1. Home
  2. Topics
  3. Democracy and Society
Content element with id 9138

Democracy and Society

Democracy and Society

Read the article
Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, speaks during a campaign rally of the governing Fidesz Party in Pecel, Hungary, on March 28. The rally is part of the Prime Minister's nationwide campaign trail before the Hungarian General Election scheduled for April 12. (Photo by Balint Szentgallay/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
IW-Report No. 15 13. April 2026 Alexander Radunz

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

Read the article
The new federal government's 100-day program
IW-Report No. 39 13. August 2025 Susanne Seyda / Thomas Schleiermacher

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

Read the article
Bundestag stimmt am 18. März 2025 über Änderungen des Grundgesetzes ab.
IW-Policy Paper No. 6 22. March 2025 Tobias Hentze in cooperation with Hubertus Bardt et al.

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

Read the article
Neumarkt Square at Frauenkirche (Our Lady church) in the center of Old town in Dresden, Germany
IW-Policy Paper No. 6 23. August 2024 Matthias Diermeier et al.

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

View profile
Knut Bergmann

Prof. Dr. Knut Bergmann

Head of Communication and the Branch Office in Berlin

Tel: +49 30 27877-110 Knut Bergmann @knut_bergmann
Content element with id 9139

All news

1542 results
Sort by:
Read study
Critical Choices: How Malaysia and Germany can Navigate Shifting Energy Geostrategy
External Publication 26. October 2026

Critical Choices: How Malaysia and Germany can Navigate Shifting Energy Geostrategy

Stewart Nixon* / Malte Küper in Policy Ideas

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.

Read study
Fiscal Effects of Having Children
IW-Report No. 43 15. October 2026

Fiscal Effects of Having Children

Wido Geis-Thöne

The fiscal effects of children are relevant to various areas of policymaking.

Read study
Event 14. October 2026 Alexander Radunz

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.

Read study
Universal entitlement, unequal provision: childcare in segregated German cities
External Publication 13. October 2026

Universal entitlement, unequal provision: childcare in segregated German cities

Matthias Diermeier / Jan Engler* / Melinda Fremerey / Leon Wansleben* in Journal of Social Policy

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.

Read study
A Comparison of Public Revenues Across the Federal States
IW-Report No. 41 12. October 2026

A Comparison of Public Revenues Across the Federal States

Björn Kauder

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.

Read study
German Foreign Investment and the debate over Germany as a business location
IW-Report No. 39 6. October 2026

German Foreign Investment and the debate over Germany as a business location

Samina Sultan / Jürgen Matthes

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.

Read study
The Honesty-Attitude-Behavior Gap: A Cross-Country Comparison
IW-Trends No. 3 29. September 2026

The Honesty-Attitude-Behavior Gap: A Cross-Country Comparison

Dominik Enste / Jennifer Potthoff / Augustin Renz

Honesty reduces transaction costs and is therefore a prerequisite for effective economic cooperation.

Read study
Event 28. September 2026 Sandra Parthie / Alexander Radunz

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.

Read study
Complementary Capabilities for Circular Practices: Firm-Level Evidence in Germany on the Role of Digitalization and Innovation
External Publication 16. September 2026

Complementary Capabilities for Circular Practices: Firm-Level Evidence in Germany on the Role of Digitalization and Innovation

Sarah Lichtenthäler / Adriana Neligan in Journal of Circular Economy

The transition to a circular economy (CE) requires firms to reconfigure business models, processes and capabilities.

Read study
Making Apprenticeships a Success: From Marketing to Hiring
IW-Report No. 38 11. September 2026

Making Apprenticeships a Success: From Marketing to Hiring

Paula Risius / Dirk Werner / Philip Herzer / Fritz Orange / Regina Flake / Franziska Arndt / Yasin Küçükyavuz / Edgar Schmitz

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.

Content element with id 9713