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<title>Itinera Institute - Issues - Government &amp; Taxation</title>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org</link>
<description>Itinera Institute - Issues - Government &amp; Taxation</description>
<image>
<url>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/web/sources/img/logo_itinera.jpg</url>
<title>Itinera Institute - Issues - Government &amp; Taxation</title>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org</link>
</image>
<copyright>Copyright 2008, Itinera Institute</copyright>
<language>en</language>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
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<title>State under pressure</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The evolution of the financial crisis and the attempts to end it announced the return of the State. This ideological shift should not impede us from detecting its challenges though: the State is put under a lot of pressure and our public service needs a global organizational modification.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/state-under-pressure/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/state-under-pressure/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Budgetary extravagance kills Keynes</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Because we did not save our margins when the economy was doing well, the average employee will have to pay an extra €3700. This also implicates we will not have the budgetary means of effectively stimulating the economy. Had we saved the decreasing interest charges in stead of spending them, this effort would have been minimal.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/budgetary-extravagance-kills-keynes/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/budgetary-extravagance-kills-keynes/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Succeeding in reforming the state</title>
<description><![CDATA[ State reforms abroad teach us an important lesson: their success depends on the focus that is being put on the role and mission of a public service to achieve internal as well as external adhesion. But one should also give state reforms the necessary time and means to involve society as a whole.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/succeeding-in-reforming-the-state/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/succeeding-in-reforming-the-state/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Fortis Saga </title>
<description><![CDATA[ Thanks to deposits banks are able to finance their activities at a fixed interest rate. Their profit is therefore potentially unlimited which gives them huge incentives to take risks. This is why there have always been and there will always be banking crisis, notwithstanding well intended regulation like Bazel II and the regulation that is about to replace it.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-fortis-saga/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-fortis-saga/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The civil servant and the unemployed</title>
<description><![CDATA[ When jobs in the private sector are not competitive anymore, public employment is an easy option to make sure people have a job. This is the Scandinavian model. But a better solution is to subsidize employment, as service coupons in Belgium are successfully doing by creating 65.000 jobs.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-civil-servant-and-the-unemployed/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-civil-servant-and-the-unemployed/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The necessity of a bailout should not become a habit</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos warns that the bailout in the financial sector was necessary to avoid a systemic crisis. This is not the case in for the car industry. If we turn the necessity to a bailout into a habit we will sow the seeds of our own economic demise.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-necessity-of-a-bailout-should-not-become-a-habit/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-necessity-of-a-bailout-should-not-become-a-habit/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Obama's impossible task</title>
<description><![CDATA[ From the beginning, it was clear Obama's electoral promises were unrealistic. And the financial crisis is the perfect excuse to proceed to the matters at hand and leave the promises for what they were. Of course, the matter at hand is to clean the mess and limit the damages from the financial cataclysm.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/obamas-impossible-task/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/obamas-impossible-task/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Effect of tax reduction on job vacancy and unemployment</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The unemployment rate in Belgium remains relatively high with respect to other European countries. However, some job vacancies are still open. This nota realized by the KUL analyses the possibility of reducing fiscal pressure in order to solve these two issues. It also makes a comparison between Belgium and Denmark by examining the influence some factors like education and transfers may have on the unemployment rate.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/effect-of-tax-reduction-on-job-vacancy-and-unemployment/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/effect-of-tax-reduction-on-job-vacancy-and-unemployment/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Fiscal reform: impact on the consumption of Belgian households</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The objective of the fiscal reform introduced in 2002 by the government Verhofstadt II was to reduce Belgian households’ taxes in order to stimulate Belgium’s macroeconomic activity. But has this fiscal policy yielded the expected results? This study from Regards Economiques of October 2008 analyses to which extend Belgian households’ consumption was influenced by this reform.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/fiscal-reform-impact-on-the-consumption-of-belgian-households/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/fiscal-reform-impact-on-the-consumption-of-belgian-households/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Welcome, mister President</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The election of Barack Obama has turned out to be an historical inevitability. Marc De Vos indicates that the greatest strength of candidate Obama is also the greatest risk of president Obama. At the international level we need an American president, not only of dialogue but also of audacity and action.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/welcome-mister-president/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/welcome-mister-president/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Beyond Copernicus: From Confusion to Consensus?: a Roadmap for an better Government-PRESENTATION </title>
