Penrose voting system and optimal quota

Systems of indirect voting based on the principle of qualified majority can be analysed using the methods of game theory. In particular, this applies to the voting system in the Council of the European Union, which was recently a subject of a vivid political discussion. The a priori voting power of a voter measures his potential influence over the decisions of the voting body under a given decision rule. We investigate a system based on the law of Penrose, in which each representative in the voting body receives the number of votes (the voting weight) proportional to the square root of the population he or she represents. Here we demonstrate that for a generic distribution of the population there exists an optimal quota for which the voting power of any state is proportional to its weight. The optimal quota is shown to decrease with the number of voting countries.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Square root voting system, optimal threshold and \pi

The problem of designing an optimal weighted voting system for the two-tier voting, applicable in the case of the Council of Ministers of the European Union (EU), is investigated. Various arguments in favour of the square root voting system, where the voting weights of member states are proportional to the square root of their population are discussed and a link between this solution and the random walk in the one-dimensional lattice is established. It is known that the voting power of every member state is approximately equal to its voting weight, if the threshold q for the qualified majority in the voting body is optimally chosen. We analyze the square root voting system for a generic 'union' of M states and derive in this case an explicit approximate formula for the level of the optimal threshold: q \simeq 1/2+1/\sqrt{{\pi} M}. The prefactor 1/\sqrt{{\pi}} appears here as a result of averaging over the ensemble of unions with random populations.Comment: revised version, 21 pages in late

Entropy computing via integration over fractal measures

We discuss the properties of invariant measures corresponding to iterated function systems (IFSs) with place-dependent probabilities and compute their Renyi entropies, generalized dimensions, and multifractal spectra. It is shown that with certain dynamical systems one can associate the corresponding IFSs in such a way that their generalized entropies are equal. This provides a new method of computing entropy for some classical and quantum dynamical systems. Numerical techniques are based on integration over the fractal measures.Comment: 14 pages in Latex, Revtex + 4 figures in .ps attached (revised version, new title, several changes, to appear in CHAOS

Mathematical aspects of degressive proportionality

We analyze properties of apportionment functions in context of the problem of allocating seats in the European Parliament. Necessary and sufficient conditions for apportionment functions are investigated. Some exemplary families of apportionment functions are specified and the corresponding partitions of the seats in the European Parliament among the Member States of the European Union are presented. Although the choice of the allocation functions is theoretically unlimited, we show that the constraints are so strong that the acceptable functions lead to rather similar solutions.Comment: several minor corrections, revised version 10 pages in two column style, one figure and two tables include

The allocation between EU member states of seats in the European Parliament

This note contains the recommendation for a mathematical basis for the apportionment of the seats in the European Parliament between the Member States of the European Union. This is the unanimous recommendation of the Participants in the Cambridge Apportionment Meeting, held at the instigation of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, on 28–29 January 2011

Symbolic Opposition to the USA Patriot Act

Research project funded in academic years 2006-07, 2007-08, and 2008-09The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.In this project, Slomczynski asks what prompts some local governments but not others to engage in such symbolic protest. While most research into protest examines actions such as meetings, demonstrations and strikes on behalf of a specific constituency, much less attention has been paid to protest within state structures. Yet such protest can have great influence over national policy, including security policy. Slomczynski answers his question by using the rubric of policy innovation, or the adoption of rules by legislative units for whom those rules are new.Mershon Center for International Security StudiesProject summar

Analisi della struttura di classe e della stratificazione sociale in Polonia. Studi e Ricerche (1945-75)

Studi sulla struttura sociale in Polonia: caratteristiche e dinamiche dal secondo dopoguerra a metà anni settanta.- Presentazione, Marcello Pacini #7- Indice #11- 1. Premessa #13- 2. Orientamenti teorici #21- 3. Analisi empiriche #49- 4. Struttura di classe e sue componenti #61- 5. Struttura di classe e differenziazione occupazionale #75- 6. Consumo culturale, stile di vita e sistema di valori #83- 7. Struttura di classe e prestigio occupazionale #93- 8. Aspetti psicologici della struttura sociale #101- 9. Indagine sulla mobilità sociale #10