Essays in Social Security Economics

I. Introduction.- Social Security at the Crossroads.- II. Social Security and Public Decision Processes.- The Influence of Political Institutions on Social Security Policies: A Public Choice View.- Public Pensions and Political Decision-Making.- Intergeneration Solutions to the Social Security Dilemma.- III. Demographic Aspects of Social Insurance Schemes.- Social Security and Intergenerational Equity.- Intergenerational Equity and Fund Balances forStatutory Health Insurance.- Improvements in State Pension Rights for Women.- IV. Statutory Health Insurance and its Reform.- Innovation in Health Insurance: Bonus Systems in Western Germany.- Determinants of the Utilization of Physician Services in the System of Statutory Health Insurance in Germany.- Author Index.- Subject Index 221.