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Estimating Insurance Premiums using Credibility Theory and Quantiles
Get PDFThis thesis is based on the paper \textit{`Quantile credibility models\u27} by Georgios Pitselis, which was published in 2013. It introduces credibility theory and shows how quantiles can be incorporated in the B\"uhlmann-Straub model and the Hachemeister\u27s regression model. For each model, a numeric example is presented
The State of Open Government Data in Dutch Municipalities: Transparency, Accountability & Innovation
Get PDFThis MaRBLe projects focusses on Open Government Data (OGD) in Dutch municipalities. This is government published data that available for anyone to use and reuse without any restrictions and no costs. This type of information is not just published with the aim of enhancing government transparency but is supposed to have positive outcomes on innovation as well. Through interviews with relevant stakeholders in the OGD publication process, such as Dutch municipalities and NGOs, this paper identifies which problems have hampered the potential benefits of OGD from not being fully realized yet. It concludes that in each phase of the publication process there are various problems that obstruct the effective usage of OGD.
Sex Differences in the Effects of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Analogue Treatment on Adolescents’ Limbic System
Get PDFGonadotropin Releasing Hormone Analogues (GnRHa) are used in conditions such as Gender Dysphoria and precocious puberty to suppress puberty in children or adolescents. This essay poses the question whether this blocking of sex hormones affects brain development of regions of the limbic system. It is hypothesized that the influence of GnRHa’s on limbic system development shows differences between the sexes. While animal research has indeed indicated sex differences in the effect of puberty suppression on hippocampus and amygdala gene expression and amygdala volume, direct evidence in human subjects is lacking. It is suggested that well controlled studies in humans on the effects of GnRHa’s on brain development could provide valuable insights into the origin of sex differences in the brain, as well as contribute to better psychological treatment of individuals who receive GnRHa’s
Democracy and its Discontents: Why representative democracy is in crisis today and how to respond
Get PDFToday the modern representative democracy based on the rule of the people is facing various challenges pointing at a state of crisis. Apart from an ongoing political debate about the theoretical concept, recent empirical data indicate that the traditional relation between the political system and the citizens is problematic as well. The overall research question is the following: Why is representative democracy in crisis and how should it be reconsidered and reformed? The political debate on the democratic model is structured in two forms of criticism to support the claim that the representative democracy needs to be rethought. First, theoretical criticism of Schumpeter, Green, Chomsky, Crouch and Brown is presented. Second, contemporary critics are Brennan and Tormey. Basis for this analysis is the social and political situation in Germany. Key terms are consumerism and the media, social inequality, public disappointment, distrust, disinterest, lack of political knowledge and the rise of populism. Several alternative responses to the crisis are evaluated. The first is an alternative perspective on the role of the citizen whereas the second calls to replace democracy with a form of epistocracy. This chapter develops a set of recommendations on how to respond to the crisis of representative democracy
Right-Wing Populist Parties - A Pathological Normalcy? A Study of Right-Wing Populist Parties in Germany
Get PDFThis chapter challenges the common explanation for the success or failure of right-wing populism, conducting a theory-testing analysis. Right-wing populist parties are often viewed as a temporary phenomenon, caused by some form of a crisis that weakened society. Cas Mudde offered an alternative explanation, claiming that the core sentiments of right-wing populism are rooted in society. Three concepts – authoritarianism, nativism and populism – are assumed to form the basis of right-wing populism. Examining party programs, public statements and secondary literature on the German parties Die Republikaner, Schill-Partei and Alternative für Deutschland, this chapter identifies to what extent the three notions are reflected in the parties’ ideologies. Next, the chapter looks at public opinion surveys in order to detect those sentiments within the German society. The analysis reveals that the three notions are not only part of the parties’ ideologies, but are also consistently present in the German public opinion. The findings furthermore indicate that the success or failure of right-wing populist parties depends on their ability to deal with organisational struggles, to broaden their agenda and to provide a charismatic leader. As a consequence, this study of right-wing populism shows that explaining the surge of such parties based on the occurrence of crisis might be a convenient argument by those who neglect that the problem goes deeper.
 
Democracy and Resentment: Testing Scheler’s and Nietzsche’s Christian Resentment Theories on the Case of Protestantism
Get PDFThe general perspective on the process of democratisation is a positive one, one that transmits progress and evolution. But Tocqueville and Scheler explain that the process of democratisation also has downsides. For instance, increasing equality generates more envy. Furthermore, Scheler explains that envy also lays the basis for resentment. This analysis looks at this interdependence of democracy and resentment within the case of Christianity. It looks at one of the most relevant examples of democratisation within Christianity, Protestantism. Based on Nietzsche’s and Scheler’s Christian resentment theories, this paper analyses whether Protestantism’s proposal of reformation is indeed resentful. In order to do so, it tests both theories on ‘The Freedom of a Christian’, a speech by Martin Luther. To which extent can one identify either Scheler’s or Nietzsche’s understanding of resentment in The Freedom of a Christian
Does Innovation Pay Off in Terms of Firm Performance? - Evidence from the European Automotive Industry –
Get PDFABSTRACT Given a more intense competition and substantial investments in research and development (R&D), this paper investigates the impact of innovation on performance in the European automotive industry. More specifically, using secondary data for 98 observations and running multiple regression models, this study examines the effect of the number of both total and green patent applications, and R&D intensity on return on assets (ROA). The evidence suggests that both patent applications and R&D intensity have a positive and significant impact on ROA, whereas green patents are marginally insignificant at the 10% significance level. The results have important implications for business leaders in the industry indicating that innovation does indeed improve performance.
Tangled Up in Confounds - Unravelling the Controversial Roles of MTL-structures in Familiarity and Recollection
Get PDFRecognition memory is commonly divided into ‘knowing that you encountered something before’ (familiarity) and ‘remembering specific, accompanying details’ (recollection). To date, no consensus could be reached concerning the methodological validity, nor the neuronal correlates of familiarity and recollection within the medial temporal lobe. Specifically, a dual-process model and a multi-attribute hypothesis compete about the role of the hippocampus in solely recollection or both recollection and familiarity, while neither one provides conclusive arguments. The current paper aims at evaluation of the reasoning within this controversy and brings up a novel perspective as well as consequent research suggestions
The Islamic Vehicle Financing Market in Malaysia: Identification of Factors Influencing Price Sensitivity
Get PDFIn recent years, Islamic finance has gained increasing attention by financial corporations in countries that are marked by a considerable Muslim population. In conjunction, Malaysia’s Islamic vehicle finance market has experienced a period of rapid growth and is now maturely coexisting besides conventional vehicle financing. Nonetheless, corporations question in how far it is viable to charge a price premium for Islamic products to compensate the additional effort required. As little research is in existence about the price sensitivity of customers towards these product offerings, this study aims to examine factors that influence the price sensitivity in the Islamic vehicle financing market. Potential influencing factors were identified in literature covering Islamic banking and a model is subsequently tested by an experimental survey that was distributed within Malaysia. The study concludes that not only the belongingness to Islam is influential, but also the way of practicing the religion and the knowledge about Islamic finance. The awareness of the specific Islamic vehicle financing product makes customers less price sensitive as well as the marital status. The results of this study are beneficial to corporation who perform pricing decisions according to specific customer segments