Stability of Coalitional Equilibria within Repeated Tax Competition

This paper analyzes the stability of capital tax harmonization agree- ments in a stylized model where countries have formed coalitions which set a common tax rate in order to avoid the inefficient fully non- cooperative Nash equilibrium. In particular, for a given coalition struc- ture we study to what extend the stability of tax agreements is affected by the coalitions that have formed. In our set-up, countries are sym- metric, but coalitions can be of arbitrary size. We analyze stability by means of a repeated game setting employing simple trigger strategies and we allow a sub-coalition to deviate from the coalitional equilib- rium. For a given form of punishment we are able to rank the stability of different coalition structures as long as the size of the largest coali- tion does not change. Our main results are: (1) singleton regions have the largest incentives to deviate, (2) the stability of cooperation de- pends on the degree of cooperative behavior ex-ante.capital tax competition, tax coordination, coalitional equilibria, repeated game

The use of analysis of variance and three-way factor analysis methods for studying the quality of a sensory panel

In sensory analysis a panel of assessors evaluate a collection of samples/products with respect to a number of sensory characteristics. Assessments are collected in a threeway data matrix crossing products, attributes and assessors. The main objective of the experiment is to evaluate products. However, the performance of each assessor and of the panel as a whole is of crucial importance for a successful analysis. At this aim univariate analysis for each sensory attribute as well as multi-way analysis considering all directions of information are usually performed. The present work studies the quality of a panel using both methods. The basic idea is to compare results and investigate relations between the two different analytical approaches

Great Expectations and Hard Times — The (Nontrivial) Impact of Education on Domestic Terrorism

This contribution investigates the role of education in domestic terrorism for 133 countries between 1984 and 2007. The findings point at a nontrivial effect of education on terrorism. Lower education (primary education) tends to promote terrorism in a cluster of countries where the socioeconomic, political and demographic conditions are unfavorable, while higher education (university education) reduces terrorism in a cluster of countries where conditions are more favorable. This suggests that country-specific circumstances mediate the effect of education on the (opportunity) costs and benefits of terrorism. For instance, the prevalence of poor structural conditions in combination with advances in education may explain past and present waves of terrorism and political instability in the Middle East. The results of this study imply that promoting education needs to be accompanied by sound structural change so that it can positively interact with (individual and social) development, thereby reducing terrorism.terrorism, education, negative binomial regression, revolution, conflict resolution

Die Mauer des Klosters Hardehausen und ihre Pflanzen

Die Mauer, die das ehemalige Zisterzienserkloster Hardehausen – jetzt Landvolkshochschule und Jugendhaus des Erzbistums Paderborn – umgibt, ist knapp 2 km lang. Das umgrenzte Grundstück ist fast rechteckig, es enthält die Gebäude, Sportanlagen, Teiche, einen Nutzgarten sowie einen Park, dessen hohe Bäume schattige Bereiche an der Mauer entstehen lassen. Die Richtungen der Mauerteile stimmen beinahe mit den Himmelsrichtungen überein. Die Mauer besteht aus verschiedenen Gesteinen: Sandstein, Kalkstein, Kalksandstein. Für die Lebensmöglichkeiten von Pflanzen ist jedoch weitgehend der kalkhaltige Mörtel entscheidend, da ja ihre Wurzeln in dieses Substrat eingesenkt sind; die meisten gefundenen Arten sind mindestens kalkverträglich. Die breite Mauerkrone bietet einer Anzahl von Pflanzen Lebensraum; einige Arten habe ich nur dort gefunden. Die Mauer ist 250 Jahre alt, Ausbesserungsarbeiten sind immer wieder vorgenommen worden und auch zur Zeit im Gange. Im Frühjahr 1986 wurde ich darauf hingewiesen, daß an einigen Stellen bei dieser Gelegenheit der Pflanzenbewuchs und damit auch die Zuflucht für manche Tiere beseitigt worden war. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt war das Eingangsportal an der Südseite sorgfältig und historisch getreu restauriert worden, dabei hatte man die Steine sogar von den anhaftenden Flechten gesäubert; ein Anblick, der gewiß manchen Menschen erfreut. In der Umgebung waren zwar die Flechten erhalten geblieben, die Verfugung war aber so sorgfältig durchgeführt worden, daß für absehbare Zeit den Pflanzen die Lebensmöglichkeiten genommen sind. Im Laufe des Sommers wurden stark verfallene Bereiche im Nordteil und im Westteil ausgebessert, aber in den meisten Abschnitten blieben die Pflanzenbestände erhalten

Technological change and corporate governance

Texto en inglés. Abstract en español e inglés.Los sistemas configuradores del "Gobierno Corporativo" de las empresas constituyen, sin duda, un elemento de competítividad empresarial y entre países ya que viene determinado por la legislación de cada país. Brockhoff plantea en este trabajo la grave interreladón entre el espacio que facilita las normativas reguladoras del "Gobierno de la corporación" y las exigencias de poder adaptarse estratégicamente a los cambios tecnológicos. La falta de adaptación tecnológica como consecuencia de las normas reguladoras del "Gobierno Corporativo" incide gravemente en el éxito de las empresas

Technological change and corporate governance

Texto en inglés. Abstract en español e inglés.Los sistemas configuradores del "Gobierno Corporativo" de las empresas constituyen, sin duda, un elemento de competítividad empresarial y entre países ya que viene determinado por la legislación de cada país. Brockhoff plantea en este trabajo la grave interreladón entre el espacio que facilita las normativas reguladoras del "Gobierno de la corporación" y las exigencias de poder adaptarse estratégicamente a los cambios tecnológicos. La falta de adaptación tecnológica como consecuencia de las normas reguladoras del "Gobierno Corporativo" incide gravemente en el éxito de las empresas

COCO: The Experimental Procedure

We present a budget-free experimental setup and procedure for benchmarking numericaloptimization algorithms in a black-box scenario. This procedure can be applied with the COCO benchmarking platform. We describe initialization of and input to the algorithm and touch upon therelevance of termination and restarts.Comment: ArXiv e-prints, arXiv:1603.0877

Taking the classical large audience university lecture online using tablet computer and webconferencing facilities

During three offerings of the course Introduction to Statistics at DTU the lecturing was carried out 100% through a tablet computer combined with the web conferencing facility Adobe Connect as an aid to record and share the lectures as well simultaneously as for creating videos for subsequent viewing. It will be described exactly how this can be done using simple audio and video equipment. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the course evaluations are given to document how (positive) students reacted on the initiative. In June 2011 the experience from a fourth offering during the spring 2011 is included