Do political parties listen to the(ir) public? Public opinion-party linkage on specific policy issues

Political parties are a crucial link between the public and policy outcomes. However, few studies have considered who political parties are responsive to when they take positions on specific policy proposals. This article explores the links between public opinion and the policy positions of political parties on 102 specific policy proposals in Germany using a novel application of multilevel regression with poststratification to estimate the policy preferences of party supporters. While there is a link between general public preferences and the positions of political parties, this connection weakens considerably once political parties are in government. In fact, the study shows that the link between party positions and general public opinion is severed once parties enter government, whereas it is only weakened in the case of party supporters. Finally, the article finds mixed evidence for differences between niche parties and mainstream parties

Is this a men’s world? On the need to study descriptive representation of women in lobbying and policy advocacy

How well are women represented in the world of political advocacy? Despite the important role of interest groups in modern democracies, the demographic composition of the interest group community remains a blind spot in public policy research. Based on data on over 1000 lobbyists in five European countries, we suggest that the share of women in the world of advocacy is significantly lower than in parliaments. We therefore argue that gender biases in political advocacy need to move high up on the research agenda. As key avenues for future studies, we raise the effects these imbalances have on agenda setting and political decision-making, as well as their symbolic effects on female participation and perceived legitimacy. Moreover, we call for research addressing the complex supply and demand-side factors that cause gender inequalities in lobbying to address this problem in practice.publishedVersio

Accepting Homosexuality - Measuring and Explaining Levels of Perceived Discrimination among Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People in the European Union

This thesis centers around levels of perceived discirmination among lesbian, gay and bisexual people (LGB) in the European Union and answers two main questions. The first aims to analyze the effects that different methods to survey the LGB population have on the validity and reliability of such surveys. To do this, the only two currently available attempts to cross-nationally measure levels of perceived discrimination are compared, using a.o. regression analysis. Comparing several waves of the Eurobarometer survey to the LGBT survey by the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (EU FRA) reveals that, although it is not without problems, the latter constitutes the more reliable and valid way of surveying the LGB population on perceived discrimination. The findings stress the importance of carefully designing surveys among the LGB population, which is often neglected in the literature. The second question then asks how variations in levels of perceived discrimination among LGB people in European Union countries can be explained. Studies on this topic have so far failed to include society-wide explanations. Using the country-level data from the EU FRA LGBT survey in a regression analysis, this thesis develops a theoretical framework for the inclusion of such country-level explanations. The results show that the social acceptance of homosexuality is crucial in explaining the extent to which LGB people perceive discrimination. Moreover, some evidence is found that the legal recognition of same-sex unions (marriages and registered partnerships) and the level of modernization, indirectly impact levels of perceived discrimination

Is this a men’s world? On the need to study descriptive representation of women in lobbying and policy advocacy

How well are women represented in the world of political advocacy? Despite the important role of interest groups in modern democracies, the demographic composition of the interest group community remains a blind spot in public policy research. Based on data on over 1000 lobbyists in five European countries, we suggest that the share of women in the world of advocacy is significantly lower than in parliaments. We therefore argue that gender biases in political advocacy need to move high up on the research agenda. As key avenues for future studies, we raise the effects these imbalances have on agenda setting and political decision-making, as well as their symbolic effects on female participation and perceived legitimacy. Moreover, we call for research addressing the complex supply and demand-side factors that cause gender inequalities in lobbying to address this problem in practice

Exploration of Patient Characteristics and Quality of Life in Patients with Lipoedema Using a Survey

<p><b>Article full text</b></p><p><br></p><p>The full text of this article can be found here<b>. </b><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13555-018-0241-6">https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13555-018-0241-6</a></p><p></p><p><br></p><p><b>Provide enhanced content for this article</b></p><p><br></p><p>If you are an author of this publication and would like to provide additional enhanced content for your article then please contact <a href="http://www.medengine.com/Redeem/”mailto:[email protected]”"><b>[email protected]</b></a>.</p><p><br></p><p>The journal offers a range of additional features designed to increase visibility and readership. All features will be thoroughly peer reviewed to ensure the content is of the highest scientific standard and all features are marked as ‘peer reviewed’ to ensure readers are aware that the content has been reviewed to the same level as the articles they are being presented alongside. Moreover, all sponsorship and disclosure information is included to provide complete transparency and adherence to good publication practices. This ensures that however the content is reached the reader has a full understanding of its origin. No fees are charged for hosting additional open access content.</p><p><br></p><p>Other enhanced features include, but are not limited to:</p><p><br></p><p>• Slide decks</p><p>• Videos and animations</p><p>• Audio abstracts</p><p> </p><p>• Audio slides</p> <p> </p