Human behaviour is infinitely complex, the result of thousands of interactions between predispositions, external factors and physical and cognitive processes. It is also highly unpredictable, which makes meaningful social engagement difficult without the aid of some external framework such as that offered by an institution. Both formal and informal institutions can provide the element of predictability necessary for successful, complex interactions, a factor which is often overlooked by institutional analysts and designers. Drawing on a wide range of disciplines including psychology, economics, and sociological and political studies, this book develops a coherent and accessible theory for explaining the unpredictability of individual behaviour. The author then highlights the danger of institutional reforms undermining the very capacity to generate predictability which is so central to their success. This book will appeal to academics, researchers and professionals in many fields including management studies, behavioural economics and the new, interdisciplinary field of institutional design.

Human behaviour is infinitely complex, the result of thousands of interactions between predispositions, external factors and physical and cognitive processes. It is also highly unpredictable, which makes meaningful social engagement difficult without the aid of some external framework such as that offered by an institution. Both formal and informal institutions can provide the element of predictability necessary for successful, complex interactions, a factor which is often overlooked by institutional analysts and designers. Drawing on a wide range of disciplines including psychology, economics, and sociological and political studies, this book develops a coherent and accessible theory for explaining the unpredictability of individual behaviour. The author then highlights the danger of institutional reforms undermining the very capacity to generate predictability which is so central to their success. This book will appeal to academics, researchers and professionals in many fields including management studies, behavioural economics and the new, interdisciplinary field of institutional design.

This volume brings together academic economists and lawyers to evaluate and compare the regulation of telecommunications markets in Germany and the United States. The unifying theme in all of the pa pers is that the goal of public policy in this area should be to make the broadest and most functional competition possible by means of an ap propriate regulatory framework. Because the European and American telecommunications markets are becoming more intertwined each day, the issues addressed in this volume will be topical to the business, government, and academic communities for some time. For the chairman of the Monopoly Commission, Wernhard Moschel, the opening of the German telecommunications market has been successful in principle. This is clearly recognizable in the case of the competition in long-distance transport. Based on the view that the regulatory authority should make itself obsolete, Professor Moschel advocates an incremental review and gradual reduction of regulation."

This volume brings together academic economists and lawyers to evaluate and compare the regulation of telecommunications markets in Germany and the United States. The unifying theme in all of the pa pers is that the goal of public policy in this area should be to make the broadest and most functional competition possible by means of an ap propriate regulatory framework. Because the European and American telecommunications markets are becoming more intertwined each day, the issues addressed in this volume will be topical to the business, government, and academic communities for some time. For the chairman of the Monopoly Commission, Wernhard Moschel, the opening of the German telecommunications market has been successful in principle. This is clearly recognizable in the case of the competition in long-distance transport. Based on the view that the regulatory authority should make itself obsolete, Professor Moschel advocates an incremental review and gradual reduction of regulation."

Psychologists, economists, historians, computer scientists, sociologists, philosophers, and legal scholars explore the conscious choice not to seek information. The history of intellectual thought abounds with claims that knowledge is valued and sought, yet individuals and groups often choose not to know. We call the conscious choice not to seek or use knowledge (or information) deliberate ignorance. When is this a virtue, when is it a vice, and what can be learned from formally modeling the underlying motives? On which normative grounds can it be judged? Which institutional interventions can promote or prevent it? In this book, psychologists, economists, historians, computer scientists, sociologists, philosophers, and legal scholars explore the scope of deliberate ignorance.

Ebbe Weiss-Weingart (b. 1923) is one of the pioneers of international studio jewellery. For over seventy years she has enriched the contemporary jewellery scene with her diverse works. Her inception in the 1950s and 1960s with structured surfaces and galvanised sculptured pieces will never be forgotten. Alongside figurative motifs - in particular, her portrayals of humans and animals - she also created pieces with an ironic and quirky touch. In her last phase of creativity, which began in the 1990s, she had a penchant for working with jewellery made from Chinese jade reliefs. Around 200 illustrations of these jewellery objects documents her award-winning work, and along with previously unpublished photographic material, expands on her hitherto unknown accomplishments. Includes, in full, her speech on the occasion of receiving the Gesellschaft fur Goldschmiedekunst's Ring of Honour, which gives an insight into Ebbe Weiss-Weingart's philosophy and working processes.

Die in regelmassigen Abstanden erscheinenden "Berichte zur Lage des Eigentums" thematisieren die Problem- und Erkenntnisfelder im Umfeld des Privateigentums in all seinen relevanten Bezugen, aus allen wissenschaftlichen Forschungsrichtungen sowie in nationaler, europaischer und globaler Perspektive. Im vorliegenden ersten Bericht stehen juristische Fragestellungen im Vordergrund. Am Beginn indes steht eine eigentumstheoretische Analyse zur sozialen Funktion des Eigentums von Christoph Engel. Otto Depenheuer skizziert, analysiert und kommentiert die fur das nationale Eigentumsrecht grundlegende Rechtsprechungsentwicklung des Bundesverfassungsgerichts zu Art. 14 GG. Thomas von Danwitz gibt einen umfassenden Uberblick uber den internationalen Eigentumsschutz in Europa und auf der Ebene der Welthandelsorganisation."

Die regelmassig erscheinenden Berichte zur Lage des Eigentums" thematisieren die Problem- und Erkenntnisfelder im Umfeld des Privateigentums in all seinen relevanten Bezugen, aus allen wissenschaftlichen Forschungsrichtungen sowie in nationaler, europaischer und globaler Perspektive. Themen des ersten Bandes: Rechtsprechungsentwicklung des Bundesverfassungsgerichts zu Art. 14 GG; internationaler Eigentumsschutz in Europa und auf der Ebene der Welthandelsorganisation."