Equilibria with Unrestricted Entry in Multi Member District Plurality (SNTV) Elections

Extending Duverger's Law to electoral districts of arbitrary district magnitude would imply just one "extra" candidate running in each race. In this paper we analyze equilibrium properties (possible equilibrium configuration and then existence) of a plurality electoral system returning more than one legislator per district. We look at sincere Downsian voters and strategically behaving candidates (who can change their policy platforms at no cost, while new candidates can enter the race). In Part II we find empirical evidence in favor of the implications of this analysis in the performance of actual SNTV electoral systems, such as the one in Japan and Taiwan

Ethnic Heterogeneity, District Magnitude, and the Number of Parties

Recent events leading to the importation of democratic ideas and ideals by previously totalitarian states increase our interest in the ways in which electoral institutions influence party systems. However, even if we restrict our attention to Eastern Europe or the successor states of the Soviet empire, we encounter a range of social diversity – ethnic heterogeneity - that is as great as those in the set of countries examined in earlier studies that seek to identify the influence of electoral laws (c.f., Rae, Lijphart, and Taagepera and Shugart). Curiously, though, these earlier studies fail to ascertain whether and to what extent electoral laws mediate the influence of this heterogeneity. Hence, to develop a more pragmatic understanding of electoral institutions, we adopt the view of electoral laws as intervening structures and, using the data of these earlier analyses, we reconsider the role of one institutional parameter - district magnitude - that some researchers regard as the most important characteristic of an electoral system. Aside from the usual caveats about the limitations of our data, our primary conclusion is that district magnitude is not merely an important determinant of the number of parties that compete in a political system, but that it can offset the tendency of parties to multiply in heterogeneous societies

If Hamilton and Madison Were Merely Lucky, What Hope Is There for Russian Federalism?

Just as the two-headed eagle of imperial and contemporary Russia looks in two different directions, this essay has two objectives: to evaluate, on the basis of the American experience, the prospects for stable democratic federalism in Russia, and to reconsider the insights into federalism offered by Madison and Hamilton in The Federalist. The swirl of events in Russia make it difficult if not impossible to confidently render conclusions about the future direction of events and the prospects for meaningful federal domestic relations. However, some theoretical perspective can be gained by looking at the theory of federalism offered in The Federalist Papers, with special attention to Madison and Hamilton's failure to appreciate fully the role political parties would play in the eventual integration of American political institutions so as to establish, in Madison's words, a "properly structured" federation. Looking as well at the early history of parties in the U.S. we see, in addition to the usual constitutional provisions associated with federalism, the importance of those things that structure political competition within states. Properly designed, these things encourage the development of political parties that mirror federal relations, and integrate regional and national political elites so as to avert center-periphery conflict. Unfortunately, a review of the provisions currently in place for Russia reveals that electoral practices and regional and republic constitutions and proposals are unlikely to encourage parties of the sort that facilitate a stable federal system. This fact, in conjunction with several other trends (notably, corruption and the political instincts of political elites in Moscow) lead to the conclusion that a "federation" of the type currently observed in, say, Mexico is a better scenario of the future for Russia than is a federation that imitates the U.S., Australia, Germany, or Switzerland

Using online constructor as a means of increasing motivation to study literature

The aim of this paper - presents the experience in creating a layout of an electronic literature textbook using an online constructor. The “Arctic Robinsonade” plot served as the material for the textbook. The methodological apparatus of the research involves the synthesis of such approaches as hermeneutics and comparative studies. The present investigation is of teaching theory and techniques and digital technologies. The questionnaire surveying method was used to collect the empirical material. Mathematical methods of processing, analysis and interpretation of the pedagogical experiment results were applied in the course of the work. The methods of analyzing differences between independent samples, ranking method, method of testing significance of zero and alternative hypotheses were used for statistic information processing in MS Excel. The results: the capabilities of online constructor Tilda to work on the design of multimedia study aid are determined and described; the model of the chapter in multimedia textbook in native literature is developed; the sections of multimedia study aid are described, the examples of the tasks are given, the efficiency of applying the service of creating websites (online constructor) is established. The developed multimedia product is useful for school teachers and students

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ НАУЧНОГО ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЯ КАТЕГОРИИ «ПОСТУПОК ЛИТЕРАТУРНОГО ГЕРОЯ» (НА ОСНОВЕ КОГНИТИВНОГО МЕТОДА ДВУХУРОВНЕВОЙ ТРИАДИЧЕСКОЙ ДЕШИФРОВКИ)

