scholarly journals Good riddance to bad government? Institutional performance voting in Swedish municipalities

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Rasmus Broms
Keyword(s):  
Full Range ◽  
Institutional Quality ◽  
Political Corruption ◽  
Institutional Performance ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Electoral Accountability ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Limited Support ◽  
Audit Reports

Abstract Electoral accountability is widely considered to be an essential component for maintaining the quality of a polity’s institutions. Nevertheless, a growing body of research has found weak or limited support for the notion that voters punish political corruption, a central but partial aspect of institutional quality. In order to capture the full range of institutional dysfunction an electorate should be incentivised to punish, I further the concept of institutional performance voting, that is, voting on institutional quality as a whole. Using a novel data set on performance audit reports in Swedish municipalities between 2003 and 2014, I find that audit critique is associated with a statistically significant but substantively moderate electoral loss of about a percentage point for mayoral parties, while simultaneously associated with a 14 percentage point decrease in their probability of reelection.

scholarly journals Which Elections Can Be Lost?

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan D. Hyde ◽  
Nikolay Marinov
Keyword(s):  
Political Science ◽  
Electoral Competition ◽  
Full Range ◽  
National Elections ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Electoral Accountability ◽  
Research Agendas ◽  
Global Data ◽  
Empirical Illustration

The concept of electoral competition is relevant to a variety of research agendas in political science, yet the question of how to measure electoral competition has received little direct attention. We revisit the distinction proposed by Giovanni Sartori between competition as a structure or rule of the game and competitiveness as an outcome of that game and argue that to understand which elections can be lost (and therefore when parties and leaders are potentially threatened by electoral accountability), scholars may be better off considering the full range of elections where competition is allowed. We provide a data set of all national elections between 1945 and 2006 and a measure of whether each election event is structured such that the competition is possible. We outline the pitfalls of other measures used by scholars to define the potential for electoral competition and show that such methods can lead to biased or incomplete findings. The new global data on elections and the minimal conditions necessary for electoral competition are introduced, followed by an empirical illustration of the differences between the proposed measure of competition and existing methods used to infer the existence of competition.

scholarly journals Electoral Accountability and Corruption: Evidence from the Audits of Local Governments

2011 ◽  
Vol 101 (4) ◽  
pp. 1274-1311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Ferraz ◽  
Frederico Finan
Keyword(s):  
Political Institutions ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Political Corruption ◽  
Political Accountability ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Electoral Rules ◽  
Electoral Accountability ◽  
Corrupt Behavior ◽  
Audit Reports

We show that political institutions affect corruption levels. We use audit reports in Brazil to construct new measures of political corruption in local governments and test whether electoral accountability affects the corruption practices of incumbent politicians. We find significantly less corruption in municipalities where mayors can get reelected. Mayors with reelection incentives misappropriate 27 percent fewer resources than mayors without reelection incentives. These effects are more pronounced among municipalities with less access to information and where the likelihood of judicial punishment is lower. Overall our findings suggest that electoral rules that enhance political accountability play a crucial role in constraining politician's corrupt behavior. (JEL D72, K42, O17)

Order and disorder in (E)-[1-(biphenyl-4-yl)ethylidene]hydrazine: a structural, spectroscopic and theoretical study

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 1459-1468
Author(s):  
Xue-Jie Tan ◽  
Qing-Zhe Zhao ◽  
Kun Li ◽  
Yong-Ji Hu ◽  
Jing-Chao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Rational Design ◽  
Fluorescence Spectra ◽  
Energy Surface ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Scanning Calorimetry ◽  
Data Set ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Order And Disorder ◽  
Experimental And Theoretical Studies

An unexpected global disorder (co-existing rotational disorder and glide disorder) has been observed during an X-ray investigation of the crystal structure of (E)-[1-(biphenyl-4-yl)ethylidene]hydrazine, C14H14N2, at room temperature. When the temperature decreases to 273 K, the disorder disappears, but the quality of the data set is low. The diffraction data were collected again at 110 K. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis and polarizing-microscopy experiments, as well as a fourth set of single-crystal data collected at 283 K, proved that the order–disorder transformation occurs continuously. The analyses of these crystal structures and full-range relaxed potential energy surface scans showed that this kind of global disorder is not very difficult to achieve inside the crystal. Experimental and theoretical studiesviaUV–Vis and fluorescence spectra impart an understanding on the prediction methods of optical properties, which are essential for the rational design of biphenyl-based materials with pre-defined properties.

scholarly journals Does China’s Outward Direct Investment Improve the Institutional Quality of the Belt and Road Countries?

