GINI DP 16: Income Inequality and Voter Turnout

The paper looks at the link between inequality and voter turnout, and derives three hypothesis from previous literature. It is shown that inequality associates negatively with turnout at the national elections (hypothesis 1). Although this is not a very strong effect, but it is net of several factors affecting voter turnout that are empirically well proven – such as individual characteristics or different features of the political system. The literature suggests that this negative association is either due to the lower turnout of the poor relative to the rich in high inequality countries (hypothesis 2) or due to the effects of the universal welfare state, which increases turnout through altered social norms as well as decreases inequality through government intervention (hypothesis 3). Although none of the hypotheses were refuted, neither was really supported by the data. I also tested whether inequalities at the top or at the bottom have a different affect on turnout. Although the results, again, are not very robust, it seems that larger differences in income between the very rich and the middle decreases overall turnout, while higher difference between the middle and the very poor increases turnout. This is just the opposite of what is expected from the Downsian rational voter model. JEL codes: D72, D63

Improved transfer of quantum information using a local memory

We demonstrate that the quantum communication between two parties can be significantly improved if the receiver is allowed to store the received signals in a quantum memory before decoding them. In the limit of an infinite memory, the transfer is perfect. We prove that this scheme allows the transfer of arbitrary multipartite states along Heisenberg chains of spin-1/2 particles with random coupling strengths.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; added references to homogenization and asymptotic completenes

Age of selection counts: a cross-country comparison of educational institutions

"In this paper I combine a theoretically developed construction of the school to work transition literature, namely the stratification and standardization dimensions of the education system, and the more data oriented inequality of opportunity research of the economics of education. I collect several possible indicators for both dimensions to compare the countries: utilizing the PISA 2003 data and some other OECD sources I run multilevel analysis to test the effect of the collected country level stratification and standardization indicators on the inequality and on the effectiveness of education. Inequality of opportunity is indicated by the size of the parental background effect on the PISA literacy scores, while effectiveness is the literacy score adjusted for parental background and other individual characteristics. The results show that stratification associates strongly and positively with the inequality of educational opportunity, while standardization in general seems to enhance equality. I reject that stratification would increase effectiveness, and the association between standardization and effectiveness is not straightforward. The most robust finding of the study is that the early age of selection links closely with high inequality of opportunity." (author's abstract

The Impact of Guaranteed Income on Political Participation

This three-paper dissertation examines the impact of guaranteed income (GI) and cash transfer (CT) programs on political participation, aiming to contribute to understanding how social policies can shape civic engagement. The first paper provides a comprehensive literature review on GI and CT programs, focusing on their potential effects on political participation. By analyzing existing studies, this paper identifies key findings and gaps in the literature, setting the stage for further empirical investigation. The second paper develops and tests a new instrument called the Brief Political Participation Scale (BPPS), designed to measure political participation concisely and reliably. The third paper presents an experimental study comparing political participation rates between a treatment group receiving a monthly GI of $500 for 24 months and a control group with no intervention. The study employs the BPPS to measure political participation, revealing the effects of GI on political engagement. By comparing the treatment and control groups, this paper provides valuable insights into the potential of GI programs to influence political participation and attempts to address the research gaps identified in the literature review. This dissertation contributes to understanding the relationship between GI and CT programs and political participation. By examining the existing literature, developing a new measurement tool, and conducting an empirical study, this research comprehensively analyzes how income-based social policies can shape political engagement. It offers implications for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to enhance political participation within their communities

The boon of barbarism. Returns on an idea in contemporary art and politics.

Die Dissertation verhandelt die Ambivalenz des Barbarischen als ästhetische und kritische Wertung innerhalb der vom Surrealismus abgespaltenen Fraktion um Georges Bataille in Paris zu Ende der 1920er Jahre sowie zeitgleicher völkisch-faschistischer kunstwissenschaftlicher Diskurse in Deutschland. Insbesondere wird die kunsthistorische und zeitgeschichtliche Begrifflichkeit des Barbarischen anhand einer komparativen Studie über Batailles Avantgarde Zeitschrift Documents (1929-1930), seinem später folgendem Collège de Sociologie, sowie der völkischen Publikation Germanien (1929-1944) vorgestellt und interpretiert. Hierbei werden die Berührungspunkte dieser gegensätzlichen Publikationen und intellektuellen Milieus anhand der korrespondierenden Methodologien ästhetischer und historischer Neubewertung nicht-westlicher bzw. vorchristlicher, gnostischer Kulturgegenstände und Gebräuche ausgearbeitet. Dies geht mit einer Re-evaluierung paralleler Konzeptualisierungen archaischer, anti-moderner und anti-humanistischer Formen von Gemeinschaft wie dem Opferritual und dem Sakralen sowie antikapitalistischer Ökonomien einher, als systematische Absage an die Gesellschaft der westlichen Moderne. In diesem Zusammenhang wird auch Walter Benjamins Idee des „positiv Barbarischen“ – sein gesellschaftlich-ästhetisches Programm gegen Massenkultur und reaktionären Traditionalismus im prä-faschistischen Europa – rückbetrachtet. Die Arbeit behandelt abschließend die Restauration und postmodernistische Neuauflage von Batailles heterologischer Theorie durch Hal Fosters Konzeption des „Anti-Ästhetischen” (the „antiaesthetic”) zu Beginn der 1980er Jahre, sowie durch die Zeitschrift October und der damit verbundenen Ausstellung und Publikation L’informe: mode d’emploi (1996) durch Rosalind Krauss und Yve-Alain Bois. Hier wird die kritische Relevanz und Effektivität künstlerischer Aufklärung und des Schockeffekts im Zeitalter der digitalen Bildgemeinschaft anhand von zeitgenössischen Arbeiten diskutiert, die sich explizit „transgressives“ bzw. barbarisches Bildmaterial im Kontext globaler militärischer Konflikte und autorisierter Folter aneignen und rekontextualisieren

Full control by locally induced relaxation

We demonstrate a scheme for controlling a large quantum system by acting on a small subsystem only. The local control is mediated to the larger system by some fixed coupling Hamiltonian. The scheme allows to transfer arbitrary and unknown quantum states from a memory on the large system (``upload access'') as well as the inverse (``download access''). We study sufficient conditions of the coupling Hamiltonian and give lower bounds on the fidelities for downloading and uploading.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

ENERGY SUPPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR WHEAT PASTURE STOCKER CATTLE UNDER UNCERTAIN FORAGE AVAILABILITY

Energy supplementation provides a means of reducing production risk of growing stocker cattle on winter wheat pasture. This study addresses the issue of risk aversion and energy supplement input use. Differences in supplementation practices induced by risk aversion and the effects of cattle and feed market conditions are examined. Results show that supplementation practices are likely to be similar across producers, irrespective of their risk attitudes. Cattle and feed market conditions, however, markedly affect supplementation practices. These findings provide information for assisting stockmen in identifying efficient supplement strategies.Risk, Wheat pasture grazing, Numerical integration, Energy supplementation, Livestock Production/Industries,