IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/ordojb/v61y2010i1p53-74n6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Freiheit in Deutschland: Wettbewerb der Staaten, Einfluss der Kirche, amerikanisches Erbe – Versuch einer historischen Erklärung – / Freedom in Germany: Interjurisdictional Competition, the Influence of the Church, and the American Heritage – Sketch of a Historical Explanation

Author

Listed:
  • Vaubel Roland

Abstract

This essay tries to explain German attitudes towards freedom by historical and geographic factors. If freedom, scientific progress and the industrial revolution in Europe - in short, the “European Miracle” - arose due to political fragmentation and competition among rulers, this “miracle” should have been most spectacular in Germany, Europe’s most fragmented language area. Why was it not? I show that competition among the princes favoured freedom and economic development in Germany as well. But there were other factors special to Germany which counteracted these effects. In the first place, German states were involved in more destructive wars due to their precarious location in the centre of Europe and their lack of natural borders. Moreover, since worldly power was more fragmented, the power of the Church was more pervasive. The Church has an ambivalent attitude towards economic freedom. What distinguishes Germans from their neighbours is, therefore, the deep conflict between the freedom required by external conditions and their moral preferences inherited from the past. After World War II, West Germany imported a number of freedom-enhancing economic policies from the US. My analysis shows that only two of the seven components of this American heritage have been kept unimpaired.

