Shorter, topical publications for those professionally concerned with policy issueshttps://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/© 2010-2026 Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW)Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW) RSS Generatoren-ENMon, 13 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0200This paper proposes that the EU should build a cooperation platform together with the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership). https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/juergen-matthes-free-and-fair-trade-club-to-build-middle-power-weight.html?utm_source=rssMon, 13 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0200Berlin's plans to socialise private housing companies under Article 15 of the Basic Law are far more than a local political experiment. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/michael-voigtlaender-philipp-deschermeier-how-berlins-socialization-policy-is-harming-germany-as-a-business-hub.html?utm_source=rssFri, 10 Jul 2026 09:43:00 +0200Reforming personal income tax has been on the political agenda for years. Although bracket creep has largely been offset over the past ten years, the income tax schedule itself has not been structurally reformed. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/martin-beznoska-tobias-hentze-reform-of-personal-income-tax.html?utm_source=rssTue, 30 Jun 2026 11:48:00 +0200The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is currently developing a circular economy strategy at the state level. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/sarah-lichtenthaeler-adriana-neligan-circular-economy-in-north-rhine-westphalia.html?utm_source=rssWed, 21 Jan 2026 10:48:00 +0100Social media has become a central infrastructure of adolescence, offering benefits such as social connection, informal learning, creative expression, and low-cost entrepreneurial opportunities, while simultaneously posing risks including depression, body image concerns, and opaque commercial persuasion. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/barbara-engels-jennifer-potthoff-a-behavioral-ethics-perspective.html?utm_source=rssThu, 06 Nov 2025 08:15:00 +0100The German Federal-State Commission on the ‘Future of long-term Care’ is tasked with developing a reform by the end of 2025. Its mandate is guided by the overarching goal of contribution rate stability. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/jochen-pimpertz-ruth-maria-schueler-maximilian-stockhausen-arguments-against-extending-compulsory-insurance.html?utm_source=rssThu, 02 Oct 2025 08:16:00 +0200The proportion of first-year students in Germany has risen from 33 per cent in 2000 to over 50 per cent but has stagnated for ten years. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/axel-pluennecke-michael-huether-the-importance-of-universities-for-a-successful-transformation-process-in-the-economy.html?utm_source=rssTue, 27 May 2025 09:00:00 +0200Trust forms the foundation of stable societies and is essential for the smooth functioning of democracies, economic systems and social structures. However, in times of multiple crises – from economic uncertainty and political polarization to the effects of digitalization – trust in Germany has come under pressure. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/rebecca-gabel-jennifer-potthoff-a-european-comparison-and-paths-to-new-stability.html?utm_source=rssWed, 30 Apr 2025 08:00:00 +0200The changed and intensified security situation of recent years has particularly affected Europe. After the wars against Georgia and Ukraine, the defence of the European Union (EU) and NATO's eastern flank must therefore be adapted to the new threats. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/hubertus-bardt-berthold-busch-reflections-on-the-white-paper-on-the-defense-of-europe.html?utm_source=rssMon, 28 Apr 2025 08:20:00 +0200The re-election of Donald Trump as US President in November 2024 is leading to substantial upheavals in security policy for Germany and Europe, which will also be reflected in Germany's defense spending and defense industry set-up from 2025 onwards. https://preview.iwkoeln.de/en/studies/klaus-heiner-roehl-hubertus-bardt-more-defense-with-less-usa.html?utm_source=rssMon, 14 Apr 2025 09:00:00 +0200