1,357,964 research outputs found
New Winners and Old Losers. A Priori Voting Power in the EU25. ZEI Discussion Papers C. 149, 2005
No full text[From the Introduction]. Analysis of the development of power distributions is one of the core tasks of political science. How much do the EU member states have a priori voting power in the Council of Ministers? In particular, what have the modifications in the voting weights after the various enlargements meant for the distribution of a priori voting power in the Council? We will in the following use the standardized Penrose-Banzhaf-index when analyzing the distribution of power among member-states (Banzhaf 1965 and Penrose 1946) (cf. Raunio and Wiberg 1998 and 2002)
The Big Leap to the West: The Impact of EU on the Finnish Political System. ZEI Discussion Papers: 2001, C 89
No full textIntroduction. When analysing Finland’s integration policy, one is struck by the speed with which the political leadership turned its gaze from the East to the West. Within less than a decade Finland changed his status from a nonaligned country with close political relations with the Soviet Union to a full member of both the European Union (EU) and the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). It was not enough that Finland just joined the EU: the last three Finnish governments, starting from the centre-right coalition cabinet which took office in 1991, have decided that Finland’s place is in the inner core of the union. While rhetorically claiming to be interested in developing the EU as an intergovernmental project, the practical steps taken have shown that the recent governments have been willing to support and also put forward initiatives that strengthen the supranational nature of the Union. Finland has not at any instance seriously questioned the general development of integration: in this sense it has become a harmless participant in the inner core of the Union. Several observers have praised Finland’s commitment to integration. Finns have received credit from their European colleagues for their pragmatic and co-operative approach. For example, according to The Economist: Since joining the EU in 1995, and despite coming from its most distant edge, they [the Finns] have displayed an almost uncanny mastery of its workings. Many point to them as the very model of how a "small country" (vast in land mass, but with only 5.2 m people) should operate within the EU’s institutions: not preachy like the Swedes, not difficult like the Danes, not over-ambitious like the Austrians, merely modest and purposeful, matching a sense of principle with a sense of proportion. Another example was given by the European Voice, which in its leader, titled "Finnish presidency ends on triumphant note", argued among other things that ‘the Finnish presidency has proved once again that small countries are often the most adept at managing the EU’s business’ and that ‘the Finns have shown that a presidency which begins on an unauspicious note can end with plaudits from all sides’. The Finnish determined approach stands in contrast to the hesitant EU policies of both Denmark and Sweden. What explains this pragmatism and commitment to integration? Does the public share the commitment shown by the political elite? We argue that Finnish integration policy is very much driven by the need to secure her place among the Western European countries and to influence EU decisions in order to protect national interests. Support for the deepening of integration or for federalism is weak among the public and the parties, with integration primarily seen as an efficient way of furthering national economic and security objectives. The chapter is divided into six sections. In the next part we present the reasons that led Finland to apply for European Community (EC) membership. The third part focuses on the 1994 referendum and explores its main issues and cleavages. In the fourth section we analyse the impact of membership on party politics and administration. Europeanisation of the Finnish polity and public opinion are examined in section five. In the concluding section we discuss briefly the main aspects of Finnish integration policy, with emphasis on the future development of the Union
IRT Observed-Score Equating with the Nonequivalent Groups with Covariates Design
No full textNonequivalent groups with anchor test (NEAT) design is typically preferred in test score equating, but there are tests which do not administer an anchor test. If the groups are nonequivalent, an equivalent groups (EG) design cannot be
recommended. Instead, one can use a nonequivalent groups with covariates (NEC) design. The overall aim of this work was to propose the use of item response theory (IRT) with a NEC design by incorporating the mixed-measurement IRT with covariates model within IRT observed-score equating in order to model both test scores and covariates. Both simulations and a real test example are used to examine the proposed test equating method in comparison with traditional IRT observed-score equating methods with an EG design and a NEAT design. The results show that the proposed method can be used in practice, and the simulations show that the standard errors of the equating are lower with the proposed method as compared with traditional methods
Dissertationis academicae de professoribus, Reg. Acad. Aboënsis, intra saeculum ab hujus natalibus primum designatis, pars secunda, quam cons. ampl. facult. philos. Reg. Acad. Aboënsis, moderante mag. Henrico Gabriele Porthan, eloqv. professore reg. [et] ord. equ. Ord. R. de Stella Polari, R. Acad. litt. human. hist. [et] antiqvitt. R. Societ. Scient. Upsal. [et]c. socio, pro gradu publicae bonorum censurae subjicit Jonas Björkdahl, stip. reg. Smolandus. In auditorio majori die 6 Maji 1801. horis a. m. solitis.