<description><![CDATA[ The 2000 Copernicus reform has faded away before flourishing. Belgium has the highest public spending and public employment in the OECD and still the relative quality and quantity of public services remain disappointing.  With so many challenges ahead such as globalisation, population aging, the race for talents, the digital revolution, it is urgent to send a wake-up call for a government that is steering and not rowing. Jean Hindriks makes the diagnosis and suggests several “quick wins”.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/beyond-copernicus-from-confusion-to-consensus-a-roadmap-for-an-better-government-presentation/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/beyond-copernicus-from-confusion-to-consensus-a-roadmap-for-an-better-government-presentation/</guid>
<enclosure url="http://www.itinerainstitute.org/upl/1/default/doc/Microsoft%20PowerPoint%20-%2020081029A-%20Efficiency%20presentation%20Final%20[Compatibility%20Mode].pdf" length="1774358" type="application/pdf" />
</item>
<item>
<title>Beyond Copernicus: From Confusion to Consensus?: a roadmap for an better Government - MEMENTO</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The 2000 Copernicus reform has faded away before flourishing. Belgium has the highest public spending and public employment in the OECD and still the relative quality and quantity of public services remain disappointing.  With so many challenges ahead such as globalisation, population aging, the race for talents, the digital revolution, it is urgent to send a wake-up call for a government that is steering and not rowing. Jean Hindriks makes the diagnosis and suggests several “quick wins”.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/beyondcopernicusfromconfusiontoconsensusaroadmapforanbettergovernmentmemento/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/beyondcopernicusfromconfusiontoconsensusaroadmapforanbettergovernmentmemento/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Beyond Copernicus: From Confusion to Consensus?: a roadmap for an better Government</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The 2000 Copernicus reform has faded away before flourishing. Belgium has the highest public spending and public employment in the OECD and still the relative quality and quantity of public services remain disappointing.  With so many challenges ahead such as globalisation, population aging, the race for talents, the digital revolution, it is urgent to send a wake-up call for a government that is steering and not rowing. Jean Hindriks makes the diagnosis and suggests several “quick wins”.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/beyond-copernicus-from-confusion-to-consensus-a-roadmap-for-an-better-government/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/beyond-copernicus-from-confusion-to-consensus-a-roadmap-for-an-better-government/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Marx, Darwin or Marx..?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ With the financial crisis, capitalism is under attack and in need of solutions. Johan Albrecht wonders whether Marx or Darwin could help.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/marx-darwin-or-marx/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/marx-darwin-or-marx/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Is free higher education really democratic?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ At first sight, free higher education is a good thing. Nonetheless, this article from the Institut Montaigne reminds us that this is contrary to the initial concept of democratisation. Higher education is indeed being financed by taxes from all to benefit largely the better off that are going to college without having any difficulties paying for it. This article makes several suggestions to make individual efforts in financing higher education more efficient and equitable.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/is-free-higher-education-really-democratic/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/is-free-higher-education-really-democratic/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Our castle complex</title>
<description><![CDATA[ We need a serious reflexion on how to handle the most important moment of the parliamentary year, which is the vote of the budget. Our budget draughtsmen suffer from the typically Belgian “castle complex”. In stead of preparing the measures thoroughly, to communicate them to all the interested parties and experts, they lock themselves up in a castle until everybody is so tired they accept about anything.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/our-castle-complex/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/our-castle-complex/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>What are the effects of a flat tax?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This IZA paper studies the effect of flat tax (referring to a tax with a single rate) reforms in Western Europe on income distribution and work incentives. The simulation of the authors shows that a revenue neutral flat tax with existing basic allowances improves labor supply incentives, but results in higher inequality. It also shows that under some conditions flat taxes may increase both equity and efficiency, but Belgium does not qualify for such statement.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-are-the-effects-of-a-flat-tax/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-are-the-effects-of-a-flat-tax/</guid>
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<title>The State of the Union is lamentable</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos parodies the annual Belgian “State of the Union” and declares it to be lamentable. The federal budget is shocking.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-state-of-the-union-is-lamentable/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-state-of-the-union-is-lamentable/</guid>
</item>
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<title>Confidence makes the economy running</title>
<description><![CDATA[ For markets to be efficient you need trust – morality can take care of that. We found this range of thought already with Adam Smith.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/confidence-makes-the-economy-running/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/confidence-makes-the-economy-running/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Main street after the meltdown</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The financial crisis in bringing havoc but the real economy can sustain as long as competitiveness remains pivotal for policymakers.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/main-street-after-the-meltdown/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/main-street-after-the-meltdown/</guid>
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<title>Confidence and the credit market</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The banking channel, which allows with a limited initial quantity of money to carry the economy at a higher level through the lever of credit, requires, almost by definition that, in period of distrust, - as recently on the inter-bank market - it is the central bank which supplies liquid assets.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/confidence-and-the-credit-market/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/confidence-and-the-credit-market/</guid>
