Vote-Buying and Growth

Vote-buying is widely used by parties in developing countries to influence the outcome of elections. We examine the impact of vote-buying on growth. We consider a model with a poverty trap where redistribution can promote growth. We show that vote-buying contributes to the persistence of poverty as taxed wealthy people buy votes from poor people. We then show that there exists a democratic constitution that breaks vote buying and promotes growth. Such a constitution involves rotating agenda setting, a taxpayer-protection rule and repeated voting. The latter rule makes vote buying prohibitively costly.vote-buying, political economy, poverty traps, economic development, voting rules, repeated voting

Tolerance-Discourses in Germany: How Muslims are constructed as national others

Work Package 5: New Knowledge on Tolerance and Cultural Diversity in EuropeThe ACCEPT PLURALISM project (2010-2013) is funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme, Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities. (Call FP7-SSH-2009-A, Grant Agreement no: 243837). Coordinator: Prof. Anna Triandafyllidou, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute

Rassistische Diskurse im Einwanderungsland Deutschland - Das Aushandeln von Flucht und Asyl über soziale Medien im lokalen Raum

Wie kein anderes Thema haben die Fluchtbewegungen im Jahr 2015 die deutsche Öffentlichkeit polarisiert. Dies schlägt sich auch in einer enormen Mobilisierungswirkung im Lokalen nieder: Vielerorts haben sich Initiativen gegründet, die sich gegen die Unterbringung von Geflüchteten in ihrer unmittelbaren Nachbarschaft richten. Das Working Paper untersucht am Beispiel von zwei solcher Bürgerinitiativen, wie Online-Diskurse um Flucht und Asyl beschaffen sind. Hierfür werden deduktiv zentrale Kategorien aus dem Forschungsstand zu Rassismus abgeleitet, die den Vergleich strukturieren und die Grundlage für die diskursanalytische Untersuchung bilden. Obwohl die Fallbeispiele in verschiedenen Kontexten angesiedelt sind, kann aufgezeigt werden, dass sich bestimmte Argumentationsmuster und -strategien in beiden Initiativen wiederholen, wenngleich sie in ihrer Form mitunter variieren. Das Papier bestätigt damit die These vom „Extremismus der Mitte“ für die sogenannte Asyldebatte

Die Überwindung von Bankenkrisen aus makroökonomischer Perspektive

In der Diplomarabeit "Die Überwindung von Bankenkrisen aus makroökonomischer Perspektive" werden Ursachen und Abläufe von Bankenkrisen beschrieben sowie mögliche Lösungsvorschläge ausgearbeitet und diskutiert. Dabei stehen die makroökonomischen Auswirkungen einer solchen Krise und die Vermeidung von Wohlfahrtsverlusten im Vordergrund der Analyse. Die Arbeit endet in einem Maßnahmenkatalog, der festlegt, welche Maßnahme in welcher Krisenphase durchgeführt werden sollte, um die Auswirkungen einer Bankenkrise auf die Volkswirtschaft so gering wie möglich zu halten

VOTE-BUYING AND GROWTH

Vote-buying is widely used by parties in developing countries to influence the outcome of elections. We examine the impact of vote-buying on growth. We consider a model with a poverty trap where redistribution can promote growth. We show that vote-buying contributes to the persistence of poverty as taxed wealthy people buy votes from poor people. We then show that there exists a democratic constitution that breaks vote-buying and promotes growth. Such a constitution involves rotating agenda setting, a taxpayer-protection rule, and repeated voting. The latter rule makes vote-buying prohibitively costl

E-MORB glasses from the Gakkel Ridge (Arctic Ocean) at 87°N: evidence for the Earth's most northerly volcanic activity

During the ARCTIC '91 expedition aboard RV Polarstern (ARK VIII/3) to the Central Arctic Ocean, a box corer sample on the Gakkel Ridge at 87 degrees N and 60 degrees E yielded a layer of sand-sized, dark brown volcanic glass shards at the surface of the sediment core. These shards have been investigated by petrographic, mineralogical, geochemical and radiogenic isotope methods. The nearly vesicle-free and aphyric glass shards bear only minute microphenocrysts of magnesiochromite and olivine (Fo(88-89)). Most glasses are fresh, although some show signs of incipient low-temperature alteration. From their shapes and sizes, the glass shards most likely formed by spalling of glassy rinds of a nearby volcanic outcrop. Geochemically, the glasses are relatively unfractionated tholeiites with E-MORB trace element compositions. Thus, they are quite similar to the previously investigated ARK IV/3-11-370-5 basalts from 86 degrees N. The Nd and Sr isotopic ratios of PS 2167-2 glasses are significantly lower than for ARK IV/3-11-370-5 basalts and suggest an isotopically heterogeneous mantle source of Gakkel Ridge MORE between 86 degrees and 87 degrees N. The positive Delta-8/4 Pb value (similar to 16) and high Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio (0.70270), found for PS 2167-2 glasses are similar to that of ARK IV/3-11-370-5 basalts and show the influence of the DUPAL isotopic anomaly in the high Arctic mantle. These results argue against the presence of an 'anti-DUPAL anomaly' in the mantle below the North Pole region and simple models of whole-mantle convection

Expedition to the volcanoes of the Arctic seafloor : the AMORE Expedition headed for the so-called “Gakkel Ridge” where, on the floor of the Arctic Ocean, there is hot work afoot – for this ocean ridge is composed of active volcanoes

