Abstract This paper investigates the price impact of the fuel discount in Germany, which was introduced between June and August 2022 to partially compensate increased energy costs. Using the augmented synthetic control method (ASCM) to construct the counterfactual, we provide quantitative evidence to the heated debate concerning the impact of this policy tool and find the fuel discount to have decreased consumer prices of petrol (diesel) by at least 0.30 euro per litre (0.10 euro per litre) on average. The results are robust to various sensitivity checks. Thus, oil companies and petrol stations decreased prices for consumers and passed on about 85 % (65 %) of the discount in case of petrol (diesel). Moreover, we do not find signs of excessive price increases in anticipation of the fuel discount.
{"title":"The Impact of the German Fuel Discount on Prices at the Petrol Pump","authors":"Volker Seiler, Nico Stöckmann","doi":"10.1515/ger-2022-0108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/ger-2022-0108","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper investigates the price impact of the fuel discount in Germany, which was introduced between June and August 2022 to partially compensate increased energy costs. Using the augmented synthetic control method (ASCM) to construct the counterfactual, we provide quantitative evidence to the heated debate concerning the impact of this policy tool and find the fuel discount to have decreased consumer prices of petrol (diesel) by at least 0.30 euro per litre (0.10 euro per litre) on average. The results are robust to various sensitivity checks. Thus, oil companies and petrol stations decreased prices for consumers and passed on about 85 % (65 %) of the discount in case of petrol (diesel). Moreover, we do not find signs of excessive price increases in anticipation of the fuel discount.","PeriodicalId":46476,"journal":{"name":"German Economic Review","volume":"15 1","pages":"191 - 206"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89992481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The introduction of the Transmission Protection Instrument is the latest evidence, that the EMU is confronted with unstable markets for government bonds. Based on a parsimonious model of the government bond market, I argue, that this results from the introduction of the euro, which has homogenized government bonds. Now, several easily substitutable bonds are traded at the same time. Investors sort according to return and risk instead of along currencies. This self-selection, however, creates instability in crises. Price convergence and sorting characterized the first decade of the euro, instability the second.
{"title":"The Instability of the Market for Government Bonds in the EMU","authors":"Joern Kleinert","doi":"10.1515/ger-2022-0082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/ger-2022-0082","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The introduction of the Transmission Protection Instrument is the latest evidence, that the EMU is confronted with unstable markets for government bonds. Based on a parsimonious model of the government bond market, I argue, that this results from the introduction of the euro, which has homogenized government bonds. Now, several easily substitutable bonds are traded at the same time. Investors sort according to return and risk instead of along currencies. This self-selection, however, creates instability in crises. Price convergence and sorting characterized the first decade of the euro, instability the second.","PeriodicalId":46476,"journal":{"name":"German Economic Review","volume":"46 1","pages":"207 - 231"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79059540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract We study how model uncertainty affects the understanding of the interest rate persistence using a generalized Taylor-rule function covering numerous submodels via model average approach. The data-driven weights can be regarded as a measure of power-sharing across monetary policy committee members. We show that the model uncertainty is important in Canada, France, and Sweden, and the implied weights indicate that the U.K. and the U.S. have a lower model uncertainty caused either by an over-influential chairman or the consistent agreement of committee members. The importance of model uncertainty can be emphasized by sequential estimation during the 2008 financial crisis.
{"title":"Interest Rate Persistence and Monetary Policy Rule in Light of Model Uncertainty","authors":"Shou-Yung Yin, Chang-Ching Lin, Ming-Jen Chang","doi":"10.1515/ger-2022-0076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/ger-2022-0076","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract We study how model uncertainty affects the understanding of the interest rate persistence using a generalized Taylor-rule function covering numerous submodels via model average approach. The data-driven weights can be regarded as a measure of power-sharing across monetary policy committee members. We show that the model uncertainty is important in Canada, France, and Sweden, and the implied weights indicate that the U.K. and the U.S. have a lower model uncertainty caused either by an over-influential chairman or the consistent agreement of committee members. The importance of model uncertainty can be emphasized by sequential estimation during the 2008 financial crisis.","PeriodicalId":46476,"journal":{"name":"German Economic Review","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135723023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract We make use of historical data on water levels on the Rhine river to analyze the impact of weather-related supply shocks on economic activity in Germany. Our analysis shows that low water levels lead to severe disruptions in inland water transportation and cause a significant and economically meaningful decrease of economic activity. In a month with 30 days of low water, industrial production in Germany declines by about 1 percent, ceteris paribus. Our analysis highlights the importance of extreme weather events for business cycle analysis and contributes to gauging the costs of extreme weather events in advanced economies.