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<title>The financial capitalism subject to scathing criticism</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Banks will have to go back to a human level, what has not been the case for a long time with the modern American banking model. It is also going to affect the wages in the banking sector. Another lesson that we have to draw is that the complete faith in very sophisticated models contains enormous risks. It also brings to light the reasons for which the "nice" Belgian banks are affected by the crisis.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-financial-capitalism-subject-to-scathing-criticism/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-financial-capitalism-subject-to-scathing-criticism/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Towards a new financial capitalism</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos explains that the credit crisis is not only a case of market failure, but also of regulatory failure. Crisis management is necessary, but a new and better regulatory framework needs to be developed quickly. Government must play its role as regulator, stabilizer, currency holder, and lender of last resort. But government cannot replace the market itself.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/towards-a-new-financial-capitalism/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/towards-a-new-financial-capitalism/</guid>
</item>
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<title>Break the Belgian Paradox</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos explains that small countries are typically homogeneous and flexible, while Belgium is heterogeneous and rigid precisely because it is small. This Belgian paradox needs to be broken to avoid the current institutional crisis from degenerating into years of political instability. An institutional catharsis is needed to secure the social and economic future.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/break-the-belgian-paradox/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/break-the-belgian-paradox/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Credit for knowledge</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The last couple of years we have lived with the illusion that wealth is only a matter of numbers by selling homes to an ever higher price. Yet, we knew wealth is not generated by making one bigger bet after the other, but by technological progress.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/credit-for-knowledge/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/credit-for-knowledge/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Ageing, demographic uncertainty and its economic impact</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Because of ageing, the ratio of retirees to workers is going to increase steadily, which is going to increase pressure on the public finances and the economy in general in the decades to come. Nevertheless, because of the uncertainty regarding future demographic developments, the exact extend of the problem is unknown. This impedes on a country’s budgetary strategy: how much less are we aloud to spend? How will economic uncertainty be affected and how will that affect investments? In this paper; the Dutch Plan bureau makes an attempt to estimate the role of uncertainty and discuss possible outcomes.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ageing-demographic-uncertainty-and-its-economic-impact/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ageing-demographic-uncertainty-and-its-economic-impact/</guid>
</item>
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<title>Entrepreneurship as a source of wealth</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Some entrepreneurs chose for the profession out of necessity while others made a deliberate choice in order to grasp a business opportunity. For the first group, push factors like the small amount of job opportunities triggered by a high unemployment were a sufficient motivation. This can probably explain why Flanders’ part of self employed is higher than in Wallonia compared to total population, but not compared to the working population. The employment rate is just lower in the south of the country.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/entrepreneurship-as-a-source-of-wealth/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/entrepreneurship-as-a-source-of-wealth/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>How do outsourcing and taxation affect employment and welfare?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This Iza paper analyses how international outsourcing and labour taxation affect wage formation, employment and welfare. It shows that higher productivity and lower outsourcing costs increase wage dispersion between skilled and unskilled workers. Increasing wage tax progression increases the labour demand for unskilled workers, but decreases their welfare. On the contrary, it increases the welfare of skilled workers and the profit of firms. These results suggest that there may be a trade-off between employment and welfare for the unskilled workers. Reducing personal income tax rates for low-income workers, on the other hand, could positively affect both.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-do-outsourcing-and-taxation-affect-employment-and-welfare/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-do-outsourcing-and-taxation-affect-employment-and-welfare/</guid>
</item>
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<title>What performances for public expenditures in Belgium?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This Working Paper of the Belgian National Bank assesses the relative efficiency of Belgian general government in the field of health care, education and public order and safety. Several drawbacks indicate that results must be interpreted cautiously, but these drawbacks aside, several interesting results appear. The analysis reveals for example that Belgium is relatively efficient in the field of health care. It shows that, as a whole, the Belgian education system is more expensive but also produces better results than the European average. However significant community differences exist: an analysis based on a limited set of indicators reveals that the French-speaking education sector is very inefficient while the Flemish Community’s efficiency is markedly better. As far as public order and safety are concerned, the paper concludes that, major improvements could and should be made, either to improve service or cut costs.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-performances-for-public-expenditures-in-belgium/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-performances-for-public-expenditures-in-belgium/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Trouble in paradise</title>
