Anreizsetzung im Public Sector : quasi-experimentelle Evaluation des Staatseingriffs im Rahmen der Änderung des Wahlgesetzes im Kanton Schaffhausen

Eine funktionierende Demokratie stiftet der Allgemeinheit einen Nutzen. Deren Aufrechterhaltung bedarf jedoch der Partizipation der Bürgerinnen und Bürger. Wie viele Demokratien weltweit ist auch die Schweizer Abstimmungs-Demokratie mit einer rückläufigen Stimmbeteiligung konfrontiert. Vor diesem Hintergrund rückt immer wieder der Kanton Schaffhausen in den Fokus der Aufmerksamkeit, der seine Bürgerinnen und Bürger zur Teilnahme zwingt und aus dem Stimmrecht eine Stimmpflicht macht. Als einziger Schweizer Kanton kennt Schaffhausen gegenwärtig noch die sogenannte Stimm- und Wahlpflicht, welche im Zuge der Änderung des Wahlgesetzes seit Anfang des Jahres 2015 mit einem Bussgeld von 6 Schweizer Franken (CHF) sanktioniert wird. Zuvor lag das Bussgeld fürs Nicht-Abstimmen oder Wählen bei CHF 3. Einher mit dieser Bussgeld-Verdoppelung geht eine Veränderung des Budgetsets der Bürgerinnen und Bürger, denn letztendlich stehen diese vor der Wahl die Zeitkosten der Abstimmungs-Teilnahme oder die Kosten des Bussgeldes zu tragen. Die vorliegende Masterarbeit untersuchte die Wirkung dieser Policy Intervention auf das Abstimmungsverhalten der stimmpflichtigen Schaffhauser Bevölkerung. Ausgehend von der Überlegung, dass im Kanton Schaffhausen bedingt durch die Bussgeldverdoppelung das Budgetset der stimmpflichtigen Bürgerinnen und Bürger verändert wurde und jenes in allen anderen Schweizer Kantonen konstant blieb, ergibt sich bei den eidgenössischen Sachabstimmungen ein quasi-experimentelles Setting, worin die anderen Kantone als Kontrollgruppe fungieren. Durch Anwendung der Difference-in-Differences Methodik und auf Basis eines aus der Theorie hergeleiteten empirischen Modells wurde der interventionsbedingte Effekt auf die Stimmbeteiligung, sowie den Anteil leerer und ungültiger Stimmen ermittelt. Während ein Anstieg der Stimmbeteiligung sich basierend auf der durchgeführten Analyse statistisch nicht verlässlich nachweisen liess, konnte empirisch belegt werden, dass die mit der Bussgeldverdoppelung einhergehende Veränderung des Budgetsets der stimmpflichtigen Bürgerinnen und Bürger im Kanton Schaffhausen einen Anstieg des Anteils ungültiger und leerer Stimmen bewirkte. Aus der Arbeit geht entsprechend Evidenz hervor, dass aufgrund der Verdoppelung des Bussgeldes ein zusätzlicher Anteil von 0,75 Prozent der Schaffhauser Stimmbevölkerung zur Vermeidung des Bussgeldes und zur Reduktion des kognitiven Entscheidungsaufwandes die Abstimmungsunterlagen leer oder ungültig in die Urne legt. Die Untersuchung bestätigt somit, dass sowohl im Kontext der Schweizer Abstimmungsdemokratie das Wählerverhalten rational geprägt sein kann und bei gewissen Individuen ein Nutzenmaximierungs-Kalkül mitschwingt. Der Beitrag der verschärften monetären Sanktionierung der Stimmpflicht im Kanton Schaffhausen zur Aufrechterhaltung einer funktionierenden, lebendigen Demokratie ist aufgrund des Anstiegs leerer und ungültiger Stimmen anzuzweifeln. Eine effektive Präferenzäusserung und Stimulation der politischen Partizipation wäre entsprechend wohl anderweitig anzuregen

Clean spark spread : Correlation, integration and long-run relationships between electricity, natural gas and CO2 allowances prices. An empirical study on the markets in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom

In this master thesis we study and explore the relationship between the clean spark spread commodities; electricity, natural gas and CO2 allowances prices in Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K. The time period for the analysis is based on the establishment of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in 2005 and the following phases. In the statistical analysis we made several observations that are important for various market participants exposed to the markets. The analysis has also emphasized the importance of using several statistical techniques to explore a causal relationship. The statistical frameworks used in the analysis are correlation, co-integration, error-correction model and Granger causality. In the short-run perspective we found that prices of the same commodity at different hubs were strongly correlated in returns, while cross-commodity (spark spread) return correlations were rather weak. However, in a long-run perspective we found well-defined links between electricity and natural gas prices

Debt containment rules in the era of true and fair accounting : fiscal leeway between hammer and anvil

