The Violent and the Weak: When Dictators Care About Social Contracts

This paper explores the conditions under which compliance with a social contract establishes an equilibrium in a society. It is assumed that society consists of two groups, one of which has a comparative advantage in using violence, whereas the other one has a comparative advantage in producing a private good. Violence can be used to produce security as well as to exploit the weaker group. Yet, exploitation is limited: it reduces the incentives of the exploited group to produce the private good and increases the chances of a revolution. A social contract consists of the exchange of security against a share of the private good, produced at a high level of effort. The model not only allows the derivation of conditions for either compliance or exploitation to occur, but also sheds light on the transition from one form of government to the other. Hence, it contributes to Positive Constitutional Economics, i.e., the research program that is interested in explaining the emergence and the change of constitutions. -- Das Paper zeigt die Bedingungen auf, unter denen die Einhaltung eines Sozialvertrages ein Gleichgewicht ist. Dabei wird angenommen, daß die Gesellschaft aus zwei Gruppen besteht: Die eine hat einen komparativen Kostenvorteil bei der Anwendung von Gewalt, die andere beim Herstellen eines privaten Gutes. Gewalt kann sowohl zur Produktion von Sicherheit benutzt werden, als auch zur Ausbeutung der schwächeren Gruppe. Ausbeutung ist jedoch nur begrenzt möglich, weil sie zum einen die Anreize der ausgebeuteten Gruppe zur Produktion des privaten Gutes senkt, zum anderen die Chancen einer erfolgreichen Revolution erhöht. Der Sozialvertrag sieht den Austausch von Sicherheit gegen einen Anteil am privaten Gut vor, das auf hohem Anstrengungsniveau produziert wird. Das Modell ermöglicht es nicht nur, die Bedingungen für Sozialvertragstreue bzw. Ausbeutungsdiktatur herzuleiten, sondern beleuchtet auch den Übergang von einer Regierungsform zur anderen. So leistet es einen Beitrag zur Positiven Konstitutionenökonomik, also dem Forschungsprogramm, das die Entstehung und den Wandel von Verfassungen erklärt.self-enforcing contracts,rule of law,dictatorship,autocracy,Positive Constitutional Economics

Constitutions as Equilibria: A Game-theoretic Approach to Positive Constitutional Economics

The aim of this paper is to derive conditions under which either dictatorship or the rule of law are the equilibria of a post-constitutional game. It thus contributes to positive constitutional economics, i.e., the research program that is interested in explaining the emergence of constitutions and their change over time. In our model, society is assumed to consist of two groups one of which has a comparative advantage in using violence. Violence can be used to produce (transactional) security as well as to exploit the weaker group, which has a comparative advantage in producing a private good. Yet, exploitation is limited: it increases the chances of a revolution and reduces the incentives of the exploited group to produce the private good. The model identifies the conditions under which the two groups will comply with a social contract which consists of the exchange of high effort in producing the private good against provision of security. We also identify conditions under which a social contract is cheap talk and exploitation occurs. -- Das Paper arbeitet Bedingungen heraus, unter denen entweder Rechtsstaat oder aber Diktatur Gleichgewicht eines post-konstitutionellen Spiels ist. Es stellt damit einen Beitrag zur Positiven Konstitutionenökonomik dar, dem Forschungsprogramm zur Erklärung der Entstehung und des Wandels von Verfassungen. In unserem Modell wird angenommen, daß die Gesellschaft aus zwei Gruppen besteht. Eine hat einen komparativen Kostenvorteil bei der Anwendung von Gewalt, die zur Produktion des öffentlichen Guts (Tausch-)Sicherheit benutzt werden kann, aber auch dazu, die schwächere Gruppe auszubeuten. Diese hat einen komparativen Kostenvorteil bei der Herstellung eines privaten Gutes. Das Ausmaß der Ausbeutung ist jedoch begrenzt, weil dadurch die Aussichten einer erfolgreichen Revolution erhöht werden. Außerdem vermindert Ausbeutung die Anreize der schwächeren Gruppe, das private Gut herzustellen. Das Modell zeigt die Bedingungen auf, unter denen die beiden Gruppen einen Sozialvertrag einhalten, der den Austausch eines hohen Produktionsniveaus gegen Sicherheit vorsieht. Außerdem werden die Bedingungen identifiziert, unter denen es zu Ausbeutung kommt, dieser Sozialvertrag also nur "cheap talk" ist.Self-enforcing contracts,Rule of law,dictatorship,autocracy,Positive Constitutional Economics