<description><![CDATA[ From the start of the Euro zone, the great danger of instability that threatens a single currency area was pointed out, if no explicit transfers were possible when an asymmetric shock occurs, that hits one country more than the rest of the members. The crisis in which the European project has been involved for years (like the rejection of the European Constitution) makes the further development of its economic structure politically impossible. But like a boomerang, this could turn itself against us in the coming years.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/trouble-in-paradise/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/trouble-in-paradise/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>How consumption taxes can influence income distribution?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This OECD article highlights that consumption taxes increase the difference between the highest and the lowest incomes. There are, however, important differences between countries. Surprisingly enough, it appears that Belgium is one of the countries where increasing consumption taxes would favour the rich the least. However, a more recent study of the Catholic University Leuven has shown that a decrease in direct taxes (on income or wealth for instance) and an increase in indirect taxes (like the VAT) would significantly raise inequality.  ]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-consumption-taxes-can-influence-income-distribution/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-consumption-taxes-can-influence-income-distribution/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Social fraud in social security</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Belgium is accumulating victories in its battle against social fraud. This is good for the state, and good for our social system.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/social-fraud-in-social-security/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/social-fraud-in-social-security/</guid>
</item>
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<title>Dismissal regulations dampen productivity</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Financing the growing non active population assumes a rise in the productivity of the active population. This IZA paper shows that mandatory dismissal regulations can have a negative impact on productivity. The main reasons behind this result are the higher dismissal costs and reduced worker effort. Making it easier for the employer to hire temporary workers, on the other hand, enhances productivity. Hence, this paper provides grounds to re-evaluate the future of our dismissal regulation and suggests to think more along the lines of securing lifelong working than a particular lifelong job.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/dismissal-regulations-dampen-productivity/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/dismissal-regulations-dampen-productivity/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Public investments and the economy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Often, public investments are not based upon economic arguments but turn out to be a real horse trading. Economists, on the other hand, always plead in favour of weighing social benefits against societal costs (including potential pernicious effects on health and environment). Public authorities oblige everybody to financially support their projects. It is only normal they should manage that money well.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/public-investments-and-the-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/public-investments-and-the-economy/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The silver lining</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos hopes that the ongoing political troubles in Belgium will lead to a workable state and efficient government. He points out that the Flemish consensus for more devolution hides great differences on policy views. Policy reform, not devolution per se, is the only silver lining of the current institutional crisis.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-silver-lining/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-silver-lining/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>SMEs and the tax system: What so different about them?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This article discusses some key tax policy issues relating to SMEs. It argues that most common claims on the role of SMEs do not provide a solid basis for a different treatment of SMEs as compared to larger taxpayers. However, he recognizes the existence of fixed costs related to tax compliance and administration, and emphasises the need for simple tax procedures in order to reduce them.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/smes-and-the-tax-system-what-so-different-about-them/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/smes-and-the-tax-system-what-so-different-about-them/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Break the budgetary deadlock on ageing</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos argues for a policy strategy for new wealth creation and new social protection. Belgium is missing its appointment with demographic history and needs to do more than a minimalist budgetary policy.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/break-the-budgetary-deadlock-on-ageing/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/break-the-budgetary-deadlock-on-ageing/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>High oil prices; the government should adapt as well</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The government cannot control escalating energy prices but should strongly support the adaptive capacity of our economy.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/high-oil-prices-the-government-should-adapt-as-well/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/high-oil-prices-the-government-should-adapt-as-well/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>No more trade-off between government size and output volatility</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This Bruegel Working Paper sheds light on the fact that the negative relationship between government size and output volatility was strong prior to 1990 but vanished afterwards. According to the results of the authors, a one percentage point increase in the size of government is now unlikely to yield a reduction in output volatility exceeding 0.1 percentage point, once public expenditures reaches around 40% of GDP. They conclude that the impact of a marginal change in the size of government is bound to be very small for most countries in the euro area. Looking at government expenditure as a stabilizing force in the economy seems less relevant today.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/no-more-trade-off-between-government-size-and-output-volatility/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/no-more-trade-off-between-government-size-and-output-volatility/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>It&#8217;s the economy, stupid!</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos sees insufficient economic growth as the root cause of the problems of purchasing power and low pensions. He notices a new Belgian paradox of insufficient means for our needs and too much expenditure for our capacity. Real policy reform is indispensable to stop further relative decline.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/its-the-economy-stupid/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/its-the-economy-stupid/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Price of Political Crisis: Economic Adjustment and Political Transformation in Belgium and the Netherlands</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Political crisis is no longer 'news' in Belgium or the Netherlands.  Less well understood is the toll that this controversy is taking on patterns of economic policymaking. Belgium and the Netherlands used to rely on consensus to stabilize welfare state institutions and to underwrite national competitiveness.  This is no longer possible in times of political crisis. As a result, both countries are less flexible and more vulnerable than ever since the end of the second world war.  Worse, they may never recover the ability to foster economic consensus.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-price-of-political-crisis-economic-adjustment-and-political-transformation-in-belgium-and-the-netherlands/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-price-of-political-crisis-economic-adjustment-and-political-transformation-in-belgium-and-the-netherlands/</guid>
