Incumbency, Party Identity and Governmental Lead: Evidence for Heterogeneous Incumbency Effects for Germany

Do incumbents in an election have an advantage, and if so, are these advantages heterogeneous across parties or government and opposition? We first present a theoretical discussion on the possible heterogeneity of incumbency effects in a pure two-party system. Then, we estimate the incumbency effect for the direct district candidates in German federal and state elections using a regression discontinuity design (RDD). When studying the heterogeneity in these effects, we find that incumbents from both large parties, the center-right CDU and the center-left SPD, have an advantage only if the SPD is in government. This effect is robust and shows even in state elections that are unrelated to federal elections - calling into question the findings of average incumbency effects in the literature. Because this effect is stronger in the East than in the West and only shows post reunification, we hypothesise that the emergence of the socialist party "The Left" may be behind this heterogeneity.incumbency advantage, regression discontinuity design, federal elections, state elections

Meaning and Impact of Board and Staff Diversity in the Philanthropic Field: Findings from a National Study

The report's premise is that the staffs and boards of philanthropic institutions have not kept pace with the general population in terms of diversity, and that if responsiveness and diversity are linked, then foundations must attend to their internal diversity if they wish to offer a more credible outreach to diverse communities. It seeks to find answers to the following questions: What is the empirical reality that grounds these conjectures? Can we quantify the changes in foundation staffing? How well represented are different identity groups within the field, and how do members of these diverse groups fare in their career advancement? How do different types of foundations address inclusiveness, and what are examples of practices that lead to successful implementation of staff and board diversity? The report is the result of a multi-stage research project that combined surveys, interviews, and focus groups to reach more than 600 grantmakers nationwide

Incumbency, party identity and governmental lead: Evidence for heterogeneous incumbency effects for Germany

Do incumbents in an election have an advantage, and if so, are these advantages heterogeneous across parties or government and opposition? We first present a theoretical discussion on the possible heterogeneity of incumbency effects in a pure two-party system. Then, we estimate the incumbency effect for the direct district candidates in German federal and state elections using a regression discontinuity design (RDD). When studying the heterogeneity in these effects, we find that incumbents from both large parties, the center-right CDU and the center-left SPD, have an advantage only if the SPD is in government. This effect is robust and shows even in state elections that are unrelated to federal elections - calling into question the findings of average incumbency effects in the literature. Because this effect is stronger in the East than in the West and only shows post reunification, we hypothesise that the emergence of the socialist party The Left may be behind this heterogeneity

Elite interviewing in professional organizations

Interviewing elites presents distinctive methodological challenges, which are exacerbated when interviewing elite professionals. These individuals (i.e. senior professionals and professionals in elite professional organizations) are typically relatively powerful, highly educated, and self-assured, and work in organizations which guard their external image very carefully. Over the past 25 years I have interviewed many hundreds of senior professionals in elite professional organizations. For this article, I have reflected on my experiences and have asked senior professionals to reflect on their own experience of research interviews. Bringing together insights of both interviewees and interviewers, this article provides an opportunity for researchers to reflect upon and improve their professional practice when conducting elite interviews

Factors Which Influence College-Aged Men To Perform Testicular Self-Examinât I On

Testicular cancer (TC) has been determined to be the most common malignancy in men 15 to 34 years of age. An estimated 7,400 new cases of TC will be diagnosed in 1999, and approximately 3 00 men will die this year from TC. Evidence suggests the incidence of TC is on the rise in North America, especially among Caucasian men. However, TC is nearly 100% curable if detected in its early stages. Testicular self-examination (TSE), a strategy employed by men to detect TC in its early stages, has not been endorsed by leading authorities on cancer. Education on the disease is almost nonexistent. The purpose of this descriptive study was to define the motivators and barriers to performing TSE. The theoretical framework employed was Becker\u27s (1974) Health Belief Model. The two research questions proposed were as follows : What are the motivators to performing TSE among college-aged men? And what are the barriers to performing TSE among college-aged men? The convenience sample consisted of 74 men ages 18 1 1 1 and over who were enrolled in a large land grant university in North Mississippi. The instrument utilized in this study was a survey questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and nonparametrie statistics. Two significant motivators emerged to the performance of TSE in this study: being aware of TSE (.0 04) and having been taught to perform TSE by a health care provider (.000). The barriers to performing TSE were reciprocal to the motivators for practice. An implication for nursing is to include TSE educational programs for nurse practitioners in an effort to increase teaching of TSE by nurse practitioners in primary care. Recommendations for further study include a qualitative study to examine the attitudes and beliefs of health care providers toward education courses on TC and TSE and inclusion of a TC and TSE history section for at-risk male patients