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Facts and Findings

Selected contributions to the series with international relevance

Publications

Collage: Stafeeva, stock.adobe.com (people); KAS

Online, offline or both?

Practical test of survey methods – which survey method delivers trustworthy, representative results?

Survey data that is supposedly representative of the population is published almost daily. However, its quality is increasingly being questioned. These doubts are also linked to an accelerating trend towards online surveys. So-called mixed-mode samples from online and telephone data are also increasingly entering the survey market. But which survey method delivers reliable results? What are the opportunities and problems of internet-based methods? What role do data weighting and accessibility play? Analyses of telephone, online and mixed-mode samples provide answers.

Dominik Hirndorf, Dr. Sabine Pokorny
February 22, 2024
Facts and Findings
Adobe Stock / Fokussiert

More "Net from Gross"

Relief through an allowance in statutory health insurance

In light of demographic changes that inevitably increase pressure on our social security system, an unstoppable rise in social insurance contributions looms unless decisively counteracted with reforms. Especially low-income households, which already bear a disproportionately high financial burden relative to their income, are under this strain. Consequently, there is a need for targeted relief for these households directly within the framework of social insurances, rather than through tax deductions. An allowance in statutory health insurance could significantly reduce the burden for employees subject to social insurance. To keep the costs of the reform manageable, it seems sensible to grant allowances only to a precisely defined target group.

Felicitas Schikora
February 5, 2024
Facts and Findings
Adobe Stock / lensw0rld

German-Austrian Collaboration: Climate Change Solutions for the EU

Outcome paper of the Vienna Dialogue 2023

The outcome paper of the Vienna Dialogue 2023 emphasizes the need for an expanded European climate policy that focuses on adapting to the already noticeable effects of climate change. Societal challenges, in particular distributional conflicts, require pan-European cooperation. The text emphasizes the importance of systematically recording adaptation costs and damages and calls for preventive and reactive measures. The Vienna Dialogue proposes concrete policy recommendations, particularly in the areas of the European Green Deal, economy, currency, finance and foreign, security and defense policy. Germany and Austria should intensify their cooperation, promote research, make agricultural policy climate-friendly, make optimum use of EU funds and strengthen the security policy discourse in order to meet the challenges of climate change.

Julian Plottka, Florence Ertel, Claudia Crawford, Michael Stellwag
January 30, 2024
Facts and Findings
Media Lens King, stock.adobe.com

AI in Subsahara-Africa – Afrofuturism without African languages?

The challenges for large language models

As a technology, AI has enormous potential to make many processes simpler, faster and more efficient. AI would therefore be suitable for so-called leap-frogging. If AI were integrated quickly and well, especially the global South could benefit from it. However, large amounts of data are required for the development of large language models (e.g. ChatGPT). This could slow down the spread of AI on the African continent. Liberal and transparent data policy should therefore play a central role in the political discourse there.

Jan-Ole Voß
January 19, 2024
Facts and Findings
Adobe Stock / zimmytws

German Universities in International Comparison

Challenges and Need for Action

The modernisation of teaching and research as well as increased financial support and structural reforms are essential in order to further improve the international competitiveness of Germany as a university location. High-quality education and excellent research play an outstanding role in promoting innovation and creating economic prosperity in Germany and Europe. Investments in this area must therefore be seen as long-term, non-negotiable investments in the future, even in financially difficult times.

Dr. Norbert Arnold, Felise Maennig-Fortmann
December 15, 2023
Facts and Findings
Adobe Stock/ nadezhda1906

Pathways to the third child

An international comparison of family policy measures

As demographic change progresses, the question of the third child plays a central role in the context of discussions on the development of birth rates. What factors influence the decision of couples to realise their desire for more children and what family policy measures are used to support multi-child families in France and Scandinavia, for example?

Natalie Klauser, Magdalena Bohrer
December 1, 2023
Facts and Findings
IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Security alliance AUKUS

A tectonic shift in the strategic balance in the Indo-Pacific?

Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America are creating the basis for a new powerful naval power in the Pacific. It can permanently change the balance of power between China and the USA and their Western allies in the Indo-Pacific region. The construction of nuclear-powered attack submarines and the stationing of American and British submarines in Australian harbours will significantly increase the military deterrent potential of the three Western allies. How will the agreement be implemented in practice and what significance does it have for Europe?

Jan Senkyr
November 22, 2023
Facts and Findings
stock.adobe.com/ink drop

Radicalisation as last resort?

The disorientation in the “climate fight” and the limits of activism in extremism

Climate activism in Germany is in a state of flux. Radicalisation tendencies and links with left-wing extremist elements are leading to political challenges. Groups that focus on confrontational actions are on the rise and climate activist offences are increasing. The link between climate activist groups and left-wing extremism is being monitored more closely by the security authorities. This change requires careful analysis and a differentiated approach in order to assess the potential threat to internal security accordingly.

Tim Segler
November 10, 2023
Facts and Findings
Adobe Stock / STORYTELLER

East African Ports in the Geostrategic Scramble

Eyes on Tanzania’s Port Deal with Dubai

According to a report by consulting firm PwC, ports are responsible for 80 per cent of the world’s trade in goods by volume and 70 per cent by value. They can act as a key driver for economic growth.

Tilmann Feltes, Annika Schröder
October 30, 2023
Facts and Findings
Adobe Stock / Manuel Schönfeld

Human Dignity - New Challenges

Socio-political issues in the context of human dignity

The core issues of many political projects currently under discussion concern the inviolable dignity of the human person. This applies both to the recently enacted Self-Determination Act and to the government coalition's plan to regulate abortion outside the Criminal Code in the future. But in 2020, the Federal Constitutional Court also established the need for a new regulation of assisted suicide that is compatible with human dignity. How can human dignity be adequately taken into account in these borderline issues?

Klaus Mertes SJ
October 6, 2023
Facts and Findings
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About this series

The series informs in a concentrated form about important positions of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung on current topics. The individual issues present key findings and recommendations, offer brief analyses, explain the Foundation's further plans and name KAS contact persons.

 

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Editor

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.

Dr. Kristin Wesemann

Dr

Head of Strategy and Planning

kristin.wesemann@kas.de +49 30 26996-3803

Sophie Steybe

Referentin Publikationen

sophie.steybe@kas.de +49 30 26996-3726