The article deals with the problem of developing definitions of research objects using cognitive methods and intellectual circuit techniques. The category “act of a literary hero” shows that there are a large number of definitions of this category, but there is no definition reflecting the fundamental essential characteristics of the hero’s act in the literature. To construct the definition of the category “act of the literary hero”, the method of two-level triadic decryption of the basic category was used, which is a tool of categorical system methodology. As a result, an exhaustive description of “the act of a literary hero” arising in the literature of a given historical period was obtained.El artículo aborda el problema del desarrollo de definiciones de objetos de investigación utilizando métodos cognitivos y técnicas de circuitos intelectuales. La categoría "acto de un héroe literario" muestra que hay un gran número de definiciones de esta categoría, pero no hay una definición que refleje las características esenciales fundamentales del acto del héroe en la literatura. Para construir la definición de la categoría "acto del héroe literario", se utilizó el método de descifrado triádico de dos niveles de la categoría básica, que es una herramienta de la metodología de sistemas categóricos. Como resultado, se obtuvo una descripción exhaustiva del " acto de un héroe literario " que surge en la literatura de un período histórico determinado.В статье рассмотрена проблема разработки определений объектов исследования с применением когнитивных методов и интеллектуальной схемотехники. На примере категории «поступок литературного героя» показано, что при наличии большого числа определений данной категории отсутствует дефиниция, отражающая фундаментальные сущностные характеристики поступка героя в литературе. Для конструирования определения категории «поступок литературного героя» использован метод двухуровневой триадической дешифровки базовой категории, являющийся инструментом категориально-системной методологии. В результате получено исчерпывающее описание рассматриваемой категории – поступка литературного героя, возникшего в литературе заданного исторического периода

Аспекты оснащения объектов транспорта системами для контроля маршрутов беспилотных летательных аппаратов

Currently, the problem of ensuring safety of flights of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the territory of transport infrastructure facilities (TIF), primarily airports, remains topical.In one of the previous works, the author together with the co-author proposed a method for increasing safety of movement of unmanned aerial vehicles and the system for controlling the routes of unmanned aerial vehicles (hereinafter – route control system, RCS) that implements it, which makes it possible to improve safety and security of UAV traffic at transport infrastructure facilities by limiting UAV traffic area strictly to a dedicated air corridor (DAC). The development of this system creates the prerequisites for removing the existing restrictions on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles at transport infrastructure facilities.For practical implementation of the proposed system, it is relevant to develop a method of placing RCS at transport infrastructure facilities. This condition can be justified by the fact that RCS, as a rule, will be located under conditions of dense infrastructural development, including dangerous technical elements of technical equipment, a collision of a UAV with which can lead to an emergency situation (ES); besides, the movement of air/ground vehicles will be carried out in the immediate vicinity of RCS along transport routes/corridors, and employees, passengers and visitors of TIF will move along the pedestrian paths.The objective of this study – to develop a methodology for placing systems controlling routes of unmanned aerial vehicles at transport infrastructure facilities.The study conducted with well-known scientific methods, including the basic routing problem posed by Dantzig and Ramser, modelling, analysis, and synthesis, made it possible to develop a method for placing RCS for unmanned aerial vehicles at transport infrastructure facilities. The practical application of the proposed methodology makes it possible to build routes for movement of UAV at TIF, to form a network of dedicated air corridors for UAV at TIF operated in relationship with the system, determine the optimal location of the RCS elements at TIF.В настоящее время остаётся актуальной проблема обеспечения безопасности полётов беспилотных летательных аппаратов (БПЛА) над территорией объектов транспортной инфраструктуры (ОТИ), прежде всего аэропортов. Автором в одной из предыдущих работ вместе с соавтором был предложен метод повышения безопасности движения беспилотных летательных аппаратов и реализующая его система контроля маршрутов беспилотных летательных аппаратов (далее – СКМ), позволяющая обеспечить повышение безопасности движения БПЛА на объектах транспортной инфраструктуры за счёт ограничения зоны передвижения БПЛА строго в выделенном воздушном коридоре (ВВК). Разработка данной системы создаёт предпосылки для снятия существующих ограничений по применению беспилотных летательных аппаратов на объектах транспортной инфраструктуры.Для практического внедрения предложенной системы актуальным является вопрос по методике размещения СКМ на объектах транспортной инфраструктуры. Данное условие можно обосновать тем, что СКМ, как правило, будут расположены в условиях плотной инфраструктурной застройки, включающей опасные технические элементы ОТИ, столкновение БПЛА с которыми может привести к чрезвычайной ситуации (ЧС), в непосредственной близости к СКМ по транспортным путям/коридорам будет осуществляться движение воздушных/наземных транспортных средств (ТС), по пешеходным путям будут передвигаться сотрудники, пассажиры и посетители ОТИ.Цель настоящего исследования – разработать методику размещения систем контроля маршрутов беспилотных летательных аппаратов на объектах транспортной инфраструктуры. Проведённое с применением известных научных методов в том числе, базовой задачи маршрутизации, поставленной Данцигом и Рамсером, моделирования, анализа и синтеза исследование позволило разработать методику размещения систем контроля маршрутов беспилотных летательных аппаратов на объектах транспортной инфраструктуры. Практическое применение предложенной методики позволяет строить маршруты для движения БПЛА на ОТИ, формировать на ОТИ сеть выделенных воздушных коридоров для БПЛА, эксплуатируемых совместно с системой, определять оптимальное место размещения элементов СКМ на ОТИ