<enclosure url="http://www.itinerainstitute.org/upl/1/default/doc/Nota%2024_political%20crisis%20Erik%20Jones%20FVH01_ENG.pdf" length="476469" type="application/pdf" />
</item>
<item>
<title>Belgium is badly ranked to attract investments</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This study of Price Waterhouse Coopers seeks to compare the ease of paying taxes in 178 countries around the world. The Maldives is the country which makes paying tax the easiest and Panama is the one which makes it the most difficult. With a ranking of 154, Belgium remains towards the bottom of the league and is behind almost all European countries, with the exception of France and Italy. As testified by the notional interest deduction system or the drop in personal income tax, Belgian fiscal policy has clearly improved over recent years. But we have to continue to adapt our system if we want to be competitive in attracting investments.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-badly-ranked-to-attract-investments/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-badly-ranked-to-attract-investments/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Fashion Awards</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Jean Hindriks and Brieuc Van Damme are critical towards Knack’s and Le Vif’s ranking of the best communes and note important methodological failures. They shed light that income is by far the most important variable in the study and defend Itinera’s communes ranking, based on good governance.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/fashionawards/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/fashionawards/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>High taxation creates gender gap on the labour market</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Policies and institutions do play a role in explaining differences in working hours among employed individuals across OECD countries. According to this OECD working paper, high taxation on second earners has a significant disincentive effect on the intensive margin of labour supply and is one of the main causes of the gender gap on the labour market. A matter of concern is that all the factors that are seen to suppress working time in the OECD are cumulatively present in Belgium. In the context of an ageing population, it is high time to lift the barriers to a longer working time.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/high-taxation-creates-gender-gap-on-the-labour-market/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/high-taxation-creates-gender-gap-on-the-labour-market/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Why budget deficits matter</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Rising costs for health care and ageing will cause government spending to rise substantially. But why is that a problem? This paper from the Congressional Budget Office estimates the long run budget deficits and their direct economic impact: crowding out of productive capital investments and the unsustainable interest snowball effect. Of course, this would negatively affect real GNP per person. And alternatively financing budget deficits by raising taxes has pernicious effects on the nation's wealth too. The issue facing policymakers is thus not whether to address rising deficits, but when and how to address them.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/why-budget-deficits-matter/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/why-budget-deficits-matter/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Belgium is budgetary transparent but still lacks fiscal policy coordination</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to this IMF report, Belgium in many areas meets, and in some exceeds, the requirements of the IMF fiscal transparency code. However, it underlines that there is room for improvement in several fields. Amongst them: The quality and openness of budget processes, the amount of information available to the public on some specific topics and the coordination of the internal audit process. The most striking remark concerns the institutional arrangements for fiscal policy coordination. The report claims that this latter could be strengthened by reinforcing and expanding the role of the High Council of Finance. It also suggests converting the budgetary agreements between the federal government, regions, and communities into published agreements which would specify the targeted balance for each partner and identify the measures needed to achieve this target.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-budgetary-transparent-but-still-lacks-fiscal-policy-coordination/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-budgetary-transparent-but-still-lacks-fiscal-policy-coordination/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The importance of being in a healthy fiscal position</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This IMF paper shows that, on average, small states have larger governments and public debt. The authors stress that there are structural factors which may explain this, like limited economies of scale. The IMF emphasizes however that low debt and a healthy fiscal position gives policymakers the flexibility to react effectively to shocks. They find that states with smaller governments and lower public debt tend to grow faster and are less vulnerable. Belgium has one of the largest governments in the EU and the third highest public debt. In the context of population ageing, this highly suggests the need for strong fiscal adjustments.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-importance-of-being-in-a-healthy-fiscal-position/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-importance-of-being-in-a-healthy-fiscal-position/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>From words to action</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos welcomes the Solidarity Pact which the regional and federal employer organisations have collectively proposed. He supports the basic goal of more growth and more jobs for better solidarity. But missing are the concrete steps that employers and their organisations themselves are able and willing to take to realize this goal.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/from-words-to-action/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/from-words-to-action/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Financing Europe&#8217;s Fast Movers</title>
<description><![CDATA[ European “champions” are generally much older than American ones and new companies generally find it harder to emerge in Europe than in the US. This is what reveals this Bruegel policybrief which emphasizes the role of the finance system in fostering innovation and growth. It also stresses the importance of corporate finance for the unlocking of the growth potential in Europe and advocates that the ability to foster corporate growth should be given higher priority in EU financial policy. 
