News Archive

The latest issue of the EconPol Newsletter has just been published featuring the new Forum on the question “Climate Change: Greening the Economy by Green Finance?” and a new Policy Brief on interest rates and debt-financed government spending.

Tax relief for home maintenance services is not an effective means of tackling tax evasion. In Germany, it would cost the government a great deal of money while only marginally improving tax compliance. This is the finding of a survey of just under 2,000 private households in Germany. In total, 55 percent of respondents say that they would request an official invoice even if this didn’t entitle them to tax relief.

Communication is essential for central banks. For the European Central Bank (ECB), the press conference immediately after the Governing Council meeting is the primary communication device. It consists of a prepared statement explaining the decision, followed by a Questions and Answers session with journalists. What are the main communication patterns in ECB press conferences?

Greater exposure to evolution teaching not only improves students’ knowledge of evolution by the time they graduate from high school, but it also enhances their belief in evolution in adulthood. What is more, the reforms affect high-stakes life decisions, namely the probability of choosing a career in life sciences. Reforms of the coverage of evolution in US education standards have a positive effect on students’ knowledge of evolution by the end of high school.

The financial sector may play a central role in climate change. This is because, ideally, climate policy measures create important incentives for investors throughout the globalized world to redirect their capital in favor of a cleaner production and thus lower emissions. That is why climate policy must consider the link between the real sector and the financial sector. This transition will not happen by itself. It requires targeted financing measures.