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunyang Pan ◽  
William X. Wei ◽  
Etayankara Muralidharan ◽  
Jia Liao ◽  
Bernadette Andreosso-O’Callaghan
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Direct Investment ◽  
Resource Curse ◽  
Institutional Quality ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Outward Direct Investment ◽  
The Belt And Road

This article investigates the effects of China’s outward direct investment (ODI) on the institutional quality of the Belt and Road (B&R) countries. Based on a panel data set of 63 B&R countries during the period 2003 to 2016, we find that China’s ODI improves the institutional quality of B&R countries not only in the short run but also in the long run. Further, although China’s ODI exerts no differential impacts on host country institutional dimensions of “control of corruption,” “government effectiveness,” and “political stability” in countries with different natural resource endowments, it improves their institutional dimensions of “regulatory quality” and “rule of law,” implying that China’s ODI may help the host B&R countries minimize the “resource curse”. As one of the most important strategies for China’s opening-up development in the current era, the B&R initiative serves as means to promote sustainable development of B&R countries. The article therefore contributes to existing scholarship on the institutional effects of China’s ODI and sheds light on the mechanisms that drive sustainable development.

Timeliness of Tunisian Audit Reports: An Empirical Investigation based on Ownership and Partnership Visions

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mondher Fakhfakh
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Qualitative Feature ◽  
Transmission Delays ◽  
Emerging Country ◽  
Audit Reports ◽  
Audit Information

Timeliness of audit reports is a qualitative feature that enhances the usefulness of audited financial statements. As an emerging country, Tunisia has modernized its accounting legislation to enhance the quality of financial reporting. This legislation encourages independent auditors to optimize the transmission delays of audit reports. The authorities assume that the satisfaction of stakeholders is secured by regulating disclosure of audit reports. Our research analyses the date of issue of Tunisian audit reports and timeliness of audit information for shareholders and all users of financial statements (stakeholders). This paper provides new empirical evidence about the timeliness of audit reports in Tunisia. It holds two dates that influence the needs of users of financial statements: the date of signature of the auditors and the date of publication of the audit reports in the financial bulletin. The same article discusses the variability of the timeliness of audit reports and the factors that explain the delay information.

scholarly journals Calling for improved quality in the registration of traditional Chinese medicine during the public health emergency: a survey of trial registries for COVID-19, H1N1, and SARS

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuoran Kuang ◽  
◽  
Xiaoyan Li ◽  
Jianxiong Cai ◽  
Yaolong Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Clinical Trial Registry ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Diagnosis Criteria

Abstract Objective To assess the registration quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical trials for COVID-19, H1N1, and SARS. Method We searched for clinical trial registrations of TCM in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) on April 30, 2020. The registration quality assessment is based on the WHO Trial Registration Data Set (Version 1.3.1) and extra items for TCM information, including TCM background, theoretical origin, specific diagnosis criteria, description of intervention, and outcomes. Results A total of 136 records were examined, including 129 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) and 7 H1N1 influenza (H1N1) patients. The deficiencies in the registration of TCM clinical trials (CTs) mainly focus on a low percentage reporting detailed information about interventions (46.6%), primary outcome(s) (37.7%), and key secondary outcome(s) (18.4%) and a lack of summary result (0%). For the TCM items, none of the clinical trial registrations reported the TCM background and rationale; only 6.6% provided the TCM diagnosis criteria or a description of the TCM intervention; and 27.9% provided TCM outcome(s). Conclusion Overall, although the number of registrations of TCM CTs increased, the registration quality was low. The registration quality of TCM CTs should be improved by more detailed reporting of interventions and outcomes, TCM-specific information, and sharing of the result data.

