This book brings together two leading researchers in the field to provide a comprehensive overview of the shadow economy from a global perspective. Reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of different ways of measuring the informal sector, the authors evaluate its size and key determinants across the world. Williams and Schneider clearly establish the persistence and prevalence of the shadow economy, analysing the narrowness of existing policy approaches and explaining how these fail to address the key factors for its existence and may even exacerbate the problem. Proposing an alternative way forward, the authors argue that little headway will ever be made in reducing the shadow economy until there are changes not only to the character of formal institutions but also informal institutions (the values, beliefs and norms of citizens) through the introduction of macro-level structural changes. This timely, cutting-edge review of the global shadow economy and how it can be measured and tackled is an invaluable resource for postgraduate students, researchers and policy-makers, particularly those with a interest in tax evasion and informal labour.

The shadow economy has become the focus of policy makers around the world. This timely book explores the relationship between entrepreneurship and the shadow economy, by reviewing how to measure, explain and tackle this hidden enterprise culture. The editors bring together leading authorities in the field to examine existing methods to measure shadow economy, explore entrepreneurship and shadow economy practices in various contexts, and provide policy suggestions for decreasing the shadow economy. It concludes by encouraging further research in this ever-growing field. Students and scholars in the field of entrepreneurship and the shadow economy will find this book to be of use to their work. It will also be of use to those in disciplines, such as sociology, economics and global studies, as well as practitioners in the field of public policy. Contributors: Y. Abdih, J.E. Amoros, A. Chepurenko, J.P. Couyoumdjian, O. Cristi, E. Denisova-Schmidt, I.A Horodnic, L. Medina, M. Minniti, Y. Prytula, T.J. Putnins, A. Sauka, F. Schneider, M. Virtanen, C.C. Williams, J. Windebank

Public choice is the study of behavior at the intersection of economics and political science. Since the pioneering work of Duncan Black in the 1940s, public choice has developed a rich literature, drawing from such related perspectives as history, philosophy, law, and sociology, to analyze political decision making (by citizen-voters, elected officials, bureaucratic administrators, lobbyists, and other "rational" actors) in social and economic context, with an emphasis on identifying differences between individual goals and collective outcomes. Constitutional political economy provides important insights into the relationship between effective constitutions and the behavior of ordinary political markets.

In Readings in Public Choice and Constitutional Political Economy, Charles Rowley and Friedrich Schneider have assembled an international array of leading authors to present a comprehensive and accessible overview of the field and its applications. Covering a wide array of topics, including regulation and antitrust, taxation, trade liberalization, political corruption, interest group behavior, dictatorship, and environmental issues, and featuring biographies of the founding fathers of the field, this volume will be essential reading for scholars and students, policymakers, economists, sociologists, and non-specialist readers interested in the dynamics of political economy.

In this major book an internationally acclaimed group of scholars examines theoretical and applied topics of particular relevance to public choice analysis.Current Issues in Public Choice demonstrates the fruitfulness and originality of the Public Choice School. These twelve papers have been prepared by some of the most prominent scholars in economic science, including James M. Buchanan, Amartya K. Sen, Bruno S. Frey, Jon Elster, Geoffrey Brennan and Gordon Tullock. Specific areas covered include the foundations of public choice theory, its scope and method, constitutional economics, game theory, rent-seeking, the European Union, public finance and the theory of societal economics. The pioneering research, theory and analysis brought together in this volume will be widely and profitably used by economists, political scientists and public and social choice scholars seeking insight into fundamental theoretical issues and applied analyses on current affairs.

Illicit work, social security fraud, economic crime and other shadow economy activities are fast becoming an international problem. This second edition uses new data to reassess currency demand and the model approach to estimate the size of the shadow economy in 151 developing, transition, and OECD countries. This updated edition argues that during the 2000s the average size of the shadow economy varied from 19 per cent of GDP for OECD countries, to 30 per cent for transition countries, to 45 per cent for developing countries. It examines the causes and consequences of this development using an integrated approach to explain deviant behaviour that combines findings from economic, sociological, and psychological research. The authors suggest that increasing taxation and social security contributions, rising state regulatory activities, and the decline of the tax morale are all driving forces behind this growth, and they propose a reform of state public institutions in order to improve the dynamics of the official economy.

The main objective of this book is to develop a strategy and policy measures to enhance the formalization of the shadow economy in order to improve the competitiveness of the economy and contribute to economic growth; it explores these issues with special reference to Serbia. The size and development of the shadow economy in Serbia and other Central and Eastern European countries are estimated using two different methods (the MIMIC method and household-tax-compliance method). Micro-estimates are based on a special survey of business entities in Serbia, which for the first time allows us to explore the shadow economy from the perspective of enterprises and entrepreneurs. The authors identify the types of shadow economy at work in business entities, the determinants of shadow economy participation, and the impact of competition from the informal sector on businesses. Readers will learn both about the potential fiscal effects of reducing the shadow economy to the levels observed in more developed countries and the effects that formalization of the shadow economy can have on economic growth.

