This dissertation investigates changes in size, composition, and fiscal authority of government expenditure brought on by social disturbance by examining the effects of German reunification on government spending. This research tests several hypotheses using data on total spending and six major sub-policy spending categories between 1972 and 2006. First, this study identifies strong evidence of a large upward displacement effect following reunification, with a particular emphasis on social security spending. Second, this study finds a strong and positive correlation between per capita GDP and total spending as well as social security, education, and public safety spending, which confirms Wagner's Law. Results also reveal that unemployment rate is strongly and positively related to total spending and several sub policy categories both before and after reunification. Additionally, this study finds that the proportions of the youth and elderly populations are negatively associated with total spending after reunification. However, the proportion of the youth population is positively associated with per capita education spending, as the proportion of elderly population with social security spending. The results also show that economic openness has a strong positive impact on both total spending and economic services spending; however, the relationship between economic openness and social security, education, and health spending after reunification is negative. The right party control variable has no significant impact on total spending after reunification, though party control does seem to influence social security and defense spending. Furthermore, the election variable does not have a significant impact on spending except for a positive and significant impact on social security spending after reunification. On the other hand, the coalition government and the proportion of public employees variables have strong and positive impacts on total spending and several sub-policy categories after reunification. The deficit ratio variable is found to have a positive and significant impact on total spending and public safety spending after reunification. Lastly, using a traditional expenditure ratio and a composite ratio to measure fiscal decentralization, this study finds that after reunification there is a trend towards fiscal centralization in total spending and social security, economic services, health, and public safety spending. / Ph. D.

In complex emergency situations, there are many times when the rescue service, the police and the medical service must cooperate. To improve the cooperation Samverkan Östergötland has developed ten measurable indicators regarding cooperation to investigate and increase the cooperation between the different organizations. They are then used when the participants of the network Samverkan Östergötland meet two to seven times a year to discuss different local accidents and investigate how and if the indicators were applied during the work at the incident site. The purpose of the study was to investigate how the indicators are used and how there could be improvements regarding the indicators. The study was conducted by applying descriptive statistics and thematic analysis regarding all the protocols from the 14 meetings. The study was based on protocols where a total of 24 incidents were discussed. The result was corroborated by the coordinator of the Samverkan Östergötland by conducting a semi structured interview. The result indicated that the indicators were fulfilled to varying extent. The findings suggest that more structure regarding documenting and communication is needed, and common training needs to be increased in order to improve the cooperation in accordance of the use of the indicators.