Political Responsiveness in a Patronage Democracy

2019 ◽  
pp. 38-70
Author(s):  
Jennifer Bussell
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Local Politicians ◽  
Village Council ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
Citizen Interactions ◽  
The Individual ◽  
High Level

This chapter draws on accounts from sustained, in-depth shadowing of Indian politicians, as well as large-scale politician surveys, to characterize the nature of politicians’ engagement with their constituents. It highlights the importance these politicians place on making time for citizen interactions and responding to requests—to the extent that high-level politicians spend, on average, a quarter of their time interacting with individual citizens. Critically, the primary focus of these contacts is requests for assistance with the same types of goods and services that are typically also requested of local politicians such as village council presidents, providing preliminary evidence that demands may at least partially originate from individuals’ failure to acquire these benefits at the local level—a topic to which the book later turns. Chapter 2 also shows that the individual benefits directly provided to citizens by high-level politicians are substantial.

Bribery and Corruption

2015 ◽  
pp. 196-210
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
White Collar Crime ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Oil Contracts ◽  
The Individual ◽  
High Level ◽  
Personal Welfare ◽  
Political Economic

Bribes are mainly directed at government officials, although they could be directed at the employees and managers of business firms. However, bribery appears to be a self-defined crime. Bribery of small public sector employees is a white-collar crime. However, bribery also exists in high-level decision-making processes, whether political, economic, or corporate situations. These are large-scale bribes, consisting of millions and/or billions of dollars, paid out to executives and public officials in return for construction contracts, oil contracts, telecommunication contracts, etc. Although punishments exist and are implemented, it is up to the individual alone to make the final decision and choose between personal moral value system and personal welfare in opposition to serving the public welfare. This chapter explores bribery.

Corporate Soulcraft in the Age of Brutal Markets

1997 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 109-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elmer W. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Human Action ◽  
Economic Organization ◽  
Efficient Production ◽  
Free Markets ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Church And Community ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Do So

The economic and political arguments for the market principle over alternative forms of economic organization are to my mind irrefutable. It is on the moral level that the perplexing concerns about capitalism center, concerns that have been raised from the beginnings of the industrial era down to the present time. This essay focuses on one major aspect of the ongoing moral test of capitalism: the test of whether our major corporations can both succeed in their profit-making efforts and also serve as one of society’s chief mediating structures that stand, like family, church and community, between the individual and the state. Should the corporation serve not simply as a utilitarian arrangement for the efficient production of high quality goods and services, but also as a moral community that shapes human character and behavior? How can it do so in this age of brutal markets?James Q. Wilson, professor of management at UCLA, has no doubt about the answer. In an article last year, he said: “The problem of imbuing large-scale enterprise with a decent moral life is fundamental.” Corporations “are systems of human action that cannot for long command the loyalty of their members if their standards of collective action are materially lower than those of their individual members.” Capitalists should recognize, he concluded, “that, while free markets will ruthlessly eliminate inefficient firms, the moral sentiments of man will only gradually and uncertainly penalize immoral ones. But, while the quick destruction of inefficient corporations threatens only individual firms, the slow anger at immoral ones threatens capitalism, and thus freedom itself.”

scholarly journals Synoptic Control of Mesoscale Precipitating Systems in the Pacific Northwest

2008 ◽  
Vol 136 (9) ◽  
pp. 3465-3476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. Roebber ◽  
Kyle L. Swanson ◽  
Jugal K. Ghorai
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Modeling ◽  
The United States ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Buffer Size ◽  
Synoptic Type ◽  
High Level

Abstract This research examines whether an adequate representation of flow features on the synoptic scale allows for the skillful inference of mesoscale precipitating systems. The focus is on the specific problem of landfalling systems on the west coast of the United States for a variety of synoptic types that lead to significant rainfall. The methodology emphasizes rigorous hypothesis testing within a controlled hindcast setting to quantify the significance of the results. The role of lateral boundary conditions is explicitly accounted for by the study. The hypotheses that (a) uncertainty in the large-scale analysis and (b) upstream buffer size have no impact on the skill of precipitation simulations are each rejected at a high level of confidence, with the results showing that mean precipitation skill is higher where low analysis uncertainty exists and for small nested grids. This indicates that an important connection exists between the quality of the synoptic information and predictability at the mesoscale in this environment, despite the absence of such information in the initialization or boundary conditions. Further, the flow-through of synoptic information strongly constrains the evolution of the mesoscale such that a small upstream buffer produces superior results consistent with the higher quality of the information crossing the boundary. Some preliminary evidence that synoptic type has an influence on precipitation skill is also found. The implications of these results for data assimilation, forecasting, and climate modeling are discussed.

scholarly journals LINCS Data Portal 2.0: next generation access point for perturbation-response signatures

