, while financially strong states must accept shortfalls.
German Foreign Investment and the debate over Germany as a business location
Geopolitical pressure and the debate over Germany’s competitiveness make it necessary to develop a more precise understanding of German foreign direct investment. This report provides a comprehensive empirical analysis and also examines the implications for Germany as a business location.
The Honesty-Attitude-Behavior Gap: A Cross-Country Comparison
Honesty reduces transaction costs and is therefore a prerequisite for effective economic cooperation.
Online-Veranstaltungsreihe „Von Brüssel nach Berlin”: Regionalentwicklung und Industriepolitik
Wir laden Sie herzlich zu einer weiteren Online-Veranstaltung unserer Veranstaltungsreihe „Von Brüssel nach Berlin“ ein. Mit ihr wollen wir in loser Folge Themen aus der europäischen in die deutsche Hauptstadt tragen.
Complementary Capabilities for Circular Practices: Firm-Level Evidence in Germany on the Role of Digitalization and Innovation
The transition to a circular economy (CE) requires firms to reconfigure business models, processes and capabilities.
Making Apprenticeships a Success: From Marketing to Hiring
In-company vocational training is a key factor in securing skilled labour. The first step in investing in future employees is to approach and recruit new apprentices. For many companies, filling the apprenticeship positions they offer is a challenge.
Your search returned an incorrect status. You may have selected too many filters. You can jump back to your previous selection to adjust your search.
Subscribe to our newsletters to receive updates on the latest IW publications.
Sign up here to stay informed.