Deviations from modern public sector accounting principles and standards are potentially politically motivated. To avoid jeopardizing adherence to the institutionalized self-constraining debt brake mechanisms, financial flexibility is aimed to be preserved in the institutional framework governing public finances. This paper elaborates and discusses potential tensions between debt containment rules and the application of true and fair accounting at the example of three Swiss cantons by building on case-based empirical evidence, which was gained out of semi-structured interviews. Abweichungen gegenüber den heutigen Rechnungslegungsstandards und -prinzipien des öffentlichen Gemeinwesens sind potentiell politisch motiviert. Um die Einhaltung der selbst auferlegten Schuldenbremsen nicht zu gefährden, ist man versucht finanzpolitischen Spielraum zu bewahren und den institutionellen Rahmen zur Steuerung öffentlicher Finanzen entsprechend zu gestalten und auszurichten. Dieser Beitrag untersucht und diskutiert mögliche Spannungsfelder zwischen Schuldenbremse-Regelungen und der Anwendung von modernen Rechnungslegungsnormen am Beispiel von drei Kantonen

Voter turnout and abstention pricing : quasiexperimental evidence on the effects of a marginal increase in the monetary enforcement of compulsory voting

In political science literature, it is often argued that compulsory voting can serve as a remedy against turnout inequality and thereby contribute to more egalitarian societies. However, the literature neglects differences between compulsory voting systems, and most studies consider the obligation to vote as a dichotomous variable. As a result, relatively little is known about the causal effects of particular stimuli and features of compulsory voting. By exploiting quasi-experimental conditions from direct-democratic decision-making in Switzerland, this research assesses the degree to which abstention fines account for a citizen’s willingness to vote under a compulsory voting context. The findings reveal that a marginal increase in monetary sanctions for voter-abstention leads temporally to a sizeable increase in turnout. However, it does not necessarily contribute to the expression of preferences by those traditionally underrepresented in direct-democratic decision-making since a third of those motivated to vote by the threat of a heavier fine will cast an empty or invalid ballot. The effect on turnout is further found to be moderated by income

Entwicklung eines regionalen, agentenbasierten Verkehrssimulationsmodells zur Analyse von Mobilitätsszenarien für die Region Ruhr

Durch sich verändernde Lebensmuster, neue Strukturen in der Arbeitswelt sowie weiterhin ungelöste Fragestellungen bzgl. Umweltwirkungen des Verkehrssektors stehen die Verkehrssysteme der Städte und Regionen vor großen Herausforderungen. Diese werden begleitet durch technische Neuerungen wie autonome Fahrzeuge und neue Antriebstechnologien. In der Region Ruhr bietet sich im Zuge der Umgestaltung der Emscherregion (vgl. EGLV, 2018) eine besondere Gelegenheit, Veränderungen im Verkehrssystem herbeizuführen, welche obige Herausforderungen aufgreifen

British and U.S. post-neutrality policy in the North Atlantic area 09.04.1940-1945: The role of Danish representatives.

Following the German occupation of Denmark on April 9th 1940 Danish representatives were left to their own devices and their positions in their respective host-countries became very much dependent upon the goodwill shown to them by their host-governments and, in the case of the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland, the governments and officials of the occupying forces. With their connections with the Government in Copenhagen severed the main task of the Danish representatives was to secure Danish interests in the North Atlantic Territories as well as elsewhere. The fact that Denmark had not put up a fight to defend her neutrality and the subsequent collaboration of the Danish Government with the German occupiers counted against the Danish representatives abroad. However, the Danes were able to exercise a remarkable level of influence on the British and Americans with regard to their policies towards the North Atlantic Area. The extent of influence was mainly due to the entrepreneurship of each individual, the constitutional status of the territory as part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and also due to strategic importance attached by the occupying forces' governments to the occupied territories in question. This latter point became especially apparent in the power struggle amongst the Danish representatives that emerged from the lack of a Danish Government in exile. It became important to the British and the Americans that it was the Danish representative in their country, who emerged as the victor of this power struggle, because that would help to secure their future interests in the North Atlantic territories. The Danish representatives were thus in some cases shown more goodwill and attention than their Norwegian colleagues, although the Norwegians had put up a brave fight against the Germans and had joined the allied side. The North Atlantic area proved very important to the general war policy of the British and Americans during Second World War. British policies were much dependent upon the Americans and Greenland and Iceland became instrumental in the increased involvement of the Americans in the war

Hurricane Evacuation Modeling Using Behavior Models and Scenario-Driven Agent-Based Simulations

Transportation modeling and simulation play an important role in the planning and management of emergency evacuation. It is often indispensable for the preparedness and timely response to extreme events occurring in highly populated areas. Reliable and robust agent-based evacuation models are of great importance to support evacuation decision making. Nevertheless, these models rely on numerous hypothetical causal relationships between the evacuation behavior and a variety of factors including socio-economic characteristics and storm intensity. Understanding the impacts of these factors on evacuation behaviors (e.g., destination and route choices) is crucial in preparing optimal evacuation plans. This paper aims to contribute to the literature by integrating well-calibrated behavior models with an agent-based evacuation simulation model in the context of hurricane evacuation. Specifically, discrete choice models were developed to estimate the evacuation behaviors based on large-scale survey data in Northern New Jersey. Monte-Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) sampling method was used to estimate evacuation propensity and destination choices for the whole population. Finally, evacuation of over a million residents in the study area was simulated using agent-based simulation built in MATSim. The agent-based modeling framework proposed in this paper provides an integrated methodology for evacuation simulation with specific consideration of agents’ behaviors. The simulation results need to be further validated and verified using real-world evacuation data

Available Functionality and How to Use It

In this chapter you will learn about possibilities to extend and customize MATSim (Multi-Agent Transport Simulation) through provided functionality

More About Configuring MATSim

This chapter describes configuration options that can be used together with the three basic elements: config file, population and network

Turisme og ansvar for miljø og samfunn : et casestudie av motivene bak økoturisme

Masteroppgave i bedriftsøkonomi - Universitetet i Nordland, 2012Denne oppgaven handler om økoturisme, og hvilket ansvar man tar ovenfor miljø og samfunn i sammenheng med dette. Jeg har fokusert på bedriftssiden, for å finne ut hvorfor noen velger å ta mer ansvar enn det som er vanlig i turistbransjen. Turisme på generelt basis er ikke en miljøvennlig bransje eller aktivitet å drive. Allikevel er det en utbredt fritidssyssel, og med dagens globale samfunn er det få steder i verden som er utilgjengelige. Jeg har her i denne oppgaven gjort rede for turisme, og det ansvaret som bør følge når du skal holde på i denne bransjen. Dette er et viktig tema, ettersom man ser negative effekter både på miljø og samfunn. Dette kan materialisere seg i både turistforakt, utvanning av kulturer, samt ødelagt natur og forstyrrede økosystemer. Jeg går inn på modeller som originalt kommer fra økologisk økonomi, men som med litt tilpasning kan brukes om turisme og ansvar. Verditriangelet er som et knutepunkt for både økoturisme og økologisk økonomi, hvor det er viktig å ta andre hensyn i tillegg til de økonomiske. Deretter kommer modellen til Winsemius og Guntram, som forteller noe om hvorfor bedrifter tar ansvar og på hvilket stadium de gjør det, nevnelig reaktivt (følge lovgivningen), reseptivt (gå et steg lenger, se fordelene i å få goodwill), konstruktivt (engasjere hele bedriften, jobbe med andre, ta ansvar der de kan) og proaktivt (gå lenger enn det som er ventet, grunnstein i bedriften). Videre har jeg gått inn på etikk, hvor man skiller mellom pliktetikk og konsekvensetikk. Jeg gjør rede for teori om bærekraftig turisme, som et slags hovedbegrep på bedrifter som går lenger enn det som er vanlig praksis. Under dette finnes mange konsepter og nyanser, og jeg har forklart en del av disse, samt beskrevet hvilke definisjoner jeg bruker. Jeg går også inn på hvilke aspekter som kan være vanskelig i forhold til bærekraftighet, nevnelig transport, nettverk, vekst og sertifisering. Jeg har funnet frem til fire case-bedrifter, som har mye til felles, men også forskjeller, i motiv og drift. Bedriftene jeg har brukt har til felles det at de driver naturbasert opplevelsesturisme i Nord-Norge. I tillegg er alle sertifisert hos Norsk Økoturisme. Informasjonen om bedriftene er funnet gjennom dybdeintervju, samt deres egne websider. Disse blir vurdert ut i fra en matrise som krysser pliktetikk/konsekvensetikk med grønt/økologisk syn på turisme. Det viser seg her at bedriftene sertifisert hos Norsk Økoturisme havner i de to kategoriene som er økologisk. Om de driver etter en konsekvensetikk eller pliktetikk varierer fra bedrift til bedrift. De som klassifiseres i konsekvensetikken har en «baktanke» med å drive bedriften, i dette tilfellet hundehold. De to andre driver kun for gleden av det og muligheten til å formidle naturopplevelser. De viser de tar beslutninger, om eksempelvis vekst og utvikling av bedriften, som ikke nødvendigvis lønner seg for dem selv, men som er det beste for miljø og samfunn. Det viser seg at selv om motivene er individuelle, er det visse ting som går igjen. Et sterkt personlig engasjement og et ønske om å gjøre ting riktig. De vil formidle kunnskap om natur, livsstil, lokalområdet og hunder/fugler. Det viste seg også at bedrifter kan bevege seg raskere i Winsemius og Guntrams (2002) modell, ved å hoppe over visse stadier. Dette kan motiveres ved å se andre gjøre det godt, for så å følge deres eksempel. Eventuelt kan man lære av dårlig erfaring, og forandre bedriften til å drive på et høyere nivå. Konkluderende ser jeg på mulighetene for at fler tar ansvar, og hva som må gjøres for at dette skal skje