The Structure of Political Choices: Distinguishing Between Constraint and Multidimensionality

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
William Marble ◽  
Matthew Tyler
Keyword(s):  
Ideal Point ◽  
Legislative Behavior ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Preferences ◽  
Mass Public ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Formal Framework ◽  
Canonical Ideal ◽  
Political Choices ◽  
Using Data

Abstract In the literatures on public opinion and legislative behavior, there are debates over (1) how constrained preferences are and (2) whether they are captured by a single left–right spectrum or require multiple dimensions. But insufficient formalization has led scholars to equate a lack of constraint with multidimensional preferences. In this paper, we refine the concepts of constraint and dimensionality in a formal framework and describe how they translate into separate observable implications for political preferences. We use this discussion to motivate a cross-validation estimator that measures constraint and dimensionality in the context of canonical ideal point models. Using data from the public and politicians, we find that American political preferences are one-dimensional, but there is more constraint among politicians than among the mass public. Furthermore, we show that differences between politicians and the public are not explained by differences in agendas or the incentives faced by the actors.

scholarly journals Preference of media politics and beginner voter trust in Surakarta

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-94
Author(s):  
Erwin Kartinawati ◽  
Andrik Purwasito
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Elections ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Political Arena ◽  
Political News ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Preferences ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Politics ◽  
Political Choices ◽  
First Time

The Indonesian Presidential Elections of 2014 and 2019 indicated the behavioral changes in mass media, especially that of private television. The involvement of media owners in the political arena can influence the content of most journalistic broadcasts. Therefore, this study aims to determine the perception of student voters in Surakarta on media houses with political preferences. This might be because the media owner is actively supporting a political party or a particular candidate. Furthermore, if the media is under the influence of politics, how can voters have trust in the information dissipated, especially during elections. The data obtained for this study was through the distribution of questionnaires to college students aged 17-25 years that are voting for the first time. Most of the respondents stated that their political choices are not necessarily influenced by the media. The belief in the media is not directly related to political preferences but depends on the content or what is conveyed to the public. However, the involvement of media owners in politics also undermines public trust in the content of the media, especially about political news.

Modeling Self-Determination Theory Motivation Data by Using Unfolding IRT

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Philipp A. Freund ◽  
Annette Lohbeck
Keyword(s):  
Ideal Point ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Dominance Model ◽  
Irt Model ◽  
Autonomous Behavior ◽  
Location Parameters ◽  
Unfolding Models ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Item Location

Abstract. Self-determination theory (SDT) suggests that the degree of autonomous behavior regulation is a characteristic of distinct motivation types which thus can be ordered on the so-called Autonomy-Control Continuum (ACC). The present study employs an item response theory (IRT) model under the ideal point response/unfolding paradigm in order to model the response process to SDT motivation items in theoretical accordance with the ACC. Using data from two independent student samples (measuring SDT motivation for the academic subjects of Mathematics and German as a native language), it was found that an unfolding model exhibited a relatively better fit compared to a dominance model. The item location parameters under the unfolding paradigm showed clusters of items representing the different regulation types on the ACC to be (almost perfectly) empirically separable, as suggested by SDT. Besides theoretical implications, perspectives for the application of ideal point response/unfolding models in the development of measures for non-cognitive constructs are addressed.

scholarly journals Living Labs for Public Sector Innovation: An Integrative Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Lars Fuglsang ◽  
Anne Vorre Hansen ◽  
Ines Mergel ◽  
Maria Taivalsaari Røhnebæk
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Innovation ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Living Labs ◽  
Elusive Concept

The public administration literature and adjacent fields have devoted increasing attention to living labs as environments and structures enabling the co-creation of public sector innovation. However, living labs remain a somewhat elusive concept and phenomenon, and there is a lack of understanding of its versatile nature. To gain a deeper understanding of the multiple dimensions of living labs, this article provides a review assessing how the environments, methods and outcomes of living labs are addressed in the extant research literature. The findings are drawn together in a model synthesizing how living labs link to public sector innovation, followed by an outline of knowledge gaps and future research avenues.

Is political engagement by constitutional monarchs compatible with democracy?

