Wie viel Hartz IV steckt im Bürgergeld? Eine institutionentheoretische Analyse

How Similar Is the New Bürgergeld to Hartz IV? An Institutional Theory Perspective The German government is planning to reform the system for basic security benefits. The Bürgergeld-reform aims at a less restrictive access to benefits for people in need. Not only the reform’s content and potential effects have been debated controversially, but its scope: Is the Bürgergeld a gradual modification of the old “Hartz IV-system” (path dependency hypothesis) or does it represent a paradigm shift of welfare policies (transformation hypothesis)? This article takes this question as a starting point for an analysis from an institutional theory perspective, focusing on (ideal) types and mechanisms of institutional change as well as a paradigm shift of policies. The analysis shows that the Bürgergeld-reform combines different mechanisms of institutional change, both continuing principles and instruments of the “old” system as well as implementing new ones. At the same time, basic paradigms of the German welfare scheme such as reciprocity and subsidiarity remain important. Hence, while the reform has the potential for fostering a gradual change of the welfare state, it is not a path change towards an unconditional basic income