No full textAineiston koonnut Johannes Bilmark.Dedikaatio: Margareta Helena Lybecker född Hising, Gustaf Wiberg, Brigitta Marg. Wiberg född Hagelqvist.Arkit: 2 arkintunnuksetonta lehteä, C-D4 E2. - S. [2] tyhjä.Painovuosi nimekkeestä.Ensimmäinen dedikaatio on ruotsinkielinen. Toinen dedikaatio on ruotsinkielinen
Designing IoT Systems that Support Reflective Thinking : A Relational Approach
No full textSystems are, to a large extent, about relationships between people, activities, objects, technologies, and places. A systems approach focuses on how things are interrelated, and what the different parts can accomplish together. In similar terms, reflective thinking is also relational. We think often with each other when we talk about and share our experiences and memories. We are also increasingly using smart objects for our everyday activities. However, designing IoT (Internet of Things) devices typically relies on artifacts rather than relationships. In this paper, we present a modeling technique for the design and analysis of IoT artifacts and systems that is fundamentally relational in its approach. Having outlined the need for relational approaches to designing IoT systems, we first present three examples, where we demonstrate how our relational approach allows for the analysis of existing smart objects designed to function in different relationships with the user, user activity and the situation. Accordingly, we present these IoT systems from the perspectives of the augment me, the comply with me, and the engage me relational models. Having presented these three examples that illustrate how IoT systems can be analyzed as systems of relationships, we then present the prototype of an IoT artifact intended to support reflection in the user. With this fourth example, we introduce the make me think relationship, and also show how our modeling technique can be useful for design of new IoT systems. Accordingly, we suggest a modeling technique that can be used as a tool for designing and analyzing IoT systems. We believe this modeling technique can contribute to a relational approach toward IoT. We conclude this paper suggesting that our proposed modeling technique cannot only help to model relationships between a user and a smart object, but can also be scaled, allowing for the modeling of more complex IoT systems, where there are an increased number of users using many smart objects in different places, but still integrated as a complex system
Thinking with interactive artifacts: Reflection as a concept in design outcomes.
No full textReflection is a recurring notion in the HCI/interaction design literature. Throughout the years “reflection” has been highlighted as a key dimension of design thinking and as an important ingredient of design processes. In this paper we take stock in our community’s interest in reflection and we suggest that while it has been acknowledged as a cornerstone for design processes, it has been less explored as a basis for design outcomes. In an attempt to approach this research problem, we conducted an extensive literature study. This study included a keyword analysis first in Scopus database and then in ACM library. In total, we filtered among 1,771 scientific papers.
Given this extensive literature study, it seems that 1) the interest in this area is growing and we present tables that illustrate this growing interest over time, 2) reflection and behavioral change are two interrelated notions, and 3) these notions are well-explored in our field. Further on, we suggest that as interaction design is increasingly exploring the design of “tangible”, “smart”, “connected” and even “intelligent” artifacts, we should think about how reflection, and our ability to “think with artifacts” can be extended to include the design of interactive artifacts. In this paper we suggest how that might be done and we point at a design space for designing such interactive artifacts to think with
Att göra skillnad : Ingrid Segerstedt Wiberg och hennes insatser för statslösa flyktingar under andra världskriget
No full textKan enskilda personers insatser göra skillnad en tid när det är svårt att leva upp till sina egna moraliska värderingar? Under andra världskriget var Sveriges gränser svåra att korsa för dem som flydde från nazismens terror. Men bland de i Sverige som aktivt motarbetade nazismen och den restriktiva flyktingpolitiken fanns ett stort engagemang för att hjälpa flyktingar. Många kvinnor deltog och en av de frivilliga hjälparbetarna var Ingrid Segerstedt Wiberg. Ingrid Segerstedt Wiberg arbete som aktivist och senare Göteborg stads kurator för statslösa flyktingar står i fokus av detta föredrag.</p
Internet of Things (IoT): Studying the Integration of Everyday Objects with the Internet and the Implications for Human Lives
No full textThis chapter explores the integration of everyday objects with the Internet, commonly known as the Internet of things (IoT) and its transformative impact on human lives and urban environments. The chapter begins with an introduction to IoT, providing foundational knowledge about how this technology merges the physical and digital worlds through interconnected devices, ranging from home appliances to complex urban infrastructure. It emphasises the potential benefits of IoT, such as enhanced efficiency, convenience, and personalisation of user experiences, while also addressing significant concerns regarding privacy, security, and the socioeconomic implications of widespread technology deployment. A substantial focus is placed on how IoT technologies shape and are shaped by urban environments, using metropolitan projects as examples to explore the integration of technology within cities. The narrative investigates strategic considerations related to the embedding of IoT in urban landscapes, questioning how technology can harmoniously coexist with ecological and human dimensions of city life. Moreover, the chapter delves into responsive environments (RE), an area of human–technology Interaction (HTI) that merges architecture, computer science, and cognitive science to create spaces that adapt to human presence and behaviour
Le politiche istituzionali comunitarie intraprese a seguito dell’ultimo allargamento. Il ruolo ed il peso dei piccoli stati nell’Unione Europea
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