2021 ◽  
pp. 205789112199169
Author(s):  
Kana Inata
Keyword(s):  
Political Engagement ◽  
Historical Narratives ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Involvement ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Preferences ◽  
Public Approval ◽  
Do So

Constitutional monarchies have proved to be resilient, and some have made substantive political interventions even though their positions are mostly hereditary, without granted constitutional channels to do so. This article examines how constitutional monarchs can influence political affairs and what impact royal intervention can have on politics. I argue that constitutional monarchs affect politics indirectly by influencing the preferences of the public who have de jure power to influence political leaders. The analyses herein show that constitutional monarchs do not indiscriminately intervene in politics, but their decisions to intervene reflect the public’s preferences. First, constitutional monarchs with little public approval become self-restraining and do not attempt to assert their political preferences. Second, they are more likely to intervene in politics when the public is less satisfied about the incumbent government. These findings are illustrated with historical narratives regarding the political involvement of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand in the 2000s.

scholarly journals Estimation of the Actual Incidence of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Emergent Hotspots: The Example of Hokkaido, Japan during February–March 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2392
Author(s):  
Andrei R. Akhmetzhanov ◽  
Kenji Mizumoto ◽  
Sung-Mok Jung ◽  
Natalie M. Linton ◽  
Ryosuke Omori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cumulative Incidence ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Actual Number ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Actual Incidence

Following the first report of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Sapporo city, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan, on 14 February 2020, a surge of cases was observed in Hokkaido during February and March. As of 6 March, 90 cases were diagnosed in Hokkaido. Unfortunately, many infected persons may not have been recognized due to having mild or no symptoms during the initial months of the outbreak. We therefore aimed to predict the actual number of COVID-19 cases in (i) Hokkaido Prefecture and (ii) Sapporo city using data on cases diagnosed outside these areas. Two statistical frameworks involving a balance equation and an extrapolated linear regression model with a negative binomial link were used for deriving both estimates, respectively. The estimated cumulative incidence in Hokkaido as of 27 February was 2,297 cases (95% confidence interval (CI): 382–7091) based on data on travelers outbound from Hokkaido. The cumulative incidence in Sapporo city as of 28 February was estimated at 2233 cases (95% CI: 0–4893) based on the count of confirmed cases within Hokkaido. Both approaches resulted in similar estimates, indicating a higher incidence of infections in Hokkaido than were detected by the surveillance system. This quantification of the gap between detected and estimated cases helped to inform the public health response at the beginning of the pandemic and provided insight into the possible scope of undetected transmission for future assessments.

scholarly journals Punishment Strategies across Societies: Conventional Wisdoms Reconsidered

Games ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Ramzi Suleiman ◽  
Yuval Samid
Keyword(s):  
Public Goods ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Public Goods Game ◽  
The Public ◽  
Free Riders ◽  
The World ◽  
Emergence Of Cooperation ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Cost

Experiments using the public goods game have repeatedly shown that in cooperative social environments, punishment makes cooperation flourish, and withholding punishment makes cooperation collapse. In less cooperative social environments, where antisocial punishment has been detected, punishment was detrimental to cooperation. The success of punishment in enhancing cooperation was explained as deterrence of free riders by cooperative strong reciprocators, who were willing to pay the cost of punishing them, whereas in environments in which punishment diminished cooperation, antisocial punishment was explained as revenge by low cooperators against high cooperators suspected of punishing them in previous rounds. The present paper reconsiders the generality of both explanations. Using data from a public goods experiment with punishment, conducted by the authors on Israeli subjects (Study 1), and from a study published in Science using sixteen participant pools from cities around the world (Study 2), we found that: 1. The effect of punishment on the emergence of cooperation was mainly due to contributors increasing their cooperation, rather than from free riders being deterred. 2. Participants adhered to different contribution and punishment strategies. Some cooperated and did not punish (‘cooperators’); others cooperated and punished free riders (‘strong reciprocators’); a third subgroup punished upward and downward relative to their own contribution (‘norm-keepers’); and a small sub-group punished only cooperators (‘antisocial punishers’). 3. Clear societal differences emerged in the mix of the four participant types, with high-contributing pools characterized by higher ratios of ‘strong reciprocators’, and ‘cooperators’, and low-contributing pools characterized by a higher ratio of ‘norm keepers’. 4. The fraction of ‘strong reciprocators’ out of the total punishers emerged as a strong predictor of the groups’ level of cooperation and success in providing the public goods.

scholarly journals Paranoid styles and innumeracy: implications of a conspiracy mindset on Europeans' misperceptions about immigrants

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Sergio Martini ◽  
Mattia Guidi ◽  
Francesco Olmastroni ◽  
Linda Basile ◽  
Rossella Borri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Demographic Factors ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Democratic Accountability ◽  
Common Phenomenon ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
The Public ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors ◽  
Influence Perceptions ◽  
Western Democracies

Abstract Innumeracy, that is, the inability to deal with numbers and provide correct estimates about political issues, is reported to be widespread among the public. Yet, despite the recognition that a conspiracy mindset is an increasingly common phenomenon in Western democracies, this has not been considered as a potential correlate of innumeracy. Using data from an online sample of respondents across 10 European countries, we show that those with a higher propensity to hold a conspiracy worldview tend to overestimate the actual share of the immigrant population living in their own country. This association holds true when accounting for country heterogeneity and other cognitive, affective and socio-demographic factors. Employing a comparative design and refined measurements, the article contributes to our understanding of how a conspiracy mentality may influence perceptions of relevant political facts, questioning basic processes of democratic accountability.