Constitutions as Equilibria: A Game-theoretic Approach to Positive Constitutional Economics

The aim of this paper is to derive conditions under which either dictatorship or the rule of law are the equilibria of a post-constitutional game. It thus contributes to positive constitutional economics, i.e., the research program that is interested in explaining the emergence of constitutions and their change over time. In our model, society is assumed to consist of two groups one of which has a comparative advantage in using violence. Violence can be used to produce (transactional) security as well as to exploit the weaker group, which has a comparative advantage in producing a private good. Yet, exploitation is limited: it increases the chances of a revolution and reduces the incentives of the exploited group to produce the private good. The model identifies the conditions under which the two groups will comply with a social contract which consists of the exchange of high effort in producing the private good against provision of security. We also identify conditions under which a social contract is cheap talk and exploitation occurs.Das Paper arbeitet Bedingungen heraus, unter denen entweder Rechtsstaat oder aber Diktatur Gleichgewicht eines post-konstitutionellen Spiels ist. Es stellt damit einen Beitrag zur Positiven Konstitutionenökonomik dar, dem Forschungsprogramm zur Erklärung der Entstehung und des Wandels von Verfassungen. In unserem Modell wird angenommen, daß die Gesellschaft aus zwei Gruppen besteht. Eine hat einen komparativen Kostenvorteil bei der Anwendung von Gewalt, die zur Produktion des öffentlichen Guts (Tausch-)Sicherheit benutzt werden kann, aber auch dazu, die schwächere Gruppe auszubeuten. Diese hat einen komparativen Kostenvorteil bei der Herstellung eines privaten Gutes. Das Ausmaß der Ausbeutung ist jedoch begrenzt, weil dadurch die Aussichten einer erfolgreichen Revolution erhöht werden. Außerdem vermindert Ausbeutung die Anreize der schwächeren Gruppe, das private Gut herzustellen. Das Modell zeigt die Bedingungen auf, unter denen die beiden Gruppen einen Sozialvertrag einhalten, der den Austausch eines hohen Produktionsniveaus gegen Sicherheit vorsieht. Außerdem werden die Bedingungen identifiziert, unter denen es zu Ausbeutung kommt, dieser Sozialvertrag also nur "cheap talk" ist

The Violent and the Weak: When Dictators Care About Social Contracts

This paper explores the conditions under which compliance with a social contract establishes an equilibrium in a society. It is assumed that society consists of two groups, one of which has a comparative advantage in using violence, whereas the other one has a comparative advantage in producing a private good. Violence can be used to produce security as well as to exploit the weaker group. Yet, exploitation is limited: it reduces the incentives of the exploited group to produce the private good and increases the chances of a revolution. A social contract consists of the exchange of security against a share of the private good, produced at a high level of effort. The model not only allows the derivation of conditions for either compliance or exploitation to occur, but also sheds light on the transition from one form of government to the other. Hence, it contributes to Positive Constitutional Economics, i.e., the research program that is interested in explaining the emergence and the change of constitutions.Das Paper zeigt die Bedingungen auf, unter denen die Einhaltung eines Sozialvertrages ein Gleichgewicht ist. Dabei wird angenommen, daß die Gesellschaft aus zwei Gruppen besteht: Die eine hat einen komparativen Kostenvorteil bei der Anwendung von Gewalt, die andere beim Herstellen eines privaten Gutes. Gewalt kann sowohl zur Produktion von Sicherheit benutzt werden, als auch zur Ausbeutung der schwächeren Gruppe. Ausbeutung ist jedoch nur begrenzt möglich, weil sie zum einen die Anreize der ausgebeuteten Gruppe zur Produktion des privaten Gutes senkt, zum anderen die Chancen einer erfolgreichen Revolution erhöht. Der Sozialvertrag sieht den Austausch von Sicherheit gegen einen Anteil am privaten Gut vor, das auf hohem Anstrengungsniveau produziert wird. Das Modell ermöglicht es nicht nur, die Bedingungen für Sozialvertragstreue bzw. Ausbeutungsdiktatur herzuleiten, sondern beleuchtet auch den Übergang von einer Regierungsform zur anderen. So leistet es einen Beitrag zur Positiven Konstitutionenökonomik, also dem Forschungsprogramm, das die Entstehung und den Wandel von Verfassungen erklärt