Таксономический статус Neoechinorhynchus agilis (Acanthocephala, Neoechinorhynchidae), с описанием двух новых видов рода от кефалевых рыб (Teleostei, Mugilidae) Атлантики и Пацифики

Широкое географическое распространение, богатый список хозяев, а также значительная вариабельность метрических признаков акантоцефалы Neoechinorhynchus agilis (Rudolphi, 1819) ставит вопрос о таксономическом статусе этого вида. Для проведения сравнительного морфологического анализа был использован типичный материал Рудольфи и ваучерные экземпляры Ямагути, а также собственный материал, собранный в западной части Тихого океана и северо-восточной Атлантике. В результате исследования было обнаружено три вида акантоцефал Neoechinorhynchus, в том числе два вида из Атлантики: N. (N.) agilis и N. (H.) personatus Tkach, Sarabeev et Shvetsova, sp. n., и один вид из Тихого океана, N. (H.) yamagutii Tkach, Sarabeev et Shvetsova, sp. n. Описанные в работе виды хорошо различаются как морфологически, так и метрически. Разделение N. agilis на три вида, два из которых описаны впервые, является основой для дальнейшего пересмотра находок этой акантоцефалы из разных регионов и от разных хозяев.The wide variability in morphological features, geographical and host ranges of mullet acanthocephalan parasite Neoechinorhynchus agilis (Rudolphi, 1819), raises the question of taxonomic status of this species. Rudolphi’s type and Yamaguti`s voucher specimens, as well as our own material from the WW Pacific and NE Atlantic region were used herein to provide comparative morphological analysis. The study revealed three different species of Neoechinorhynchus, N. (N.) agilis and N. (H.) personatus Tkach, Sarabeev et Shvetsova, sp. n. in the Atlantic and N. (H.) yamagutii Tkach, Sarabeev et Shvetsova, sp. n. in the Pacific. Strong morphological and morphometric differences were found between three described herein species from different hosts and regions. The dividing of N. agilis into three species, two of them are new, provides a basis for the further revision of host-geographical records of mullet acanthocephalan parasites

Privacy virtualisation as an element of the new gender order

The article is analysed the privacy virtualisation phenomenon, which has become a trend in the digital world. Considering virtual communication practices in the context of global sociality transformations, the author shows that their impact on gender relations is progressive; the formats differ in structural and content diversity. The overview of the most important world studies in virtuality sociology is presented. They have in common is the concern of scholars about the substitution of real interpersonal relationships by virtual ones, the blurring of boundaries between these life layers with the social loneliness growth. The methodological basis is the gender approach and its private concept – the theory of changing the gender order, within which the rules and norms regulating the private sphere are conceptualized as variable, changeable and having socio-cultural conditioning. The author proposes a theoretical model of the mechanism for choosing a virtual partner, supported by the results of an online survey, analyses the features of the formation and development of virtual relations, the possibility of moving to the real plane, depending on the motivation of actors and trust in the virtual partner. Some trends in the development of virtual private practices are noted, including the development of artificial sociality, control of the digital footprint and communication with virtual agents

Party Fragmentation and Presidential Elections in Post-Communist Democracies

Theory: Despite its controversial status as a stable governmental form, many of today’s societies attempting to make the transition to democracy have or will, for a variety of reasons, choose presidentialism. Meanwhile, the evidence suggests that the combination of presidentialism and multipartism is especially dangerous for democratic stability (Mainwaring 1994). The question this essay addresses, though, is whether presidential elections themselves serve to encourage a fragmented party system, at least in the initial stages of democratization. Hypothesis: In transitional political systems presidential elections encourage party fragmentation, but in a way different from that of highly proportional purely parliamentary mechanisms. Specifically, parties proliferate to support the presidential aspirations of political elites. Methods: Multivariate regression analysis on cross-sectional aggregate electoral data, supported by extensive outliers diagnostics and assessments of the role of country-specific effects. A nested model is used to discriminate among the secondary hypotheses. Controls include: parliamentary election rules (district magnitude, threshold for representation, adjustment districts, ballot structure), relative timing of presidential and parliamentary elections, and basic societal cleavage structure. Results: Using as our data source the recent experiences of Central Europe and the European part of the former Soviet Union, we show that presidential elections consistently significantly increase party fragmentation. At the same time, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that presidentialism does encourage the overall consolidation in party systems through voters’ abandonment of some parties, akin to Duverger’s ‘psychological effect'