A Psychological Process of Bureaucratic Whistleblowing: Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior

2021 ◽  
pp. 027507402110033
Author(s):  
Hongseok Lee ◽  
Minsung Michael Kang ◽  
Sun Young Kim
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Planned Behavior ◽  
Planned Behavior ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Perceived Behavioral Control ◽  
Psychological Process ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
The Public ◽  
Using Data

Whistleblowing is a psychological process that involves the calculation of risks and benefits. While there exists a broad range of research on whistleblowing in the public sector, previous studies have not examined its entire process due to the limited focus on either whistleblowing intention or whistleblowing behavior. This study aims to fill this gap by applying the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to the whistleblowing context. Specifically, we examine how individual beliefs about the likely consequences of whistleblowing (attitude toward whistleblowing), others’ expectations about whistleblowing (subjective norm), and the capability of blowing the whistle (perceived behavioral control) influence public employees’ actual whistleblowing by way of their intention to report wrongdoings. A series of structural equation models are tested using data from the 2010 Merit Principles Survey. The findings show that the more the employees perceive that the consequences of whistleblowing are important, the more the key referents support whistleblowing, and the more the protections for whistleblowers are available, the more likely are their intentions to disclose wrongdoings and then actually engage in whistleblowing behavior. We conduct additional analyses for internal and external whistleblowers separately and find that there are both meaningful similarities and differences between the two groups. This study provides support for the validity of TPB as a theoretical framework for better understanding and explicating the psychological process of bureaucratic whistleblowing.

scholarly journals Electoral Incentives and the Allocation of Public Funds

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederico Finan ◽  
Maurizio Mazzocco
Keyword(s):  
Electoral System ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Public Funds ◽  
Term Limit ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Projects ◽  
Electoral Incentives ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Politicians allocate public resources in ways that maximize political gains, and potentially at the cost of lower welfare. In this paper, we quantify these welfare costs in the context of Brazil’s federal legislature, which grants its members a budget to fund public projects within their states. Using data from the state of Roraima, we estimate a model of politicians’ allocation decisions and find that 26.8% of the public funds allocated by legislators are distorted relative to a social planner’s allocation. We then use the model to simulate three potential policy reforms to the electoral system: the adoption of approval voting, imposing a one-term limit, and redistricting. We find that a one-term limit and redistricting are both effective at reducing distortions. The one-term limit policy, however, increases corruption, which makes it a welfare-reducing policy.

Audit Assessment of the Effectiveness of Public Procurement Procedures

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. s085-s107
Author(s):  
Iryna Drozd ◽  
Mariia Pysmenna ◽  
Nataliia Pohribna ◽  
Nataliya Zdyrko ◽  
Anna Kulish
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Risk Indicator ◽  
Individual Values ◽  
State Budget ◽  
The Public ◽  
Efficiency Cost ◽  
Procurement Procedure ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Risk Parameters

The article seeks describing the benefits and challenges faced by auditors in assessing the effectiveness of public procurement procedures in terms of applying the methodology for calculating efficiency, economy and effectiveness, taking into account the risks of procurement in e-auctions. Quantitative risk parameters are calculated using data of probabilistic indicators of procurement risk assessment according to the ratio of the number of relevant procedures (sub-threshold and above-threshold) to the total number of procurement procedures. Statistical valuation methods are used for the cost risk assessments and calculation of the aggregate risk indicator of public procurement. The calculations are performed using the data of the open e-procurement system ProZorro for all announced procurements in 2018-2019. We analyzed the methods, indicators and the extent to which the study of the public procurement effectiveness via bibliographic and case studies is performed. As a result, the majority of methods cover four components of assessing the public procurement efficiency - targeted efficiency, cost-effectiveness, organizational efficiency, efficiency of budget expenditures for public procurement. This does not provide an assessment of the automated systems’ impact on the procurement procedures results and on possible savings due to the use of certain procurement procedures. To comprehensively assess the procurement efficiency in e-bidding, the authors propose considering four key risks: the risk of cancellation of the procurement procedure, the risk that the procurement procedure will not take place, the risk of appealing the procurement, the risk of disqualification. As a result of risks calculations under the sub-threshold and above-threshold procurement, individual values of risks and their aggregate indicator are determined. This will adjust the scope of audit procedures to verify individual procurements and identify weaknesses in the procurement management system. We believe that the methodology of auditing the procurement effectiveness, taking into account the quantitative and qualitative parameters of procurement risks, will be a useful audit tool to determine the effectiveness of the use of public funds under individual procurements and identify areas of cost-effectiveness for the state budget funds.

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