East Germany as a unique case of societal transformation: Main characteristics and emergent misconceptions

This article examines the process of economic transformation in the new German Länder, addressing some of the misconceptions which surround it. First, it questions the concept of ‘shock therapy’. In contrast to other post‐communist countries, east Germans were cushioned from the full force of the transformation to a market economy by government policy which opted for gradualist rather than radical measures. Second, it is argued that the prejudicial effects of the ‘colonisation paradigm’ have been greatly exaggerated. Although key decision centres in political parties and organised interests were located in the west, the new Länder derived considerable benefit from the institutional transfer of a functioning system of interest representation. How then do we explain negative perceptions of economic change in the east? It is argued that these are the result of a failure to prepare the east German people for the difficulties ahead. By postponing problems and prolonging economic hardship, the gradualist road to transformation is inevitably accompanied by a deepening sense of dissatisfaction and resentment at the slow pace of economic take‐off.     

Assessment of an attempt at a system of social indicators

Following the publication in 1968 ofIndicators of Social Change, a relatively large number of papers and books have appeared. This review-article systematically assesses some first attempts at the development of comprehensive systems of social indicators.     

Party mandate theory and time-series analysis: a methodological comment

In 1990 Ian Budge and Richard Hofferbert published an article in support of “the doctrine of the party mandate”, using evidence from regression analyses relating the content of postwar US party platforms and governmental outputs in terms of yearly expenditure rates. Their approach was severely criticized by Gary King and Michael Laver (1993) but has been maintained by the authors in a subsequent extension of their analysis to include data from Australia, Canada and seven European States. The present article takes issue with both the approach followed by Budge and Hofferbert and the alternative approach recommended by King and Laver. It is argued that the trend problem has not been adequately dealt with and the formalization of the mandate model lacks conceptual consistency. Three major suggestions emerge from the discussion: (1) the formal mandate model should be extended to include a “divergence term” designed to separate positive from negative mandate effects; (2) the analysis should pay closer attention to the parameter restrictions that follow from the theoretical model; and (3) the regression equations should be interpreted heuristically in terms of “cointegration” or “causal-trends” models.     

Book Reviews: Knowledge,Innovation and Economic Growth: The Theory and Practice of Learning Regions

The Journal of Technology Transfer -     

Zivilrechtliche Gedanken zum Verlagsvertrag III

Zun?chst wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob und unter welchen Voraussetzungen einem Autor nach dem Gesetz ein Recht auf ordentliche Kündigung des Verlagsvertrages zukommt. Anschlie?end wird geprüft, wie weit durch die heute übliche Ausgestaltung der Verlagsvertr?ge, insb jener für wissenschaftliche Werke, die ordentliche Kündigung wirksam ausgeschlossen wird und welche Aufl?sungsm?glichkeiten dem Autor dann noch zur Verfügung stehen. In Betracht kommen vor allem die Kündigung aus wichtigem Grund und die Berufung auf die Nichtigkeit überlanger Bindungen.