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/financingeuropesfastmovers/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/financingeuropesfastmovers/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>How to respond to short-term economic weakness?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Slowing economic growth inspires policy makers to look for formulas to turn the tide. This CBO study examines the potential of fiscal policy in the US context and recommends selection based upon three main criteria: cost-effectiveness, timeliness, and certainty of effects. Undoubtedly, this American lesson can also be instructive for other countries.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/howtorespondtoshorttermeconomicweakness/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/howtorespondtoshorttermeconomicweakness/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The UK is no longer mid-Atlantic</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In 1997 the UK had a tax burden some 7.6% lower than that of the eurozone, the strongest pension system in Europe, and a far less complex and distortionary tax and benefits system than it has today. There is still a popular misconception that the country still enjoys these advantages, that Britain is still the mid-Atlantic economy with tax and spending burdens part-way between the US and Continental Europe. This is however no longer the case: the UK is instead tending towards being a fully fledged member of the continental European club, with a share of government outlays in its GDP that by now exceeds the German figure. This paper examines areas where Germany’s arrangements appear superior to Britain’s. It suggests that Belgium should rather look for inspiration in Germany than in the UK. 
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-uk-is-no-longer-mid-atlantic/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-uk-is-no-longer-mid-atlantic/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Taxes shift incomes</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Between 1985 and today, the average corporate tax rate in Europe fell from nearly 50% to nearly 30%. This evolution came along with rising corporate tax-to-GDP ratios (from about 2% to about 3%). In this paper, de Mooij en Nicodème explore to what extent income shifting from the personal to the corporate tax base can explain these diverging developments. The authors demonstrate that the revenue effects of lower corporate tax rates partly show up in lower personal tax revenues rather than lower corporate tax revenues. Simulations suggest that between 12% and 21% of corporate tax revenue can be attributed to income shifting.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/taxes-shift-income/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/taxes-shift-income/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The International Monetary Fund rings the alarm bell for Belgium</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In its yearly report on Belgium the International Monetary Fund (IMF) urges policymakers to take serious budgetary and socio-economic measures. With a slowing economy and lack of budgetary margin Belgium needs restrictions on government expenditures as well as structural reforms. The IMF recommends making sure that health care costs do not grow more rapidly than the economy, continuing wage moderation efforts in spite of a rising cost of life, eliminating certain subsidies, reforming unemployment insurance with time limitations on unemployment benefits and making collective wage bargaining more flexible.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-international-monetary-fund-rings-the-alarm-bell-for-belgium/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-international-monetary-fund-rings-the-alarm-bell-for-belgium/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The International Monetary Fund sounds a wake-up call for Belgium</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos gives perspectives on the recent report from the International Monetary Fund on Belgium. He concludes that the institutional crisis is blocking structural socioeconomic reforms that are both urgent and necessary.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-international-monetary-fund-sounds-wake-up-call-for-belgium/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-international-monetary-fund-sounds-wake-up-call-for-belgium/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>'My car, my fiscal contribution'</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Not only visitors of the European Motor Show in Brussels but also the Belgian fisc is fond of cars. At the occasion of this two-yearly mass for car lovers, critics point towards unnecessarily powerful engines, the SUV-hype or the 'green propaganda' of the car industry. As a symbol of consumer society, cars are indeed important vehicles of fiscal solidarity. This explains why a radical reform of automobile taxation based upon use instead of power is not on the agenda.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/my-car-my-fiscal-contribution/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/my-car-my-fiscal-contribution/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Taxes in Belgium: too many and too complex</title>
