Does Partisan Alignment Affect the Electoral Reward of Intergovernmental Transfers?

In this paper we test the hypothesis that intergovernmental grants allocated to co-partisans buy more political support than grants allocated to local governments controlled by opposition parties. We use a rich Spanish database containing information about the grants received by 617 municipalities during the period 1993-2003 from two different upper-tier governments (Regional and Upper-local), as well as data of municipal voting behaviour at three electoral contests held at the different layers of government during this period. Therefore, we are able to estimate two different vote equations, analysing the effects of grants given to aligned and unaligned municipalities on the vote share of the incumbent party/parties at the regional and local elections. We account for the endogeneity of grants by instrumenting them with the average amount of grants distributed by upper-layer governments. The results suggest that grants given to co-partisans buy some political support, but that grants given to opposition parties do not bring any votes, suggesting that the grantee reaps as much political credit from intergovernmental grants as the grantor.voting, parties, grants

Does partisan alignment affect the electoral reward of intergovernmental transfers?

In this paper we test the hypothesis that intergovernmental grants allocated to co-partisans buy more political support than grants allocated to local governments controlled by opposition parties. We use a rich Spanish database containing information about the grants received by 617 municipalities during the period 1993-2003 from two different upper-tier governments (Regional and Upper-local), as well as data of municipal voting behaviour at three electoral contests held at the different layers of government during this period. Therefore, we are able to estimate two different vote equations, analysing the effects of grants given to aligned and unaligned municipalities on the vote share of the incumbent party/parties at the regional and local elections. We account for the endogeneity of grants by instrumenting them with the average amount of grants distributed by upper-layer governments. The results suggest that grants given to co-partisans buy some political support, but that grants given to the opposition do not bring any votes, suggesting that the grantee reaps as much political credit from intergovernmental grants as the grantor.grants, voting, parties

The Effects of Partisan Alignment on the Allocation of Intergovernmental Transfers. Differences-in-Differences Estimates for Spain

In this paper we test the hypothesis that municipalities aligned with upper-tier grantor governments (i.e., controlled by the same party) will receive more grants than those that are unaligned. We use a rich Spanish database, which provides information on grants received by nearly 900 municipalities during the period 1993-2003 from three different upper-tier governments (i.e., Central, Regional and Upper-local). Since three elections were held at each tier during this period, we have enough within-municipality variation in partisan alignment to provide differences-in-differences estimates of the effects of alignment on the amount of grants coming from each source. Moreover, the fact that a municipality may simultaneously receive grants from aligned and unaligned grantors allows us to use a triple-differences estimator, which consists of estimating the effects of changing alignment status on the change in grants coming from the aligned grantors relative to the change in grants coming from the unaligned ones. The results suggest that partisan alignment has a sizeable positive effect on the amount of grants received by municipalities.grant allocation, alignment, electoral competition

The effects of partisan alignment on the allocation of intergovernmental transfers. Differences-in-differences estimates for Spain

In this paper we test the hypothesis that municipalities aligned with upper-tier grantor governments (i.e., controlled by the same party) will receive more grants than those that are unaligned. We use a rich Spanish database, which provides information on grants received by nearly 900 municipalities during the period 1993-2003 from three different upper-tier governments (i.e., Central, Regional and Upper-local). Since three elections were held at each tier during this period, we have enough within-municipality variation in partisan alignment to provide differences-in-differences estimates of the effects of alignment on the amount of grants coming from each source. Moreover, the fact that a municipality may simultaneously receive grants from aligned and unaligned grantors allows us to use a triple-differences estimator, which consists of estimating the effects of changing alignment status on the change in grants coming from the aligned grantors relative to the change in grants coming from the unaligned ones. The results suggest that partisan alignment has a sizeable positive effect on the amount of grants received by municipalities. Length: 33 pagesgrant allocation, alignment, electoral competition

Do Politicians’ Preferences Matter for Voters’ Voting Decisions?

Using unique survey data that allows us to observe both voters’ and politicians’ preferences for local public spending as well as voting decisions, this paper tests if voters typically support parties in which the politicians’ preferences are closest to their own. Doing so would be rational for the voters to do if politicians’ preferences matter for policy outcomes, as is the case in e.g. the citizen-candidate model. It is found that this is indeed the case. This finding is in line with theoretical models such as the citizen-candidate model arguing that politicians cannot credibly commit to election platforms that differ from their true policy preferences.Elections; voting; preferences for public services

Nuevas tendencias en la comunicación de los programas de marketing con causa en España

The communication strategies of programs of causerelated marketing have improved substantially in recent years, moving from simple communication tactics or actions towards the beginnings of genuine communication strategies of cause-related marketing programs which are carefully planned. Thus, this article attempts to explain the evolution of the communication of programs of cause-related marketing and to highlight the new trends in advertising communications which both companies and non-profit organizations have been adopting, in recent years, to carry out this type of marketing strategy. Carolina Sorribas Morales es doctora en Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas y miembro del Grup de Recerca en Estratègia i Creativitat Publicitàries de la Facultat de Comunicació Blanquerna (URL). KEY WORDS: cause-related marketing, communication strategy. PALABRAS CLAVE: marketing con causa, estrategia de comunicación

Population dynamics of Meloidogyne incognita on cucumber grafted onto the Cucurbita hybrid RS841 or ungrafted and yield losses under protected cultivation

The influence of the squash hybrid RS841 rootstock (Cucurbita maxima x C. moschata) on population dynamics of Meloidogyne incognita and yield of cucumber cv. Dasher II was assessed during 2013 and 2014 in a plastic greenhouse. In addition, the relationship between ecophysiological parameters (plant water status, gas exchange, and leaf reflectance) and Pi and cucumber yield were also estimated in 2013. Nematode densities were determined at the beginning (Pi) and at the end (Pf) of each crop, and the relationship between these parameters was used to estimate the maximum multiplication rate (a), the maximum population density (M) and the equilibrium density (E) per grafted and ungrafted cucumber and cropping season. Moreover, the relationship between the multiplication rate (Pf/Pi) and Pi was compared between grafted and ungrafted cucumber per cropping season. Finally, the relative yield of grafted or ungrafted cucumber was plotted against Pi to determine the tolerance limit (T) and the minimum relative yield (m) by the Seinhorst damage function model. Values of a, M and E in grafted cucumber were higher than in ungrafted one irrespective of the cropping season. These results were supported by comparing the relationship between Pf/Pi and Pi between grafted and ungrafted cucumber. The relationship between Pi and yield fitted the Seinhorst damage function. The values of T and m did not differ between grafted and ungrafted each year. Predawn water potential, net photosynthetic rate, and leaf chlorophyll index decreased with increasing Pi. In addition, relative yield was related to variation in net photosynthetic rate and the leaf chlorophyll index. Under the conditions of this study, RS841 rootstock was neither resistant nor tolerant to M. incognita.Postprint (published version

Corruption scandals, press reporting, and accountability. Evidence from Spanish mayors.

We analyse the effects of local corruption on electoral outcomes with Spanish data. Based upon press reports published between 1996 and 2009, we are able to construct a novel database on corruption scandals and news related to bribe-taking in exchange for amendments to land use plans. Our data show that local corruption scandals first emerged during the 1999-2003 term, but that they peaked just before the 2007 elections. We estimate an equation for the incumbents vote share at this electoral contest and find the average vote loss after a corruption scandal to be around 4%, and the effect to be greater for cases receiving wide newspaper coverage (up to 9%). The effects found for the 2003 elections are much lower. When we consider cases in which the incumbent has been charged with corruption and press coverage has been extensive the vote loss can rise to 12%. However, press reports have a negative impact on the vote even when no judicial charges have been brought.voting, corruption, accountability

Study of 2-D Photonic Band Gaps for NIR applications

Treballs Finals de Grau de Física, Facultat de Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2016, Tutors: Albert Romano i Mauricio MorenoThis work consists of the study and characterisation of the photonic band gaps (PGB) for different 2D-crystal structures. It has run with a simulating software called Optiwave. We are going to use two methods to study photonic crystals, the Finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD) and the Plane wave expansion method (PWE). This study has been focus on square and hexagonal lattice formed by dielectric cylinders in water, thus one of the important parameters is the ratio radius-to-pitc