{"title":"Extreme Weather Events and Economic Activity: The Case of Low Water Levels on the Rhine River","authors":"Marten Ademmer, Nils Jannsen, Saskia Meuchelböck","doi":"10.1515/ger-2022-0077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/ger-2022-0077","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract We make use of historical data on water levels on the Rhine river to analyze the impact of weather-related supply shocks on economic activity in Germany. Our analysis shows that low water levels lead to severe disruptions in inland water transportation and cause a significant and economically meaningful decrease of economic activity. In a month with 30 days of low water, industrial production in Germany declines by about 1 percent, ceteris paribus. Our analysis highlights the importance of extreme weather events for business cycle analysis and contributes to gauging the costs of extreme weather events in advanced economies.","PeriodicalId":46476,"journal":{"name":"German Economic Review","volume":"15 1","pages":"121 - 144"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90707703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In this paper, we document that living under Communism versus Capitalism has lasting effects on preferences for a strong government. Relying on the natural experiment of German reunification and extending the analysis of Alesina and Fuchs-Schündeln (2007), we show that East Germans still have stronger preferences for redistribution than West Germans 27 years after reunification. While convergence of preferences occurs, the speed of convergence decreases significantly over time. Evidence from cohorts born after German reunification points towards significant intergenerational transmission of preferences.
{"title":"Good Bye Lenin Revisited: East-West Preferences Three Decades after German Reunification.","authors":"Mariia Bondar, Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln","doi":"10.1515/ger-2022-0042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/ger-2022-0042","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this paper, we document that living under Communism versus Capitalism has lasting effects on preferences for a strong government. Relying on the natural experiment of German reunification and extending the analysis of Alesina and Fuchs-Schündeln (2007), we show that East Germans still have stronger preferences for redistribution than West Germans 27 years after reunification. While convergence of preferences occurs, the speed of convergence decreases significantly over time. Evidence from cohorts born after German reunification points towards significant intergenerational transmission of preferences.</p>","PeriodicalId":46476,"journal":{"name":"German Economic Review","volume":"24 1","pages":"97-119"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10005892/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9111609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Using data from 5474 banks located in 23 OECD countries over the period 2019Q2–2022Q1, we study the influence of COVID-19 on bank profitability (before and during the COVID-19 vaccination period). Our results show a negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bank profitability, especially at the onset of the health crisis. In addition, we find that vaccination against COVID-19 had a positive effect on bank profitability, not yet sufficient to compensate for the losses generated at the beginning of the pandemic. Finally, we show that these effects depend on the characteristics of banks (notably size and capital) before vaccination and on the severity of the crisis across countries. Overall, we provide the first evidence of the influence of vaccination on bank behavior in terms of profitability.
{"title":"The Impact of COVID-19 on Bank Profitability: Cross-Country Evidence","authors":"E. Augeraud-Véron, Whelsy Boungou","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.4318881","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4318881","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Using data from 5474 banks located in 23 OECD countries over the period 2019Q2–2022Q1, we study the influence of COVID-19 on bank profitability (before and during the COVID-19 vaccination period). Our results show a negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bank profitability, especially at the onset of the health crisis. In addition, we find that vaccination against COVID-19 had a positive effect on bank profitability, not yet sufficient to compensate for the losses generated at the beginning of the pandemic. Finally, we show that these effects depend on the characteristics of banks (notably size and capital) before vaccination and on the severity of the crisis across countries. Overall, we provide the first evidence of the influence of vaccination on bank behavior in terms of profitability.","PeriodicalId":46476,"journal":{"name":"German Economic Review","volume":"44 1","pages":"69 - 95"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89053425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Using data from 5474 banks located in 23 OECD countries over the period 2019Q2–2022Q1, we study the influence of COVID-19 on bank profitability (before and during the COVID-19 vaccination period). Our results show a negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bank profitability, especially at the onset of the health crisis. In addition, we find that vaccination against COVID-19 had a positive effect on bank profitability, not yet sufficient to compensate for the losses generated at the beginning of the pandemic. Finally, we show that these effects depend on the characteristics of banks (notably size and capital) before vaccination and on the severity of the crisis across countries. Overall, we provide the first evidence of the influence of vaccination on bank behavior in terms of profitability.
{"title":"The Impact of COVID-19 on Bank Profitability: Cross-Country Evidence","authors":"Emmanuelle Augeraud-Véron, Whelsy Boungou","doi":"10.1515/ger-2022-0089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/ger-2022-0089","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Using data from 5474 banks located in 23 OECD countries over the period 2019Q2–2022Q1, we study the influence of COVID-19 on bank profitability (before and during the COVID-19 vaccination period). Our results show a negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bank profitability, especially at the onset of the health crisis. In addition, we find that vaccination against COVID-19 had a positive effect on bank profitability, not yet sufficient to compensate for the losses generated at the beginning of the pandemic. Finally, we show that these effects depend on the characteristics of banks (notably size and capital) before vaccination and on the severity of the crisis across countries. Overall, we provide the first evidence of the influence of vaccination on bank behavior in terms of profitability.","PeriodicalId":46476,"journal":{"name":"German Economic Review","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135962651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}