<description><![CDATA[ On the occasion of the launch of the edition 2008 of the Trends Top 100.000, Trends analyses the Belgian Economy in collaboration with VKW Metena. Together, the 30.000 biggest Belgian companies pay 8.3 billion euros on corporate taxes, i.e. 2.45 billion more in comparison with companies in other countries of the Eurozone. The study stresses the Laffer effect of a reduction of the corporate tax rate and gives survey results that indicate increasing fiscal complexity. Finally it discusses fundamental macro-economic questions for 2008, such as the subprime crisis, Chinese growth and the inflation issue.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/taxes-in-belgium-too-many-and-too-complex/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/taxes-in-belgium-too-many-and-too-complex/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Getting the rich to pay taxes in France: abolish the French wealth tax</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The symbolic importance of the French ISF (Solidarity Tax on Wealth) far outweighs its tiny (0.5%) share of the compulsory contributions paid in France. Economic analysis moreover shows that it costs the State at least twice as much as it brings in.  In this paper of the Montaigne Institute, it is shown that the ISF is responsible for a substantial volume of capital outflow, has a significant adverse impact on the potential for economic growth and, in reality, makes only a very small contribution to the redistribution of wealth and the reduction of inequality. Recommended reading for Belgian advocates that plead for a wealth tax in Belgium.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/getting-the-rich-to-pay-taxes-in-france-abolish-the-french-wealth-tax/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/getting-the-rich-to-pay-taxes-in-france-abolish-the-french-wealth-tax/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Belgium is missing the Lisbon train.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The Federal Planning bureau is ringing the emergency bell. If Belgium does not undertake additional efforts, we will miss all the Lisbon strategy objectives from 2010. Improvement of public finances, diminution of the fiscal and social contribution pressure on labor, increases in the activity rate and shrinkage of greenhouse gas emissions require new reforms. These reforms are also necessary to improve the functioning of the labor market. The Planning Bureau notices that the diminution of the social contribution improves employment but only partially compensates for the fiscal loss of the government.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-missing-the-lisbon-train/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-missing-the-lisbon-train/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Philanthropy: What&#8217;s in it for Belgium?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marieke Huysentruyt gives an introduction to the global philanthropy phenomenon and shows how one can draw lessons from it on creativity and innovation.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/philanthropy-whats-in-it-for-belgium/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/philanthropy-whats-in-it-for-belgium/</guid>
<enclosure url="http://www.itinerainstitute.org/upl/1/default/doc/Presentation%20Philanthropy.pdf" length="763158" type="application/pdf" />
</item>
<item>
<title>Final Call for Belgium?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos gives a critical and constructive appraisal of the ongoing Belgian political crisis for international readers. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/final-call-for-belgium/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/final-call-for-belgium/</guid>
<enclosure url="http://www.itinerainstitute.org/upl/1/en/doc/Nota%2019%20-%202007%20final%20call%20for%20belgium.pdf" length="294342" type="application/pdf" />
</item>
<item>
<title>Given Regional Disparities, Should we Promote Mobility or Regionalise Wages?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Given regional disparities in the European Union and in Belgium in particular, policymakers must choose either for more mobility on the labour market or for more wage flexibility. Promoting mobility in Belgium implies a significant reduction of real estate taxes, just as in the United Kingdom.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/given-regional-disparities-should-we-promote-mobility-or-regionalise-wages/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/given-regional-disparities-should-we-promote-mobility-or-regionalise-wages/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Can Belgium be inspired by the French reforms?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In May 2007, the French elected a new president: Nicolas Sarkozy. In June 2007, his political party, the UMP, won the legislative elections. During  these two political campaings, Nicolas Sarkozy and his Prime Minister promoted a broad reform programme linked to many social and economical issues (pensions, labour market, migration, taxation,...). Could Belgium find some inspiration in the French reforms?
