A territorial analysis of infrastructures in Italy

At a regional level the study of the infrastructures becomes really complicate when we consider: the territory equipment and the different potentiality of its development. Usually to this articulation corresponds even an analogue no homogeneity of the socio-economical conditions characterizing the various territorial areas. It is one of the most interesting aspect of the research to establish if and in which way these elements are connected among themselves, if it is possible that in an area the level of infrastructures can contribute to determine the development of the area or vice versa. To obtain this goal we must determine the quantity and quality of the infrastructures. In the reality the research of synthetic index and of the source of information - about the characteristics of the infrastructures - becomes an interesting instrument of the development polices. Even in the diversity of approaches, all the literature regarding the development and the competitiveness of modern productive systems agrees with the growing importance of the quantity and quality of the infrastructures. When we live the theoretical level to effectuate a check of the quantity and quality of the infrastructures in the reality the difficulties encountered aren't of easy solution nor few: findable ness of basic data, control of the minimum requisites of homogeneity and comparability, individuation of correct modality of statistic treatment, indicators building and so on. This research analyses the territorial diffusion of the infrastructures in the Italian regions. This is obtained through the application of qualitative and quantitative statistic indicators. Through the whole aggregation of data we try to determine a general indicator that measures the total level of the infrastructures.

Cluvar: a grouping technique of statistic units and of variables selection

Problems related to the identification of the complex of variables are present in researches regarding the division -related to many phenomena- of a territory in homogeneous areas. The complex of variables must individuate the hypothesis in a univocal way and define the relation among the areas. On the other hand the complex of definite indicators and the kind of grouping methods hypothesised strongly conditioned the choice of a technique of classification. The most common techniques of statistical classification need the previous determination of the groups' number or of the elements number per every group. The goal of this research is to define a technique of classification that allows the formation of homogeneous groups without the previous definition of their numerousness. At the same time this classification make possible the selection of the variables that determine the most significant links among the unities. This technique gives the description of the relations among the single units and the groups. In this research this methodology is used to determine the regional diversification of the Italian financial system. With the cluster analysis applied to the territorial unities we obtain the structural elements which allow the individuation of indicators' groups of real and financial economy that synthesize both the information obtained from the index and a system of relation among the considered territorial units.

Geographical analysis of the academic brain drain in Italy

To study the behavior of Italian researchers living in Italy with a view to creating appropriate policies to tackle the brain drain and discourage academics from emigrating, we constructed a survey based on a sample of 4700 Italian researchers (assistant professors) in several universities in Italy. The outlook is far from rosy: Italian researchers are generally dissatisfied with the economic and social situation of the country. Strong family ties represent the element keeping them at home in Italy. In this regard, no particular differences were noted between the North and South of the country. In analyzing the Italian academic system we identified factors that have greater weight in driving Italian intellectual talent to emigrate: the country’s higher education system leaves all dissatisfied. Furthermore, we discovered other factors that, albeit weak, keep Italian researchers in Italy. However, one wonders how much longer family and national ties will be able to keep Italian skilled agents in Italy, and whether such dissatisfaction may jeopardize the country’s future economic development.Skilled migration; pull and push factors; academic system; geographical distribution

L'interazione edificio-città

Per Niemeyer l'architettura è un tutt'uno con la città e il territorio. Tema cruciale per analizzare questa relazione sono le modalità attraverso le quali separa l'edificio dallo spazio aperto e dalla città. Ci troviamo di fronte ad una ricerca che supera di molto la semplice evoluzione di Le Corbusier e la semplice capacità scultorea che gli è stata attribuita: quella di Niemeyer è una composizione di grande respiro, in continua evoluzione e tensione con la città e con il paesaggio

Institutionalised consensus in Europe’s parliament

Embedded consensus has characterised the behaviour of the European Parliament since its foundation in the 1950s. This research tests the path dependence of consensus during the period of 1994 to 2002, in the light of the changing institutional powers of the Parliament. It challenges existing theory and empirical evidence drawn mainly from roll call votes that has concluded that the European Parliament has become more competitive internally in response to increased institutional powers. There are three causal factors that reinforce consensus: the need to reconcile national and ideological divisions within a multinational political system; the pull of external institutional factors such as institutional change or the separation of powers; and internal incentives for collusion between political actors influenced by the need to accommodate the interests of the national elites present at the level of the European Union. Switzerland, a multiple cleavage system of decentralised federalism that includes consociational characteristics and a separation of powers, provides a comparative reference point for institutionalised consensus. The hypotheses of institutionalised consensus are tested empirically in four ways: 1) by roll call votes between 1994 and 2001, focusing on procedure, policy area, and the cut-off point of the 1999 elections; 2) competition and consensus in the distribution of policy-related office in the Parliament; 3) by Parliament’s use of its powers of appointment and censure over other institutions; and 4) by the internal consensus on the preparation of Parliament’s bids for greater powers when the European Union Treaties are reformed. In adapting the theory of path dependence to a multinational legislature, the methodology presented in this thesis can be applied in furthering the understanding of other comparable institutions