Suggested Citation

  • Vaubel Roland, 2010. "Freiheit in Deutschland: Wettbewerb der Staaten, Einfluss der Kirche, amerikanisches Erbe – Versuch einer historischen Erklärung – / Freedom in Germany: Interjurisdictional Competition, the Influence ," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 61(1), pages 53-74, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:ordojb:v:61:y:2010:i:1:p:53-74:n:6
    DOI: 10.1515/ordo-2010-0106
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/ordo-2010-0106
    Download Restriction: For access to full text, subscription to the journal or payment for the individual article is required.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/ordo-2010-0106?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tanja Hennighausen & Friedrich Heinemann, 2015. "Don't Tax Me? Determinants of Individual Attitudes Toward Progressive Taxation," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 16(3), pages 255-289, August.
    2. Heinemann Friedrich & Bischoff Ivo & Hennighausen Tanja, 2009. "Choosing from the Reform Menu Card – Individual Determinants of Labour Market Policy Preferences," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 229(2-3), pages 180-197, April.
    3. Roland Vaubel, 2008. "The political economy of labor market regulation by the European Union," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 3(4), pages 435-465, December.
    4. Ferdinand A. Gul & Judy S. L. Tsui, 2004. "Introduction and overview," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: The Governance of East Asian Corporations, chapter 1, pages 1-26, Palgrave Macmillan.
    5. Roland Vaubel, 2008. "A History of Thought on Institutional Competition," Chapters, in: Andreas Bergh & Rolf Höijer (ed.), Institutional Competition, chapter 2, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Peter Bernholz & Roland Vaubel (ed.), 2004. "Political Competition, Innovation and Growth in the History of Asian Civilizations," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3505.
    7. Peter Bernholz & Roland Vaubel, 2004. "Introduction and overview," Chapters, in: Peter Bernholz & Roland Vaubel (ed.), Political Competition, Innovation and Growth in the History of Asian Civilizations, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Roland Vaubel, 2010. "The Euro and the German Veto," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 7(1), pages 82-90, January.
    9. Roland Vaubel, 2004. "The Future of the Euro: A Public Choice Approach," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 24(1-2), pages 151-161, Spring/Su.
    10. Vaubel Roland, 2002. "„Das Wunder der europäischen Musik“ und der Wettbewerb," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 53(1), pages 207-226, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luca Gerotto & Paolo Pellizzari, 2021. "A replication of Pindyck’s willingness to pay: on the efforts required to obtain results," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(5), pages 1-25, May.
    2. Dora Marinova & Margaret Raven, 2006. "Indigenous Knowledge And Intellectual Property: A Sustainability Agenda," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(4), pages 587-605, September.
    3. Hans Pitlik & Gerhard Schwarz & Barbara Bechter & Bernd Brandl, 2011. "Near Is My Shirt but Nearer Is My Skin: Ideology or Self‐Interest as Determinants of Public Opinion on Fiscal Policy Issues," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(2), pages 271-290, May.
    4. Stiftung Familienunternehmen (ed.), 2012. "Der Weg zu einer "Agenda 2030": Reformen zwischen objektiver Notwendigkeit und individueller Verweigerung," ZEW Expertises, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, number 110562, March.
    5. Junichi Tsutsui & Hiromi Yamamoto & Shogo Sakamoto & Masahiro Sugiyama, 2020. "The role of advanced end-use technologies in long-term climate change mitigation: the interlinkage between primary bioenergy and energy end-use," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 163(3), pages 1659-1673, December.
    6. Dai, Hancheng & Mischke, Peggy & Xie, Xuxuan & Xie, Yang & Masui, Toshihiko, 2016. "Closing the gap? Top-down versus bottom-up projections of China’s regional energy use and CO2 emissions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 1355-1373.
    7. Guido Franco & Daniel Cayan & Susanne Moser & Michael Hanemann & Myoung-Ae Jones, 2012. "Erratum to: Second California Assessment: integrated climate change impacts assessment of natural and managed systems. Guest editorial," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 113(3), pages 1099-1100, August.
    8. Vaubel Roland, 2019. "Explaining Brexit: How the City of London came to be Regulated by the European Union," The Economists' Voice, De Gruyter, vol. 16(1), pages 1-2, December.
    9. Bruno Frey, 2013. "European unification: a new proposal," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 285-294, December.
    10. Chun-Chu Yeh & Cheng-Shen Lin & Chin-Huang Huang, 2018. "The Total Economic Value of Sport Tourism in Belt and Road Development—An Environmental Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-14, April.
    11. Justina GineikienÄ—, 2013. "Consumer Nostalgia Literature Review And An Alternative Measurement Perspective," Organizations and Markets in Emerging Economies, Faculty of Economics, Vilnius University, vol. 4(2).
    12. Masooma Munir & Muhammad Nadeem & Barkat Ali & Muhammad Sultan & Rabia Kanwal & Huda Abdalrahman Al-Jumayi & Eman Hassan Ahmed Algarni & Maged B. Alnofeai & Samy F. Mahmoud, 2022. "Investigating the Impact of Ultrasound, Microwave, and High-Pressure Processing of Milk on the Volatile Compounds and Sensory Properties of Cheddar Cheese," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-17, April.
    13. Wissema, Wiepke & Dellink, Rob, 2007. "AGE analysis of the impact of a carbon energy tax on the Irish economy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(4), pages 671-683, March.
    14. Renaud Coulomb & Oskar Lecuyer & Adrien Vogt-Schilb, 2019. "Optimal Transition from Coal to Gas and Renewable Power Under Capacity Constraints and Adjustment Costs," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 73(2), pages 557-590, June.
    15. Christian Bjørnskov & Niklas Potrafke, 2012. "Political Ideology and Economic Freedom Across Canadian Provinces," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 38(2), pages 143-166.
    16. Larson, Donald F. & Breustedt, Gunnar, 2007. "Will markets direct investments under the Kyoto Protocol ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4131, The World Bank.
    17. Tangian, Andranik S., 2004. "Constructing the composite indicator "Quality of work" from the third European survey on working conditions," WSI Working Papers 132, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    18. Athina Economou & Christos Kollias, 2019. "Security policy preferences of EU citizens: Do terrorist events affect them?," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 178(3), pages 445-471, March.
    19. Philipp Doerrenberg & Andreas Peichl, 2013. "Progressive taxation and tax morale," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 155(3), pages 293-316, June.
    20. Shathees Baskaran & Ng Chun Howe & Nomahaza Mahadi & Salahuddin Ahmad Ayob, 2017. "Youth and Social Media Comportment: A Conceptual Perspective," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 7(11), pages 1260-1277, November.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bpj:ordojb:v:61:y:2010:i:1:p:53-74:n:6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyterbrill.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.