1,720,974 research outputs found
Distributional and Encompassing Coalitions in the Olsonian Theory of Interest Groups: A Strategy-Shift Effect Analysis
No full textThis paper shows that, in an Olsonian framework, the activity of encompassing
groups respect to distributional coalitions has been understated in the literature. We derive
this conclusion analyzing first of all the evolution of the Olsonian thought, then some of the
theoretical findings that weaken die extreme dilemmatic vision of a collective action problem.
Then we present a simple model of strategy choice, where distributional coalitions
temporarily become encompassing groups or are 'locked' in a distributional strategy, unless
a change in both the share of total wealth and members' number occurs. Some implications
and explanations in terms of political reform success and stickiness follow
NIH biomedical funding. Evidence of executive dominance in swing-voter states during presidential elections
No full textThis paper explores the role of presidential politics in influencing the distribution
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. In particular, it investigates how the
distribution of NIH funding is stirred towards institutions located in swing-voter US states
during presidential elections. In doing so, it fills a gap left in the literature on the political
economy of the NIH, which previously focused on the role of membership in the Committees
on Appropriations in both chambers of the US Congress. First, it is found that NIH
funded performers in states where the Presidential Electoral Importance (PEI) increases by
1 %, receive, on average 0.7–0.8 % more funding. Second, this effect is robust to three
additional checks. Third, I run heterogeneity tests, where the direction and change of the
elasticity coefficient fit plausible assumptions on the mechanism of presidential influence
on NIH funding in swing-voter states. I finally estimate, that the average lower bound of
the overall impact of PEI on the NIH budget is between 2 and 3 %. It reaches a maximum
of 10 % for specific states, fiscal years, and presidential mandates
Teaching mathematical economics using public choice. The median voter model
No full textThe median voter model (MVM) is a core model in public choice
comparable to the demand and supply competitive market model in
microeconomics. In this paper I introduce and discuss the mathematical
treatment of a simple version of the model. This allows instructors to
apply a wide range of concepts commonly introduced in a first
undergraduate class in mathematical economics. The approach will
help students to understand the interplay of concepts separately
introduced during the first phase of the course. Hopefully the method
will foster an interest in public choice through the study of one of its
most important benchmark models
On Medical Progress and Health Care Demand: A Ces Perspective Using the Grossman Model of Health Status
No full textI propose an application of the pure-consumption version of the Grossman model of health care demand, where utility depends on consumption and health status and health status on medical care and health technology. I derive the conditions under which an improvement in health care technology leads to an increase/decrease in health care consumption. In particular, I show how the direction of the effect depends on the relationship between the constant elasticity of substitution
parameters of the utility and health production functions. I find that, under the constancy assumption, the
ratio of the two elasticity of substitution parameters determines the direction of a technological change on health care
demand. On the other hand, the technology share parameter in the health production function contributes to the size
but not to the direction of the technological effect. I finally explore how the ratio of the elasticity of substitution
parameters work in measurement and practice and discuss how future research may use the theoretical insight
provided here
On the codetermination of tax-financed medical R&D and healthcare expenditures. Models and evidence
No full textDuring the 25- year period between 1960 and 1985, social insurance and transfer programs
expanded greatly in all Western countries. The fraction of GDP accounted for by government
expenditures approximately doubled in much of Europe and grew by 40 percent
to 50 percent in most other Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development
(OECD) nations. After 1985, there has been relatively little growth in the scope of the
welfare state relative to other parts of the economy.
This chapter summarizes public choice and related research on the political economy
of the welfare state. There are essentially two strands of the literature. One stresses the
extent to which institutions, voter interests, and ideological shifts account for the period
of rapid growth. The other emphasizes the importance of interest groups, who lobby
for extensions of the welfare state in order to profit from larger budgets, more generous
transfers, or new spending by those receiving the transfers. This chapter suggests
that ideas as well as conventional economic interests also played a role in the twentieth
century expansion of the welfare state
Local government fiscal policy, social capital and electoral payoff. Evidence across Italian municipalities
No full textThe new institutional economics literature has been stressing the role of informal
institutions in affecting citizens’ preferences and shaping their attitudes and reaction
to policymakers’ decisions (Chong and Gradstein, 2006; Alesina and Fuchs-
Schündeln, 2007; Sabatini, 2008; Guven, 2011). Inspired by this research perspective,
and to the best of our knowledge, we are the first to analyze the role
of social capital in moderating the relational dynamics occurring between local
government’s fiscal decisions and subsequent electoral outcomes
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Is Russia really a normal country? A numerical taxonomy of Russia in comparative perspective
Full text linkWhat sort of country has Russia become since the collapse of the Soviet Union?
