An Information-Theoretic Model of Voting Systems

We present an information-theoretic model of a voting system, consisting of (a) definitions of the desirable qualities of integrity, privacy and verifiability, and (b) quantitative measures of how close a system is to being perfect with respect to each of the qualities. We describe the well-known trade-off between integrity and privacy in this model, and defines a concept of weak privacy, which is traded off with system verifiability. This is an extension of a talk from WOTE 2006, and contains some new applications of the model and arguments for the model\u27s applicability

Fiscal Federalism for Emerging Economies: Lessons from Switzerland?

Switzerland is one of the most non-centralized countries in the world. A groining literature is examining the economic effects of tax competition between the 26 Swiss cantons. Despite the relative success of Swiss federalism, most federal countries follow the principles of coordinated rather than competitive federalism. We identify the institutional preconditions for well-functioning competitive federalism in Switzerland. The second part deals with the applicability of the Swiss experience for emerging economies in Latin America. The analysis recognizes that most institutions identified to be crucial in the Swiss case are missing in Latin America. This leads to the policy conclusion that competitive federalism can only produce its positive effects under certain institutional circumstances. These circumstances are often not considered when introducing lax competition in emerging economie

Getting More From Your Maze: Examining Differences in Distractors

The present study examined the technical adequacy of maze-selection tasks constructed in 2 different ways: typical versus novel. We selected distractors for each measure systematically based on rules related to the content of the passage and the part of speech of the correct choice. Participants included 262 middle school students who were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 maze formats. Scoring of the maze included both correct and correct-minus-incorrect scores. Students completed 3 criterion-reading tests: the Scholastic Reading Inventory, the AIMSweb R-Maze, and a high-stakes state assessment (the Missouri Assessment Program). Alternate-forms reliability was similar across maze formats; however, with regard to scoring procedure, reliability coefficients were consistently higher for correct than for correct-minus-incorrect scores. Validity coefficients were also similar across format with 1 exception: The coefficients for typical maze scores were stronger when compared with the Missouri Assessment Program scores than the coefficients for novel maze scores

Cortical Plasticity during Motor Learning and Recovery after Ischemic Stroke

The motor system has the ability to adapt to environmental constraints and injury to itself. This adaptation is often referred to as a form of plasticity allowing for livelong acquisition of new movements and for recovery after stroke. We are not sure whether learning and recovery work via same or similar neural mechanisms. But, all these processes require widespread changes within the matrix of the brain. Here, basic mechanisms of these adaptations on the level of cortical circuitry and networks are reviewed. We focus on the motor cortices because their role in learning and recovery has been investigated more thoroughly than other brain regions