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (D1) ◽  
pp. D431-D439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasileios Stathias ◽  
John Turner ◽  
Amar Koleti ◽  
Dusica Vidovic ◽  
Daniel Cooper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Access Point ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Query Interface ◽  
Integrated Network ◽  
Data Architecture ◽  
Data Portal ◽  
The Individual ◽  
High Level ◽  
Point Level

Abstract The Library of Integrated Network-Based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) is an NIH Common Fund program with the goal of generating a large-scale and comprehensive catalogue of perturbation-response signatures by utilizing a diverse collection of perturbations across many model systems and assay types. The LINCS Data Portal (LDP) has been the primary access point for the compendium of LINCS data and has been widely utilized. Here, we report the first major update of LDP (http://lincsportal.ccs.miami.edu/signatures) with substantial changes in the data architecture and APIs, a completely redesigned user interface, and enhanced curated metadata annotations to support more advanced, intuitive and deeper querying, exploration and analysis capabilities. The cornerstone of this update has been the decision to reprocess all high-level LINCS datasets and make them accessible at the data point level enabling users to directly access and download any subset of signatures across the entire library independent from the originating source, project or assay. Access to the individual signatures also enables the newly implemented signature search functionality, which utilizes the iLINCS platform to identify conditions that mimic or reverse gene set queries. A newly designed query interface enables global metadata search with autosuggest across all annotations associated with perturbations, model systems, and signatures.

scholarly journals Does UN Peacekeeping Prevent Communal Violence? Evidence from Disputes in Burkina Faso and Mali

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goulielmos Nomikos
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Conflict Setting ◽  
Communal Violence ◽  
Peacekeeping Operations ◽  
Un Peacekeeping ◽  
The Individual

Research in political science has shown that UN peacekeeping operations are an important tool for ending civil war violence. However, much less is known about how UN peacekeepers affect communal violence at the level of the individual, family, or community. Given that communal disputes over local issues such as land use, cattle herding, or access to resources are the main source of instability in Africa, understanding how international actors can contribute to their resolution is a pressing concern. How does the presence of UN peacekeepers affect communal violence between civilians in conflict settings? We address this question by offering a straightforward empirical test of how UN peacekeeping patrols affect the likelihood that a communal dispute will become violent in an active conflict setting with a multidimensional peacekeeping operations. We build on the literature on communal conflicts to argue that peacekeepers deter violence against violence. To test our argument, we examine the case of Mail, the site of large-scale communal violence managed by UN peacekeepers since 2013. We employ a Geographic Regression Discontinuity Design (GRDD) around the border of Mali and Burkina Faso to estimate the causal effect of deploying peacekeepers to an area with growing communal tensions. We find that the presence of peacekeepers reduces the probability of the onset of communal violence by 17%. Furthermore, we show that the magnitude of this effect increases as the number of peacekeepers deployed to a given area increase. Ultimately, our research provides robust causal evidence that UN peacekeeping works at the local level.

scholarly journals Students Engaging in Multiple-Source Inquiry Tasks: Capturing Dimensions of Collaborative Online Inquiry and Social Deliberation

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 271-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Coiro ◽  
Jesse R. Sparks ◽  
Carita Kiili ◽  
Jill Castek ◽  
Changhee Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Multiple Source ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
Collaborative Processes ◽  
Product And Process ◽  
High Level ◽  
Integrated Performance

Multiple-source inquiry that involves collaboration and deliberation is a complex construct; accordingly, valid measurement of these related competencies should require students to demonstrate their collaborative inquiry and social deliberation skills as part of an integrated performance. In this article, we report findings from the first phase of an assessment project designed to develop and evaluate the use of a virtual world platform that simultaneously captures collaboration, online inquiry, and social deliberation in the context of a single scenario-based task. Mixed methods were employed to evaluate preliminary evidence of students’ (ages 14–16) competencies in both face-to-face ( n = 5 dyads) and remote ( n = 6 dyads) contexts. Results indicated the scenario-based virtual assessment platform successfully captured varying levels of cognitive and social performance (using both product and process data) on several dimensions of collaborative online inquiry and social deliberation. Illustrative examples of dyads demonstrating stronger or weaker collaborative processes and high-level themes that emerged are presented. Implications for classroom settings and large-scale assessment environments are discussed.

scholarly journals Cereal resistance to Fusarium head blight and possibilities of its improvement through breeding

2009 ◽  
Vol 45 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 87-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Kosová ◽  
J. Chrpová ◽  
V. Šíp
Keyword(s):  
Fusarium Head Blight ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Phenotypic Selection ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
Cereal Breeding ◽  
Fhb Resistance ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Different Response ◽  
High Level

