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

Group and total dissipativity and stability of multi-equilibria hybrid automata

Complex systems, which consist of different interdependent and interlocking subsystems, typically have multiple equilibrium points associated with different set points of each operation mode. These systems are usually interpreted as switched systems, or in general, as hybrid systems. Surprisingly, the consideration of multiple equilibria is not common in hybrid systems’ literature, being typically focused on the study of stability and dissipativity properties for switched systems whose subsystems share the same equilibrium point. This paper will expand the discussion to the case of having multiple co-existing equilibrium points for hybrid systems modelled as hybrid automata, which are more general than switched systems. A classification of equilibria for hybrid automata is offered, and some stability related properties are shown for them. Moreover, some dissipativity-related properties are studied. The chief idea of our approach is to identify stable and dissipative components as group of discrete locations within the hybrid automaton. Two examples are used to illustrate our conclusions

Object Distribution Networks for World-wide Document Circulation

This paper presents an Object Distribution System (ODS), a distributed system inspired by the ultra-large scale distribution models used in everyday life (e.g. food or newspapers distribution chains). Beyond traditional mechanisms of approaching information to readers (e.g. caching and mirroring), this system enables the publication, classification and subscription to volumes of objects (e.g. documents, events). Authors submit their contents to publication agents. Classification authorities provide classification schemes to classify objects. Readers subscribe to topics or authors, and retrieve contents from their local delivery agent (like a kiosk or library, with local copies of objects). Object distribution is an independent process where objects circulate asynchronously among distribution agents. ODS is designed to perform specially well in an increasingly populated, widespread and complex Internet jungle, using weak consistency replication by object distribution, asynchronous replication, and local access to objects by clients. ODS is based on two independent virtual networks, one dedicated to the distribution (replication) of objects and the other to calculate optimised distribution chains to be applied by the first network

El papel de la colocación en el artículo científico

A collocation is a combination of two or more words which frequently occur together (McCarthy and O’Dell 2008). In this paper, we will show how the mastery of these word combinations is a must if one is to publish in a second language at an international level. As English has become the language of science (Crystal 2005; Montgomery 2009), and over 80% of scientific publication is done through this language, researchers who have a good command of it should aim at publishing in English. The work presented here aims at providing some tips on how non-native researchers who want to publish RAs at an international level can improve their collocational competence in English.Una colocación es una combinación de dos o más palabras que frecuentemente aparecen juntas (McCarthy y O’Dell 2008). En este artículo, mostraremos cómo el dominio de estas combinaciones de palabras es imprescindible para publicar a un nivel internacional en una segunda lengua. Puesto que el inglés se ha convertido en el lenguaje de la ciencia (Crystal 2005; Montgomery 2009), y más del 80% de las publicaciones científicas se hace a través de este idioma, los investigadores que tienen un buen dominio de éste deberían proponerse publicar en inglés. El trabajo que presentamos pretende dar algunos consejos sobre cómo los investigadores no nativos que quieren publicar artículos científicos a un nivel internacional pueden mejorar su competencia colocacional en inglés

Enseñar a aprender: La investigación como formación permanente del profesorado

Cinquenes Jornades de Foment de la Investigació de la FCHS (Any 1999-2000

Diante da imagem dos demais: pornografia da morte e produção cultural em contexto digital

This paper will analyze some aspects of the digital and Internet distribution and its later re-appropriation of, so called, “dramatic images”. Of all characteristics and concepts related to the web net and its possibilities, it will focus in three: simulacrum, access and democratization and re-appropriation and control. These characteristics of digital images will be analyzed in the frame of a topic: the pornography of death (of terror, war and violence). The study cases are some of the images resulting of the so-called “war on terror”- after 9/11 terrorist attacks. A first example is the film Fitna by Dutch politician Gert Wilders and the second one is the publication of images of tortures to Iraqi prisoners by USA soldiers in Abu Ghraib and their further appropriations for different purposes. Starting from these examples special attention will paid to the processes of becoming “cultural and artistic object” nowadays, analyzing the oppositions between “cultural subject and cultural object”, “private and public”, “we and they”, “life and death”, “art and spectacle” are (un)resolved in our cultural context, mainly after Internet.Este artículo analizará algunos de los aspectos que conciernen a la distribución y el intercambio en internet de lo que podríamos llamar “imágenes de horror” (bélico, terrorista, etc.). De todas las características relacionadas con la red y sus posibilidades, se enfoca principalmente en tres; que formarán los hilos conductores del artículo: el simulacro, acceso y democratización; la reapropiación; y el control. Los casos de estudio son algunas de las imágenes que resultaron de la así llamada “guerra contra el terror” tras los ataques terroristas del 11-S. El primer ejemplo es el cortometraje Fitna realizado por el político holandés Gert Wilders y, el segundo, las fotografías de las torturas a los presos en la cárcel iraquí de Abu Ghraib por parte de soldados estadounidenses en 2003 y las apropiaciones y reutilizaciones de las mismas en el mundo del arte y la cultura. Partiendo de estos ejemplos, se tratan de esbozar algunos de los procesos por los que un objeto de representación, especialmente los de contenido violento, se convierte en artístico o cultural. La aproximación, por tanto, es semiótica, ya que dichas creaciones se analizan como signos cuyo sentido se define y redefine por el contexto, los actores y sus correspondientes discursos, que tienen lugar en cada una de las re-apropiaciones de dichas producciones, cuyos elementos estéticos no pueden desligarse de su contenido o valor ideológico.Este artigo analisará alguns dos aspectos concernentes à distribuição eao intercâmbio na internet daquilo que poderíamos chamar “imagens dehorror” (bélico, terrorista etc.). De todas as característicasrelacionadas à rede e às suas possibilidades, estão focadas em três dosaspectos que servirão de fios condutores: o simulacro, acesso edemocratização; a reapropriação; e o controle. Os casos analisados sãoimagens resultantes da chamada “guerra contra o terror” após os ataquesterroristas do 11-S. O primeiro exemplo é o curta-metragem /Fitna/realizado pelo político holandês Gert Wilders. O segundo são asfotografias das torturas na prisão iraquiana de Abu Ghraib por parte desoldados norte-americanos em 2003 e as apropriações e reutilizações dasmesmas no mundo da arte e da cultura. Partindo destes exemplos, trata-sede esboçar alguns dos processos pelos quais objetos de representação,especialmente os de conteúdo violento, convertem-se em representaçãoartística ou cultural.  Portanto se realiza uma aproximação semiótica jáque tais criações são analisadas como signos cujo sentido é definido eredefinido pelo contexto, atores e seus discursos correspondentes, quetêm lugar em cada uma das reapropriações de tais produções, cujoselementos estéticos não podem se desvincular de sue conteúdo ou valorideológico