This two-volume set brings together a selection of key articles which examine the shadow economy and its relationship with underground activities. The set contains important work on surveys and conceptual considerations, theoretical approaches and policy implications. It further focuses on the empirical results of studies into the shadow economy, and considers tax evasion, tax compliance, tax morale and government institutions. This authoritative publication will be of interest to anyone seeking a comprehensive investigation into the shadow economy.

Bringing together top international researchers this book provides a worldwide coverage of underground economic activities. It presents estimates of the underground economy for 145 countries - the most comprehensive ever undertaken; an in-depth examination of the underground economy for a select number of these countries; and an analysis of the public policy implications through an assessment of how various governments have attempted to address this issue. The book brings together the latest research on tax evasion, tax morale and other underlying factors that have so significantly influenced participation in the underground economy. It provides a comprehensive overview of the size and development of the underground economy, its major causes and motivations and its effects on the legitimate economy. In addition, it reviews recent public policy concerns by a number of countries and how they have responded with measures to curb these underground economic activities.

Bringing together top international researchers this book provides a worldwide coverage of underground economic activities. It presents estimates of the underground economy for 145 countries - the most comprehensive ever undertaken; an in-depth examination of the underground economy for a select number of these countries; and an analysis of the public policy implications through an assessment of how various governments have attempted to address this issue. The book brings together the latest research on tax evasion, tax morale and other underlying factors that have so significantly influenced participation in the underground economy. It provides a comprehensive overview of the size and development of the underground economy, its major causes and motivations and its effects on the legitimate economy. In addition, it reviews recent public policy concerns by a number of countries and how they have responded with measures to curb these underground economic activities.

Illicit work, social security fraud, economic crime and other shadow economy activities are fast becoming an international problem. This second edition uses new data to reassess currency demand and the model approach to estimate the size of the shadow economy in 151 developing, transition, and OECD countries. This updated edition argues that during the 2000s the average size of the shadow economy varied from 19 per cent of GDP for OECD countries, to 30 per cent for transition countries, to 45 per cent for developing countries. It examines the causes and consequences of this development using an integrated approach to explain deviant behaviour that combines findings from economic, sociological, and psychological research. The authors suggest that increasing taxation and social security contributions, rising state regulatory activities, and the decline of the tax morale are all driving forces behind this growth, and they propose a reform of state public institutions in order to improve the dynamics of the official economy.

The main objective of this book is to develop a strategy and policy measures to enhance the formalization of the shadow economy in order to improve the competitiveness of the economy and contribute to economic growth; it explores these issues with special reference to Serbia. The size and development of the shadow economy in Serbia and other Central and Eastern European countries are estimated using two different methods (the MIMIC method and household-tax-compliance method). Micro-estimates are based on a special survey of business entities in Serbia, which for the first time allows us to explore the shadow economy from the perspective of enterprises and entrepreneurs. The authors identify the types of shadow economy at work in business entities, the determinants of shadow economy participation, and the impact of competition from the informal sector on businesses. Readers will learn both about the potential fiscal effects of reducing the shadow economy to the levels observed in more developed countries and the effects that formalization of the shadow economy can have on economic growth.

The Next 25 Years of Public Choice brings together the perspectives of many of the world's leading scholars of public choice on the present state of knowledge and the likely future course of scholarship on public choice and constitutional economy. This book presents material in a manner accessible to a wide educated readership and will be influential in guiding future research in this important field. It is directed at professional scholars of public choice, economics and political science, government officials, graduate students and anyone seriously interested in public policy. A distinguished group of internationally well-known scholars offer their own often far-reaching views on strengths and weaknesses in the current literature and pinpoint important avenues of research amenable to future research.

This book makes a valuable, analytical contribution to recent debates on the ongoing institutional changes occurring within the European Union. It provides a comprehensive and diverse insight into a variety of areas, including in-depth studies of fiscal, monetary and voting issues, to help elucidate the current period of transitional change.The authors argue that a fiscal constitution is essential to help solve the deficits and debts that member countries face due to welfare state financing. Moreover, they believe that the successful implementation of a fiscal constitution is the key to a more coherent institutional setting for Europe as a whole. Although monetary institutions within the EU have already secured a degree of constitutional solution in the form of the euro, they warn that its stabilising power should not be overestimated: the European Central Bank has yet to experience financial crises like those faced by the Federal Reserve Bank. The authors move on to propose a new parliamentary design for Europe and assess the advantages for the elite of a small country to join the EU, compared to the population at large. This volume comprehensively explores the rapidly changing institutional configuration of the EU, employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It will be required reading for scholars of public choice, and those with an interest in political economy and EU integration. It is also an excellent sourcebook on European institutions and would provide useful complementary reading in a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Public choice is the study of behavior at the intersection of economics and political science. Since the pioneering work of Duncan Black in the 1940s, public choice has developed a rich literature, drawing from such related perspectives as history, philosophy, law, and sociology, to analyze political decision making (by citizen-voters, elected officials, bureaucratic administrators, lobbyists, and other "rational" actors) in social and economic context, with an emphasis on identifying differences between individual goals and collective outcomes. Constitutional political economy provides important insights into the relationship between effective constitutions and the behavior of ordinary political markets. In Readings in Public Choice and Constitutional Political Economy, Charles Rowley and Friedrich Schneider have assembled an international array of leading authors to present a comprehensive and accessible overview of the field and its applications. Covering a wide array of topics, including regulation and antitrust, taxation, trade liberalization, political corruption, interest group behavior, dictatorship, and environmental issues, and featuring biographies of the founding fathers of the field, this volume will be essential reading for scholars and students, policymakers, economists, sociologists, and non-specialist readers interested in the dynamics of political economy.