The aim of this review is to summarize recent information on Fusarium head blight (FHB) in small grain cereals, especially in wheat and barley. Basic information on FHB epidemiology, types of resistance and plant resistance mechanisms is included. Standard methods for the evaluation of the individual types of FHB resistance and the extent of infection are briefly described. Special attention is paid to the sources of FHB resistance of different origin and possibility of their exploitation in cereal breeding. Unfortunately, a high level of FHB resistance was detected in non-adapted germplasm or distant relatives, which is a serious impediment to breeding progress in this field. The present state of breeding for FHB resistance in wheat, barley, rye, triticale and oats was analyzed. It was shown that large-scale QTL detections provide new opportunities for increasing the resistance; however, multi-step phenotypic selection still remains to be the most effective tool. Pedigree analyses indicated that the latest progress reached in this field was obtained through the cumulation of resistance genes coming from heterogeneous sources with different response to FHB.

scholarly journals Does UN Peacekeeping Prevent Communal Violence? Evidence from Disputes in Burkina Faso and Mali

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William George Nomikos
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Conflict Setting ◽  
Communal Violence ◽  
Peacekeeping Operations ◽  
Un Peacekeeping ◽  
The Individual

Research in political science has shown that UN peacekeeping operations are an important tool for ending civil war violence. However, much less is known about how UN peacekeepers affect communal violence at the level of the individual, family, or community. Given that communal disputes over local issues such as land use, cattle herding, or access to resources are the main source of instability in Africa, understanding how international actors can contribute to their resolution is a pressing concern. How does the presence of UN peacekeepers affect communal violence between civilians in conflict settings? We address this question by offering a straightforward empirical test of how UN peacekeeping patrols affect the likelihood that a communal dispute will become violent in an active conflict setting with a multidimensional peacekeeping operations. We build on the literature on communal conflicts to argue that peacekeepers deter violence against violence. To test our argument, we examine the case of Mail, the site of large-scale communal violence managed by UN peacekeepers since 2013. We employ a Geographic Regression Discontinuity Design (GRDD) around the border of Mali and Burkina Faso to estimate the causal effect of deploying peacekeepers to an area with growing communal tensions. We find that the presence of peacekeepers reduces the probability of the onset of communal violence by 17%. Furthermore, we show that the magnitude of this effect increases as the number of peacekeepers deployed to a given area increase. Ultimately, our research provides robust causal evidence that UN peacekeeping works at the local level.

POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SILVER ECONOMY UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Sika ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Economic Potential ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Slovak Population ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
New Business ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
The Individual ◽  
High Level

The economic behaviour, needs and preferences of people vary in the individual phases of their lives. The silver economy market is made up of consumers, employees or employers aged 50+. The share of this population is an important target group for entrepreneurs, brings a wide range of new products and services to businesses and has a significant role for the national economy as there is a change in the understanding of the ageing process from a threat towards economic opportunities. Although the ageing workforce and seniors in the Slovak Republic do not represent a strong demand for market goods yet, their economic potential may not be negligible. The rapid ageing of the Slovak population represents, among other things, an economic potential that can be exploited in favour of innovation and improvement. Despite not a high level of pensions, seniors have considerable purchasing power, which will generate an increasing demand for specific goods and services, which is an opportunity for the labour market. In this paper we try to describe selected areas in which the silver economy and the ageing population itself should be viewed as a challenge to new business opportunities. In particular, these include health service and health care, spa care, the pharmaceutical industry, tourism, the financial sector and, last but not least, construction industry. The silver economy will change the rules of market forces in existing sectors and create a wholly new industry at the intersection of demographic and technological changes with a high export potential.

scholarly journals The Life Quality of the Russian Rural and Urban Population: a Comparative Analysis of Certain Aspects

2020 ◽  
pp. 13-17
Author(s):  
Viktor Lennarovich Shabanov
Keyword(s):  
Urban Population ◽  
External Environment ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
The State ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
The Individual ◽  
High Level ◽  
The City

The paper analyzes the life quality of the rural and urban population of Russia. The purpose of the study is to obtain quantitative estimates of the prox-imity of the main aspects of the life quality in the city and the countryside. The empirical base is the microdata of statistical observations of Rosstat at the end of 2018. The life quality is determined through a combination of financial capabilities and needs of the individual, as well as the state of the external environment. The financial condition of an individual characterizes the possibility of consum-ing a good, which may not be realized due to the absence or non-articulation of the corresponding need. The state of the external environment charac-terizes the physical (technical) availability of goods, their variety and quality. It is shown the availability of benefits to the rural population associated with the quality of housing and the environment that is higher than in the city. A high level of consumption of a number of expensive goods and services (TVs, mobile phones, cars) has been established, which, however, is combined with their lower quality and less variety of choices (brands). It is shown that the limited physical (technical) accessibility of modern innovative goods and services is overcome more difficult and slower, and in the foreseeable future it is impossible to expect a convergence of the life quality in cities and villages in this aspect.

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