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Predatory peace: fiscal fragmentation and coercive statebuilding in South Sudan and beyond
No full textThis article analyses how peace agreements have reconfigured, rather than dismantled, predatory fiscal rule in South Sudan. Drawing on 210 interviews, archival sources, and a peace agreements dataset, it shows how elite pacts redistribute rents in ways that stabilise ruling coalitions while legitimising coercion. I introduce the concept of predatory peace to capture how agreements entrench fiscal predation under the guise of statebuilding and strategic fiscal fragmentation to describe how opaque and overlapping revenue systems sustain authority and diffuse accountability. By foregrounding South Sudan’s revenue complex, the article shows how peacebuilding frameworks embed coercion as durable rule across conflict-affected countries
Two-sided matching with bounded rationality: a stochastic framework for personnel selection
No full textPersonnel selection represents a two-sided matching problem in which firms compete for qualified candidates by designing job-offer packages. While traditional models assume fully rational agents, real-world decision-makers often face bounded rationality due to limited information and cognitive constraints. This study develops a matching framework that incorporates bounded rationality through the Quantal Response Equilibrium, where firms and candidates act as probabilistic rather than perfect optimizers under uncertainty. Using Maximum Likelihood Estimation and organizational hiring data, we validate that both sides display bounded rational behavior and that rationality increases as the selection process advances. Building on these findings, we propose a two-stage stochastic optimization approach to determine optimal job-offer packages that balance organizational policies with candidate competencies. The optimization problem is solved using particle swarm optimization, which efficiently explores the solution space under uncertainty. Data analysis reveals that only 23.10% of low-level hiring decisions align with rational choice predictions, compared to 64.32% for high-level positions. In our case study, bounded rationality increases package costs by 26%, while modular compensation packages can reduce costs by up to 25%. These findings highlight the cost implications of bounded rationality, the advantages of flexible offers, and the systematic behavioral differences across job levels. The framework provides theoretical contributions to matching under bounded rationality and offers practical insights to help organizations refine their personnel selection strategies and attract suitable candidates more effectively
The impact of air pollution on petcare utilization
No full textAir pollution is one of the leading causes of morbidity and premature mortality globally. A large literature documents the adverse impacts of ambient air pollution on human health. In contrast, there is a lack of comparable research studying the effects of air pollution on animal health. We fill this gap, utilizing 5 y of data on over seven million visits to veterinary practices across the United Kingdom. Leveraging within-city variation in daily monitor-measured air pollution levels, we find that increases in fine particulate matter (i.e., PM2.5) are associated with significant increases in the number of vet visits for both cats and dogs. In aggregate, these estimates suggest that reducing ambient PM2.5 levels to a maximum of 5 micrograms per cubic meter as recommended by the World Health Organization would result in a 0.7 to 2.5% reduction in vet visits
Weak versus strong sustainability: exploring the limits of two opposing paradigms, Fifth Edition
No full textThis is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. It is free to read, download and share on Elgaronline.com. This newly and fully revised fifth edition explores the two opposing paradigms of sustainability in an insightful and accessible way. Eric Neumayer contends that central to the debate on sustainable development is the question of whether natural capital can be substituted by other forms of capital. Using global warming and other major environmental issues as examples, he shows how policies and solutions radically differ depending on which paradigm is more plausible
Scaling social innovation at LSE
No full textThe world faces multiple complex and systemic challenges, from poverty and inequality to environmental degradation and health crises. Bold, impact-focused organisations are championing innovative solutions to address these problems, but very few (if any) are at the scale needed. At 100x, we believe that rapidly scaling social innovation is not just possible but essential. We exist to answer a simple yet profound question: what does it take to scale the impact of social innovations so they can reach hundreds of millions of people
The new facts of life
No full textWhat might the rapid developments in stem cell research mean for our future, and what are the ethical questions that we need to grapple with along the way? Scientists can now reprogramme human cells to create tissues that mimic embryos, organs, and even the brain. These breakthroughs offer exciting possibilities for treating diseases, improving pregnancy care, and extending healthy aging. However, they also raise profound ethical and regulatory questions. With few legal boundaries in place, how should society navigate this new frontier
Opportunities and risks in the digital gaming ecosystem: insights from Brazil and the UK
No full textSystematic misperceptions: cigarette variant names signal (reduced) harm amongst young adults
No full textIntroduction Cigarette brand variant names remain a key marketing tool despite restrictions under Article 13 of the EU Tobacco Products Directive. This study investigates whether variant names of popular cigarette brands evoke associations that violate the Directive's prohibitions on harm and flavour-related claims in the Netherlands Methods 1,354 participants (younger adult and adult daily smokers, younger adult non-daily smokers, and younger adult non-smokers) offered unprompted and prompted associations with 10 variants from three major brands to explore perceptions of harm and taste. Qualitative responses were coded and analysed, and quantitative comparisons assessed differences across variant types. Results Variant names referring to former ‘mild’ variant names (e.g., “Gold”, “Blue") were perceived as less harmful than full-flavour variants (e.g., “Red"). Variant names referring to former ‘menthol’ variants (e.g., “Green”, “Alpine") elicited strong associations with menthol flavour, particularly among younger participants. Findings indicate systematic misperceptions about harm and flavour, contrary to regulatory intent. Conclusions This study highlights the continued influence of brand variant names on consumer perceptions, particularly among young smokers and non-smokers. Subtle linguistic and colour cues in variant names were found to reinforce these perceptions, undermining efforts to convey the universal harms of smoking. Policymakers could consider stricter regulation, such as mandating neutral numerical naming systems, to mitigate misleading associations and further reduce product appeal. Strengthened oversight can further align tobacco control policies with public health goals, advancing efforts to prevent smoking initiation and achieve a smoke-free generation. Key messages • Colour-cued variant names create predictable harm and flavour associations, particularly amongst young adults and non-smokers. • Young adult smokers more often smoke low tar and menthol variants