The Creative Industries have recently come into the focus of urban development strategies and economic policy. The driving force behind that was, amongst others, Richard Florida with his bestseller The rise of the creative class and how it s tra- forming work, leisure, community, and everyday life . The Creative Industries are increasingly dynamic and growing three times faster than the economy in total. With respect to the economic value added, the Creative In- 1 dustries in Germany are absolutely comparable to the automotive industry. Nonetheless, for entrepreneurs it is often still easier to find financing opportu- ties for property, real estate and assets than for ideas and intangible assets. Thus, - vestitionsbank Berlin has been researching possibilities to finance the Creative Economy since several years. Many who are engaged in spurring the development of cities and regions, h- ever, come across various different definitions of the term Creative Industries and several approaches which cannot be exactly distinguished from one another. This might cause confusion."

Measurement of the shadow economy is notoriously difficult as it requires estimation of economic activity that is deliberately hidden from official transactions. Surveys typically understate the size of the shadow economy but econometric techniques can now be used to obtain a much better understanding of its size. The shadow economy constitutes approximately 10 per cent of GDP in the UK; about 14 per cent in Nordic countries and about 20 - 30 per cent in many southern European countries. The main drivers of the shadow economy are (in order): tax and social security burdens, tax morale, the quality of state institutions and labour market regulation. A reduction in the tax burden is therefore likely to lead to a reduction in the size of the shadow economy. Indeed, a virtuous circle can be created of lower tax rates, less shadow work, higher tax morale, a higher tax take and the opportunity for lower rates. Of course, a vicious circle in the other direction can also be created.

Zur intensiven Diskussion des Themas in der Offentlichkeit hier ein umfassender Uberblick. Dieser beinhaltet eine umfangreiche Dokumentation der Messmethoden und der Grosse der Schattenwirtschaft in 70 Landern weltweit. Die Analyse von wirtschaftspolitischen Optionen soll zur kontroversen Diskussion anregen und provoziert sicher einigen Widerspruch. Das Buch ist bewusst auch fur Nichtokonomen verstandlich geschrieben."

The shadow economy (also known as the black or underground economy) covers a vast array of trade, goods and services that are not part of the official economy of a country. This original and comprehensive Handbook presents the latest research on the size and development of the shadow economy, which remains an integral component of the economies of most developing and many developed countries. The volume explores the driving forces behind the shadow economy and highlights important regional variations. The expert authors address the whole spectrum of issues including tax moral, government institutions, corruption and illicit work. Importantly the book also examines recent progress in how the shadow economy is measured and estimated. This well-documented and authoritative study will appeal to economists and researchers, as well as academics and students in the fields of economics, political science and social science. It will also be of interest to anyone seeking a comprehensive investigation into the workings of shadow economy.

Dieses Lehrbuch behandelt sowohl den traditionellen Stoff der Allgemeinen Wirtschaftspolitik als auch neuere Ansatze der quantitativen Wirtschaftspolitik und der Okonomischen Theorie der Politik. Dabei wird besonderer Wert darauf gelegt, die theoretischen Grundlagen der verschiedenen wirtschaftspolitischen Konzepte und die wirtschaftspolitischen Folgerungen aus den verschiedenen Theorien der Volkswirtschaftslehre herauszuarbeiten, um den Studierenden den engen Zusammenhang zwischen Theorie und Politik nahezubringen. Dadurch eignet sich das Lehrbuch insbesondere fur Kurse, in denen die Kluft zwischen der teilweise hoch spezialisierten wirtschaftstheoretischen Forschung und der Anwendung auf aktuelle wirtschaftspolitische Probleme uberbruckt werden soll."

"Pecunia non olet" - Geld stinkt nicht. Diese Eigenschaft des Geldes hat bis jetzt seine Gultigkeit bewahrt. Nach einer "Wasche" der Gelder, um die Herkunft zu verschleiern bzw. vom "Gestank" zu befreien, lasst es sich nicht mehr anmerken auf welche Art und Weise es verdient wurde. Das Buch zeigt, welche Techniken heute zum Waschen illegaler Gelder angewendet werden, es analysiert das weltweite Volumen, das diese illegalen Transaktionen haben, und es zeigt den Zusammenhang zwischen Geldwasche, organisierter Kriminalitat und Terrorismus auf."

Schwarzarbeit: Fluch oder Segen? Das Buch zeigt, wie Schattenwirtschaft und offizielle Wirtschaft interagieren. Der Autor beschreibt Strategien zur Reduktion der Schattenwirtschaft.