Simple Index to Assess the Calibration Quality of Safety Performance Functions Based on Multiple Goodness-of-Fit Metrics

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110088
Author(s):  
Raul E. Avelar ◽  
Karen Dixon ◽  
Boniphace Kutela ◽  
Sam Klump ◽  
Beth Wemple ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Calibration Procedure ◽  
Safety Performance ◽  
Absolute Deviation ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Safety Database ◽  
Simple Index ◽  
Safety Performance Functions

The calibration of safety performance functions (SPFs) is a mechanism included in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) to adjust SPFs in the HSM for use in intended jurisdictions. Critically, the quality of the calibration procedure must be assessed before using the calibrated SPFs. Multiple resources to aid practitioners in calibrating SPFs have been developed in the years following the publication of the HSM 1st edition. Similarly, the literature suggests multiple ways to assess the goodness-of-fit (GOF) of a calibrated SPF to a data set from a given jurisdiction. This paper uses the calibration results of multiple intersection SPFs to a large Mississippi safety database to examine the relations between multiple GOF metrics. The goal is to develop a sensible single index that leverages the joint information from multiple GOF metrics to assess overall quality of calibration. A factor analysis applied to the calibration results revealed three underlying factors explaining 76% of the variability in the data. From these results, the authors developed an index and performed a sensitivity analysis. The key metrics were found to be, in descending order: the deviation of the cumulative residual (CURE) plot from the 95% confidence area, the mean absolute deviation, the modified R-squared, and the value of the calibration factor. This paper also presents comparisons between the index and alternative scoring strategies, as well as an effort to verify the results using synthetic data. The developed index is recommended to comprehensively assess the quality of the calibrated intersection SPFs.

scholarly journals Leveraging Road Characteristics and Contributor Behaviour for Assessing Road Type Quality in OSM

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 436
Author(s):  
Amerah Alghanim ◽  
Musfira Jilani ◽  
Michela Bertolotto ◽  
Gavin McArdle
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Classification Accuracy ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Semantic Inference ◽  
Road Type ◽  
The Impact

Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) is often collected by non-expert users. This raises concerns about the quality and veracity of such data. There has been much effort to understand and quantify the quality of VGI. Extrinsic measures which compare VGI to authoritative data sources such as National Mapping Agencies are common but the cost and slow update frequency of such data hinder the task. On the other hand, intrinsic measures which compare the data to heuristics or models built from the VGI data are becoming increasingly popular. Supervised machine learning techniques are particularly suitable for intrinsic measures of quality where they can infer and predict the properties of spatial data. In this article we are interested in assessing the quality of semantic information, such as the road type, associated with data in OpenStreetMap (OSM). We have developed a machine learning approach which utilises new intrinsic input features collected from the VGI dataset. Specifically, using our proposed novel approach we obtained an average classification accuracy of 84.12%. This result outperforms existing techniques on the same semantic inference task. The trustworthiness of the data used for developing and training machine learning models is important. To address this issue we have also developed a new measure for this using direct and indirect characteristics of OSM data such as its edit history along with an assessment of the users who contributed the data. An evaluation of the impact of data determined to be trustworthy within the machine learning model shows that the trusted data collected with the new approach improves the prediction accuracy of our machine learning technique. Specifically, our results demonstrate that the classification accuracy of our developed model is 87.75% when applied to a trusted dataset and 57.98% when applied to an untrusted dataset. Consequently, such results can be used to assess the quality of OSM and suggest improvements to the data set.

scholarly journals Novel Assistive Device for Tomographic Ultrasound Neck Imaging vs. Freehand

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 28-31
Author(s):  
Marcel Köhler ◽  
Elmer Jeto Gomes Ataide ◽  
Jens Ziegle ◽  
Axel Boese ◽  
Michael Friebe
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Image Quality ◽  
Diagnostic Procedures ◽  
Assistive Device ◽  
Volume Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Scanning Method ◽  
Neck Area ◽  
2D Ultrasound

AbstractFor assessing clinically relevant structures in the neck area, especially the thyroid, it has been shown that 3D or tomographic ultrasound (3D US or tUS) is able to outperform standard 2D ultrasound [1] and computed tomography [2] for certain diagnostic procedures. However, when using a freehand and unassisted scanning method to acquire a 3D US volume data set in this area overlapping image slices, a variation of the probe angulation or differences in training might lead to unusable scanning results. Based on previous works [3] [4] we propose the design - with subsequent testing - of an assistive device that is able to aid physicians during the tUS scanning process on the neck. To validate the feasibility and efficacy we compared the image quality of both freehand and assisted scanning.

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