Scholars have tracked Russia’s political economy closely for almost three decades
but have yet to agree on a method for classifying it. Using cluster analysis and
eleven different measures of political, economic, and social development, the article
constructs a numerical taxonomy of Russia and nineteen other countries. The
results show that, for the most part, Russia no longer resembles other post-communist
countries, nor does it resemble the political economy of the developed West or
the poorer countries of the developing world. Instead, the results indicate it increasingly
approximates other rent extractive political economies, such as China, Brazil,
Mexico, and Indonesia
La prosodia. Aspetti teorici e metodologici nell’apprendimento-insegnamento delle lingue straniere
No full textLe più recenti acquisizioni nel campo della glottodidattica richiamano la nostra attenzione sull'importanza e sulla necessità di promuovere una "svolta prosodica" nell'insegnamento delle lingue.
Nella didattica, la concentrazione sul solo aspetto segmentale si è rivelata scarsamente produttiva e il suo effetto poco duraturo. Invece, dall'analisi dei dati di cui disponiamo, un'elementare competenza degli elementi sovrasegmentali fa scomparire molte interferenze fonologiche. Questo dimostra che la prosodia, base fondamentale di ogni comunicazione orale, influisce sulla produzione orale complessiva e deve occupare un posto importante nelle varie fasi dell'apprendimento.
Si può evincere che ritmo e intonazione stranieri non si acquistano in modo naturale, ma attraverso mirate proposte didattiche incentrate sulla persona nella sua completezza umana. Risulta dunque rilevante osservare l'onnipresenza naturale di queste manifestazioni foniche in cui intervengono contemporaneamente componenti biologiche, psicologiche, linguistiche e sociologiche. Nello studiare l’impatto di questi elementi su ogni persona nell'acquisizione della lingua madre, potremo evidenziare da una parte il modo in cui vengono acquisite le lingue straniere e dall'altra quanto è rilevante basare la didattica delle lingue straniere sulla prosodia.
Sul piano pratico, di conseguenza, gli studenti impareranno, grazie agli insegnanti, a comportarsi da parlanti e non da scolari. Si delinea così la necessità di conferire all'ascolto un ruolo di primo piano, e di allenare l'orecchio al riconoscimento di un modello autentico che favorisce una pronuncia adeguata della lingua straniera.
Dai risultati di un nostro lavoro comparativo sui sistemi fonici del francese e dell’italiano, è emersa l’importanza degli elementi ritmici come principale porta d'ingresso nel sistema fonico della lingua straniera in questione. Il ritmo è in effetti l’elemento più caratteristico delle due lingue e favorisce un'immersione più semplice e più piacevole nello studio della lingua straniera.
Da queste osservazioni ha preso avvio un cammino di approfondimento, unito all’ideazione e alla programmazione di attività di esercitazione da proporre nelle classi di lingua. La "correzione" fonetica prospettata si fonda sia sull'ascolto, al fine di perfezionare la competenza di comprensione, sia sulla produzione orale, per far ripetere e produrre, in modo sempre più accettabile, enunciati in lingua straniera. Le predette attività sono svolte in modo da incrementare il piacere di produrre enunciati in lingua straniera come composizioni linguistiche e musicali insieme.
Introdurre la prosodia come principale porta di avvicinamento e d’ingresso nella didattica delle lingue straniere, rappresenta una svolta innovativa in quanto permette agli studenti, non solo di acquisire una competenza di comunicazione efficace e autentica, ma anche di rafforzare le motivazioni
Public Choice and the Modern Welfare State
No full textIn the 25- year period between 1960 and 1985, social insurance and transfer programs
expanded greatly in all Western countries. The fraction of GDP accounted for by government
expenditures approximately doubled in much of Europe and grew by 40 percent
to 50 percent in most other Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development
(OECD) nations. After 1985, there has been relatively little growth in the scope of the
welfare state relative to other parts of the economy.
This chapter summarizes public choice and related research on the political economy
of the welfare state. There are essentially two strands of the literature. One stresses the
extent to which institutions, voter interests, and ideological shifts account for the period
of rapid growth. The other emphasizes the importance of interest groups, who lobby
for extensions of the welfare state in order to profit from larger budgets, more generous
transfers, or new spending by those receiving the transfers. This chapter suggests
that ideas as well as conventional economic interests also played a role in the twentieth
century expansion of the welfare state
Do economic recessions “squeeze the middle class”?
Full text linkWe examine whether economic downturns are linked to the
distribution of population income giving rise to an observed
“middle class squeeze.” We test this hypothesis using a
novel and unique dataset using the Luxembourg Income
Study (LIS) and allowing us to construct alternative definitions
of middle class, such as income‐based measures, including
labor income based, and perceived measures from
the Integrated Values Study (IVS). Our findings suggest
that, although recessions are not consistently correlated
with middle class squeeze overall, the more unanticipated
shocks resulting from the Great Recession show consistently
through several definitions, a negative and robust conditional
correlation. Furthermore, we find that recessions
are positively correlated with the share of the population
that regards itself as “middle class.” Estimates are heterogeneous
to the baseline unemployment at the time of a recession,
country spending on social protection, to middle class
measures and definitions
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