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Moritz
Rüppel

Position
Head of Policy & Projects
E-Mail
rueppel@zentrum-neue-sozialpolitik.org
Telephone
+4930351227-56

Moritz Rüppel heads the Policy & Projects division.

His work focuses on the political and strategic orientation of the department, proactively setting the agenda for the topics it addresses, and transferring research findings to the parliamentary and pre-political arena. Moritz also represents the department in dealings with political actors. Before joining the ZSP as a policy analyst in 2021, Moritz worked as a research assistant in the German Bundestag.

Question
01

Which social policy decision in recent years has affected you the most, positively or negatively?

Unfortunately, it is rather the lack of socio-political decisions that is having an impact: we see a need for reform in so many areas of the social system, and yet so little is happening. Labor market policy is taking a step backwards, the important issue of basic child support has stalled, and genuine pension reform has been postponed for far too long. We urgently need courageous decisions that empower people to take responsibility for themselves and relieve the burden on bloated and poorly coordinated benefit systems.

Question
02

If you could implement a social policy concept immediately, what would it be?

Our proposal for start-up capital addresses a key issue: in order to avoid always reacting to social policy issues and playing catch-up, we must enable people to build wealth on their own. The promise that hard work pays off, which is central to social cohesion, must be revived. Labor market policy adjustments are no longer sufficient to achieve this; we must address the development of inequalities at an earlier stage—in childhood.

Question
03

Which cliché about politics would you like to dispel?

That political decisions are made based on evidence.

    Opportunities abgeschlossen

Entlastungsmaßnahmen in Zeiten von Transformation und Krisen

Deutschland steht vor erheblichen Transformationsprozessen, allen voran die sozial-ökologische Wende. Zusätzlich belasten zahlreiche Krisensituationen die Bevölkerung und erfordern schnelles politisches Handeln.
    Opportunities abgeschlossen

Das sozialpolitische Potenzial der Steuerfreibeträge

Im aktuellen System der Steuerfreibeträge profitieren Haushalte mit hohem Einkommen stärker als Haushalte mit niedrigem Einkommen. Eine Kopplung von Steuer- und Transfersystem bietet das Potenzial, dieser regressiven Entlastung entgegenzuwirken und das große Problem der Nichtinanspruchnahme sozialer Leistungen zu mindern.
  • Policy Paper
  • 4 Authors

The Minimum Living Standard

When it comes to citizen's income and minimum wage, there is often a lack of realistic reference values. Data is needed on what people need to live a decent life. Greater participation can make needs visible and legitimise decisions.

  • Studies
  • 5 Authors

Private: The Initial Capital

Opportunities are unevenly distributed in Germany. Despite considerable efforts, many people are unable to build up the wealth that would enable them to live a self-determined life. To reduce inequality of opportunity, we propose an Initial Capital that would empower socially disadvantaged individuals to make self-determined decisions.

  • Spotlight
  • 5 Authors

Minimum Living Standard in Germany

What do people need financially to live comfortably? The Minimum Income Standard (MIS) in the UK attempts to answer this question: expert-supported focus groups create a fictitious basket of goods and services, the value of which is then quantified. This results in a budget for a comfortable life. So far, there are no comparable figures for Germany. The Minimum Living Standard project aims to change this.

  • Studies
  • 2 Authors

The German Tax and Transfer System

How do tax allowances in the existing German tax system affect the tax burden on different income deciles and household types? And what happens if tax allowances are converted into lump-sum tax credits? This study on the German tax and transfer system, conducted under the scientific direction of Prof. Dr Andreas Peichl (ifo Institute), examines these questions using selected examples.

  • Policy Paper
  • 6 Authors

Social Aid in Times of Crisis

With the aim of providing unbureaucratic and rapid social aid in times of crisis, the federal government is focusing on relief measures that do not require a means test. How do citizens view the abolition of means testing? What influences the acceptance of this type of policy?

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