The Violent and the Weak: When Dictators Care About Social Contracts

This paper explores the conditions under which compliance with a social contract establishes an equilibrium in a society. It is assumed that society consists of two groups, one of which has a comparative advantage in using violence, whereas the other one has a comparative advantage in producing a private good. Violence can be used to produce security as well as to exploit the weaker group. Yet, exploitation is limited: it reduces the incentives of the exploited group to produce the private good and increases the chances of a revolution. A social contract consists of the exchange of security against a share of the private good, produced at a high level of effort. The model not only allows the derivation of conditions for either compliance or exploitation to occur, but also sheds light on the transition from one form of government to the other. Hence, it contributes to Positive Constitutional Economics, i.e., the research program that is interested in explaining the emergence and the change of constitutions.self-enforcing contracts, rule of law, dictatorship, autocracy, Positive Constitutional Economics,

On resolvent matrices for nondegenerate matricial Schur problems

AbstractFull-rank jpq-elementary factors with a pole of order n + 1 at z = ∞ (or at z = 0) are recognized as left and right resolvent matrices of certain nondegenerate matricial Schur problems

J-aggregates of amphiphilic cyanine dyes: Self-organization of artificial light harvesting complexes

The simultaneous chemical linkage of cyanine dye chromophores with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic substituents leads to a new type of amphiphilic molecules with the ability of spontaneous self-organization into highly ordered aggregates of various structures and morphologies. These aggregates carry the outstanding optical properties of J-aggregates, namely, efficient exciton coupling and fast exciton energy migration, which are essential for the build up of artificial light harvesting systems. The morphology of the aggregates depends sensitively on the molecular structure of the chemical substituents of the dye chromophore. Accordingly, lamellar ribbon-like structures, vesicles , tubes, and bundles of tubes are found depending on the dyes and the structure can further be altered by addition of surfactants, alcohols, or other additives. Altogether the tubular structure is the most noticeable structural motif of these types of J-aggregates. The optical spectra are characterized in general by a complex exciton spectrum which is composed of several electronic transitions. The spectrum is red-shifted as a total with respect to the monomer absorption and exhibits resonance fluorescence from the lowest energy transition. For the tubular structures, the optical spectra can be related to a structural model. Although the molecules itself are strictly achiral, a pronounced circular dichroism (CD) is observed for the tubular aggregates and explained by unequal distribution of left- and right-handed helicity of the tubes. Photo-induced electron transfer (PET) reactions from the dye aggregates to electron acceptor molecules lead to superquenching which proves the delocalization of the excitation. This property is used to synthesize metal nanoparticles on the aggregate surface by photo-induced reduction of metal ions

Nanostructured solid-state hybrid photovoltaic cells fabricated by electrostatic layer-by-layer deposition

We report on the fabrication of hybrid organic/inorganic photovoltaic cells utilizing layer-by-layer deposition of water-soluble polyions and nanocrystals. A bulk heterojunction structure was created consisting of alternating layers of the p-conductive polythiophene derivative poly[2-(3-thienyl)-ethoxy-4-butylsulfonate] and n-conductive TiO2nanoparticles. We fabricated working devices with the heterostructure sandwiched between suitable charge carrier blocking layers and conducting oxide and metal electrodes, respectively. We analyzed the influence of the thickness and nanostructure of the active layer on the cell performance and characterized the devices in terms of static and transient current response with respect to illumination and voltage conditions. We observed reproducible and stable photovoltaic behavior with photovoltages of up to 0.9 V