Beginning: When Jules Verne made his imaginary journey of exploration to the centre of the earth through the vents in an Icelandic volcano over a hundred years ago, he assumed that all volcanoes are interlinked in a subterranean system. But even his imagination failed to visualise the world-wide system of submarine volcanoes that extends over a distance of over 60,000 kilometres and only breaks the surface of the ocean at Iceland. This mid-oceanic ridge, which spans the entire world ocean, has evolved along the boundaries between the tectonic plates of the Earth’s crust. Gakkel Ridge, in the central eastern Arctic Ocean is the northern most spur of the plate boundary between Eurasia and North America, and at the same time the most slowly opening ridge segment in the world, opening only a few millimetres each year

Fatores de risco associados ao broncoespasmo induzido pelo exrcício em adolescentes

Orientadora : Profª. Drª. Neiva LeiteDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Física. Defesa: Curitiba, 23/03/2015Inclui referênciasÁrea de concentração: Exercício e esporteResumo: O exercício físico regular faz parte do tratamento de doenças como a obesidade e a asma, entretanto estas patologias estão relacionadas com o broncoespasmo induzido pelo exercício (BIE), o que dificulta a prática de atividades físicas e a condução terapêutica. Além disso, os polimorfismos dos receptores adrenérgicos beta 2 (ADRB2) vêm sendo associados com a presença da obesidade e da asma. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a influência do histórico de asma, presença de obesidade e polimorfismos nos receptores ADRB2 como fatores de risco no desencadeamento do broncoespasmo induzido pelo exercício em adolescentes. Neste estudo, participaram 160 adolescentes, de ambos os sexos, divididos em dois grupos: BIE positivo (n= 45) e BIE negativo (n=115). O excesso de peso foi classificado pelo IMC escore-Z conforme os pontos propostos pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), o histórico de asma pelo questionário International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), a obesidade visceral pelo aumento da circunferência abdominal (CA) e a aptidão física pelo consumo máximo de oxigênio. O BIE foi avaliado por teste de broncoprovocação com exercício, realizado em esteira ergométrica, utilizando protocolo na qual consistiu em caminhar/correr durante no mínimo 8 minutos, em intensidade superior a 85% da frequência cardíaca máxima, sendo considerado como positivo a queda igual ou superior a 10% do volume expiratório forçado no primeiro segundo (VEF1) após o exercício em relação ao valor basal. A intensidade foi avaliada pela área acima da curva (AAC0-15), considerando a queda máxima do VEF1 e o tempo de recuperação. A genotipagem dos genes do ADRB2 foi realizada pelo método Taqman com o aparelho Step One Plus. Foram utilizados, para a análise estatística, os testes de Kolmogorov-Smirnov, teste t independente, U de Mann-Whitney, quiquadrado, teste exato de Fisher e o coeficiente de correlação de Spearman, com nível de significância estipulado em p?0,05. No grupo BIE+, encontrou-se maior frequência de história de asma (?2=20,96; p?0,0001) e menor frequência de aptidão física inadequada (?2=4,44; p=0,03) em comparação ao BIE-, não foram encontradas diferenças na frequência de excesso de peso (?2=1,95; p=0,16), CA aumentada (?2=0,62; p=0,43) e no alelo do polimorfismo Gln27Glu (?2=0,001; p=0,97), enquanto que o alelo Gly16 tende a ser mais frequente no BIE+ (?2=2,87; p=0,08). O BIE foi correlacionado positivamente com a presença de asma (?=0,47). Ao realizar as análises pela presença dos polimorfismos ADRB2, não foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significativas em todas as variáveis estudadas. Sugere-se que o fator mais importante de risco para a ocorrência do BIE é a presença de história de asma. Palavras-chave: Asma, Excesso de peso, Sedentarismo, Polimorfismo, Receptor adrenérgico beta 2.Abstract: Regular exercise is part of the treatment of diseases such as obesity and asthma, but these conditions are related to exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), which makes the practice of physical activities and therapeutic management. In addition, the polymorphisms of two adrenergic beta-receptor (ADRB2) have been associated with the presence of obesity and asthma. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the influence of a history of asthma, presence of obesity and polymorphisms in ADRB2 receptors as risk factors in the onset of exercise-induced bronchospasm in adolescents. In this study involved 160 adolescents of both sexes, divided into two groups: positive EIB (n= 45) and negative EIB (n=115). Overweight was classified by BMI Z-score as the points proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), history of asthma by questionnaire International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), visceral obesity by increased waist circumference (CA) and physical fitness by maximum oxygen uptake. The EIB was evaluated by bronchial provocation test with exercise, performed on a treadmill, using protocol in which was to walk / run for at least 8 minutes in intensity above 85% of maximum heart rate, considered as positive the fall less more than 10% of the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) after exercise compared to baseline. The intensity was evaluated by the area above the curve (AAC0-15), considering the maximum fall in FEV1 and recovery time. Genotyping of ADRB2 genes was performed by Taqman method with the Step One Plus device. Were used for statistical analysis, Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, independent t test, Mann-Whitney, chi-square, Fisher's exact test and Spearman's correlation coefficient, with significance level set in p?0.05. In the EIB group+ showed a higher incidence of asthma history (?2=20.96; p?0,0001) and lower frequency of inadequate physical fitness (?2=4.44, p=0.03) compared to the EIB- group, differences were not found in overweight frequency (?2=1.95; p=0.16), CA elevated (?2=0.62; p=0.43) and allele polymorphism Gln27Glu (?2=0.001; p=0.97), while the allele Gly16 tends to be more frequent in the EIB+ (?2=2.87; p=0.08). The EIB was positively correlated with the presence of asthma (?=0.47). To perform the analyzes by the presence of ADRB2 polymorphisms, were not statistically significant differences in all variables. It is suggested that the most important risk factor for the occurrence of EIB is the presence of a history of asthma. Keywords: Asthma, Overweight, Sedentary lifestyle, Polymorphism, Beta adrenergic receptor 2