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-belgium-be-inspired-by-the-french-reforms/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-belgium-be-inspired-by-the-french-reforms/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Moesen and De Witte plead for an explicit limit for public expenditures.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The Belgian public sector is oversized by some 3 to 4% of BDP. Moesen and De Witte defend an explicit growth constraint for future public expenditures.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/explicit-growth-constraint-for-public-expenditures/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/explicit-growth-constraint-for-public-expenditures/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Performance, incitation et gestion publique en France</title>
<description><![CDATA[ France has recently adopted a major reform of its public administration through the LOLF (Lois Organiques sur les Lois de Finances). This reform aims to improve efficiency of public expenditures and activities. The report of the Conseil d’Analyse Economique bridges the gap between performance evaluation methods and incentive methods.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/performance-incitation-et-gestion-publique-en-france/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/performance-incitation-et-gestion-publique-en-france/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Le principe de responsabilit&#233; dans la gestion publique</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This article explains how to solve in practice the crisis of public governance in Belgium. Beyond the mere respect of the rules, the article singles out the key issue of the performance of public services and  thus necessarily the inevitable issue of accountability in public management. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/le-principe-de-responsabilite-dans-la-gestion-publique/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/le-principe-de-responsabilite-dans-la-gestion-publique/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>How Oversized Is Government in the Netherlands?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Johan Albrecht assesses the quick transformation of public administrations in the Netherlands under Balkenende and concludes that Darwin’s law is very relevant for institutional processes.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-oversized-is-government-in-the-netherlands/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-oversized-is-government-in-the-netherlands/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Innovations in Government: International Perspectives on Civil Service Reform</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Long-term societal trends are changing the context of government in the 21st century. Civil services must adapt themselves, but how? This IPPR study gives international examples of innovations in government. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 01 Apr 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/innovations-government-international-perspectives-civil-service-reform/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/innovations-government-international-perspectives-civil-service-reform/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Sale of Government Buildings and the Lack of Policy Evaluation</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Johan Albrecht explains how the annual sale of government buildings illustrates once more the lack of policy evaluation in the Belgian political culture.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-sale-of-government-buildings-and-the-lack-of-policy-evaluation/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-sale-of-government-buildings-and-the-lack-of-policy-evaluation/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Need for Policy Evaluation</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Jean Hindriks reveals the frivolousness of public policy evaluation in our country. Nowadays such research is too often carried out by established supporters of the adopted policy. He pleads for an independent and rigorous evaluation of public policy, following the Anglos-Saxon and Nordic example.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-need-for-policy-evaluation/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-need-for-policy-evaluation/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>How to Win the War on Poverty: An Analysis of State Poverty Trends</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Government is sometimes perceived as a modern-day Robin Hood, reducing poverty through spending while making everyone pay their fair share through taxation. Matthew Ladner from the Goldwater Institute empirically evaluates the effectiveness of state government as “Robin Hood”. He concludes that the best antipoverty programme is a four-letter word: jobs.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-win-war-poverty-an-analysis-state-poverty-trends/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-win-war-poverty-an-analysis-state-poverty-trends/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Paying Taxes. The Global Picture</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Taxes are essential to finance public goods and services. There are however good and bad ways to collect them. The World Bank and PWC compare tax regimes and their economic impact. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 01 Oct 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/paying-taxes-global-picture/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/paying-taxes-global-picture/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Ranking of Local Government in Flanders and Wallonia</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Belgium is on the eve of local elections. A citizen’s vote is often influenced by subjective factors whilst not being influenced by all objective factors. Moreover, at local level it is often difficult for the electorate to compare the performances of different cities or towns. The Itinera Institute offers a ranking which compares the performances of cities and towns through a string of objective parameters.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Sep 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-ranking-of-local-government-in-flanders-and-wallonia/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-ranking-of-local-government-in-flanders-and-wallonia/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The &#8220;Flat Tax(es)&#8221;: Principles and Evidence (WP/06/218)</title>
<description><![CDATA[ A growing body of research advocates some form of flat tax as a method to ensure economic growth and state revenue. A number of developing countries have moved towards a flat tax regime. In a highly controversial study, the IMF critically reviews international flat tax experiences and doubts whether the tax will remain as popular as it was in recent years. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Sep 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-flat-taxes-principles-evidence/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-flat-taxes-principles-evidence/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The National Lottery as a Redistribution Mechanism: Who Are the Real Winners?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The Belgian government seeks to reform the National Lottery to ensure that “more people win more”. This charm offensive is associated with the so-called social image of the Lotto. However, in reality the impact of a national lottery is far from social. This paper examines the adverse and antisocial effects of national lotteries and gambling.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 31 May 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-national-lottery-as-a-redistribution-mechanism-who-are-the-real-winners/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-national-lottery-as-a-redistribution-mechanism-who-are-the-real-winners/</guid>
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