To vote or to abstain? An experimental study or first past the poste and PR elections

We examine through an experimental design how rational and non-rational considerations affect the decision to vote or to abstain in First Past the Post and PR elections. We show that in both types of elections, but particularly so under PR, a majority of subjects do not make the "right" decision, that is, they do not choose the option that is the most beneficial to them, given. We also demonstrate that a social norm such as sense of civic duty plays a bigger role, even in the lab, and particularly so in PR elections. We suggest that civic duty has a greater impact under PR because this electoral system has a more complicated formula, making it more difficult for voters to realize that their vote is unlikely to substantially affect the outcome of the election.Experiments, Voting, First Past the Post, Proportional Representation, Civic Duty

To vote or to abstain? An experimental study or first past the poste and PR elections

We examine through an experimental design how rational and non-rational considerations affect the decision to vote or to abstain in First Past the Post and PR elections. We show that in both types of elections, but particularly so under PR, a majority of subjects do not make the "right" decision, that is, they do not choose the option that is the most beneficial to them, given. We also demonstrate that a social norm such as sense of civic duty plays a bigger role, even in the lab, and particularly so in PR elections. We suggest that civic duty has a greater impact under PR because this electoral system has a more complicated formula, making it more difficult for voters to realize that their vote is unlikely to substantially affect the outcome of the election

The quasi-universality of nestedness in the structure of quantitative plant-parasite interactions

Understanding the relationships between host range and pathogenicity for parasites, and between the efficiency and scope of immunity for hosts are essential to implement efficient disease control strategies. In the case of plant parasites, most studies have focused on describing qualitative interactions and a variety of genetic and evolutionary models has been proposed in this context. Although plant quantitative resistance benefits from advantages in terms of durability, we presently lack models that account for quantitative interactions between plants and their parasites and the evolution of these interactions. Nestedness and modularity are important features to unravel the overall structure of host-parasite interaction matrices. Here, we analysed these two features on 32 matrices of quantitative pathogenicity trait data gathered from 15 plant-parasite pathosystems consisting of either annual or perennial plants along with fungi or oomycetes, bacteria, nematodes, insects and viruses. The performance of several nestedness and modularity algorithms was evaluated through a simulation approach, which helped interpretation of the results. We observed significant modularity in only six of the 32 matrices, with two or three modules detected. For three of these matrices, modules could be related to resistance quantitative trait loci present in the host. In contrast, we found high and significant nestedness in 30 of the 32 matrices. Nestedness was linked to other properties of plant-parasite interactions. First, pathogenicity trait values were explained in majority by a parasite strain effect and a plant accession effect, with no parasite-plant interaction term. Second, correlations between the efficiency and scope of the resistance of plant genotypes, and between the host range breadth and pathogenicity level of parasite strains were overall positive. This latter result questions the efficiency of strategies based on the deployment of several genetically-differentiated cultivars of a given crop species in the case of quantitative plant immunity

The Extreme Right in Europe by Paul Hainsworth

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Le cumul des mandats dans un système politique multi-niveaux: le cas de la Belgique

http://www.editions-universite-bruxelles.be/fiche/view/2718Le fichier attaché à cette référence, version publiée de l’œuvre, est librement accessible, sans embargo, en accord avec les Éditions de l'Université de Bruxellesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Renforcer les liens institutionnels entre la Wallonie et Bruxelles

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Changer la logique du système électoral belge? De la création d’arènes électorales séparées à la circonscription fédérale

http://www.editions-universite-bruxelles.be/fiche/view/2503Le fichier attaché à cette référence, version publiée de l’œuvre, est librement accessible, sans embargo, en accord avec les Editions de l'Université de Bruxellesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Changer pour gagner? Les réformes électorales en Belgique

Après avoir longtemps privilégié l’étude des effets des règles électorales, la science politique s’est récemment intéressée à leur origine. Dans quelles circonstances émergent-elles ?Pourquoi le législateur opte-t-il pour tel mode de scrutin plutôt que pour tel autre ?De prime abord, les réformes électorales sont perçues comme guidées par les stratégies de pouvoir des acteurs ;ces derniers entreprendraient des réformes avec l’envie de changer pour gagner. Centré sur trois réformes électorales débattues au cours des quinze dernières années (1991-2006) en Belgique (passage au scrutin majoritaire, élection directe du bourgmestre et passage au système de listes ouvertes), l’objectif de ce livre est de tester au niveau empirique la validité de cet a priori théorique. Les jeux de pouvoir sont-ils les seuls déterminants des réformes électorales ?Quelle influence attribuer aux idées, au contexte social, légal, historique et politique ?En tentant de répondre à ces questions, ce livre constitue la première étude systématique et extensive de la dynamique des réformes électorales. Il met en évidence les motivations et les comportements des responsables politiques lorsqu’ils redessinent l’architecture institutionnelle d’un pays.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Lectures critiques

SCOPUS: re.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe