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Downs is unusual in having been active in economic & political research during the 1950s & 1960s, & then turning to real estate & urban planning for the rest of his career. Focus here is on his first book, An Economic Theory of Democracy (1957), which presents not one, but many theories of democracy even if they are all generally couched in economic terms. This paper expounds the argument of the Economic Theory systematically & sequentially covering (a) the general non-spatial model of party competition; (b) the effects of information shortage; (c) party reliability & responsibility; (d) the two-party spatial model; (e) the multiparty spatial model; (f) further consequences of information shortage; & (g) problems of voting turnout. Evidence from quantified election programs is used to show that the models leading to limited party policy movement & non-convergence are the more realistic ones. Despite its defects, the book laid down the agenda for mathematical political theory & empirical research over the last 50 years & has a fair claim to being the most influential single book written on politics in that period. 1 Table, 6 Figures, 1 Appendix, 38 References. Adapted from the source document.

2011 has been a "rose" year for Open Access all over the world, as both the green and the gold ways met with great successes. Due to its social pervasiveness, Open Access is gaining ground within alternative economies and is opening new paths inside the social environment. In 2011 it was increasingly used for support and humanitarian aids worldwide, and acting as a real catalyst for information it involved people and cultures within the social media and the social networks. Its current ramifications are having great impact in the evolution of other open movements like the Open- Data movement, the e-Science's communities, the Open Education Resources (OER) and of newest and fascinating models of modern pedagogy like the so-called Massively Open Courses (MOOC), open online online university courses focused on open access and targeted to the masses. Nevertheless, due to the way scientific communication used to work until a few years ago, there are still a few critical points like the necessity to identify sustainable economic models for scientific publishing, and to find a proper rights' management model together with the consequent allocation of profits within the value chain. Thus, the projects of the Digital Innovation and the policy choices within the research programs of the Commission and the European Union will be strategic in promoting open access in the sense of open innovation, and in working out several critical issues.

This paper shows the state of the art regarding the possibilities of intervention for the economic and social inclusion of young people Not engaged in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET) through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) in the countries of the European Union, in order to identify and compare good practices and didactic models aimed to contrast the social and economic vulnerabilities of young people. The systematic review, carried out on both generalist and more properly educational databases, has revealed the poor relationship between the two topics in literature, each one moreover only recently made the subject of articulated research. The field of study is therefore open and invites further reflection on its possible developments. Matching NEETs' needs and business companies' requirements, students' motivation during the learning path, keeping balance between e-learning and face-to-face lectures, tutors' involvement along the course, and relationships with stakeholders remain the main issues identified in the various papers reviewed. ; Il presente contributo illustra lo stato dell'arte nei paesi dell'Unione Europea rispetto alle possibilità di intervento attraverso corsi online di libera fruizione (MOOC) per l'inclusione economica e sociale di giovani non inseriti in percorsi educativi, formativi o professionali (NEET). Scopo dell'indagine è individuare e confrontare buone pratiche e modelli didattici finalizzati al contrasto delle vulnerabilità sociali ed economiche dei giovani. La revisione sistematica, condotta su database generalisti e più propriamente educativi, ha rivelato la scarsa relazione in letteratura dei due temi, ciascuno peraltro oggetto di ricerche articolate solo di recente. Il campo d'indagine è quindi aperto ed invita ad una riflessione ulteriore sui possibili sviluppi. L'incontro tra necessità dei NEET e delle aziende, la motivazione durante il percorso, il mantenimento di un equilibrio tra e-learning e presenza, il coinvolgimento di tutor per tutto il percorso, e il rapporto con gli stakeholder restano i problemi principali rilevati nei diversi studi esaminati.

La tesi analizza il fenomeno del microcredito in Europa, approfondendo le cause che hanno reso necessaria l'introduzione di questo strumento finanziario anche in economie profondamente diverse da quella in cui ha avuto origine ed esamina le trasformazioni che lo strumento ha subito durante il suo processo di adattamento ai paesi evoluti. Lo studio esamina il microcredito in Francia, Inghilterra, Spagna e Germania, soffermandosi ad analizzare, in ognuno dei suddetti Stati, la disciplina giuridica adottata (qualora esistente), le istituzioni micro finanziarie esistenti, le caratteristiche del settore e le fonti di finanziamento. L'obiettivo dell'analisi è pertanto quello di comprendere come nei Paesi europei convivano contemporaneamente modelli di microcredito profondamente diversi, a seconda del contesto economico, politico e sociale nel quale trovano applicazione. La tesi si concentra ad analizzare il microcredito in Italia, valutando il rapporto esistente tra questo strumento finanziario ed il problema dell'esclusione sociale, dell'immigrazione e dell'usura. Lo studio approfondisce, inoltre, la disciplina giuridica del microcredito adottata in Italia dopo le recenti modifiche introdotte dal D.lgs n. 169/2012. Il lavoro si sofferma ad analizzare, altresì, se e quali interventi, a livello internazionale ed europeo, sono stati programmati per dare al microcredito una cornice legislativa unitaria e per promuoverne lo sviluppo. L'attività di ricerca infine è volta a valutare, sulla base delle esperienze descritte dalla letteratura del settore, gli effetti prodotti dal microcredito, nonché ad approfondire alcune problematiche comuni ai programmi adottati negli Stati europei, quali la sostenibilità delle istituzioni di microcredito, la dipendenza dai sussidi e l'applicazione di tassi di interesse elevati. La tesi si conclude con l'analisi del rapporto esistente tra microcredito e crisi finanziaria, in un periodo storico in cui le politiche per l'occupazione ed il sostegno alla piccola impresa sono fondamentali per stimolare la ripresa economica. ; The thesis analyses the phenomenon of microcredit in Europe going deeply into the causes which have made the introduction of this financial instrument necessary even in completely different economies than those in which it originated and examining the transformation that the instrument has undergone during the process of its adaptation to the progressive countries. The study examines microcredit in France, England, Spain and Germany, pausing to analyse, in each state, the juridical discipline adopted, if existing, the present institutions of micro credit, the nature of the sector and the source of funds. The objective of the analysis is to understand how European countries,according to the economic, political and social context,live completely different models of microcredit at the same time. The thesis concerntrates on analyzing the microcredit in Italy, taking into account the existing relations between this financial instrument and the problems of social exclusion, of immigration and of usury. The study also examines the juridical practice of microcredit used in Italy after recent changes introduced by D.lgs n. 169/2012. The work pauses to analyse if and which interventions, at International and European levels, have been programmed to give microcredit a unitary legislative framework and to promote its development. The research is aimed towards the valuation of the effects produced by microcredit on the basis of experiences described in the literature of the subject, as well as examining some common problems in the programs used in the European States; the sustainability of the microcredit institutions, the dependence of subsidies and the application of high interest taxes. The thesis concludes with the analysis of the existing relations between microcredit and the financial crisis, in a historical period in which politics for occupation and the support of small businesses are fundamental to stimulate economic growth.

La tesi affronta il tema dell'innovazione della scuola, oggetto di costante attenzione da parte delle organizzazioni internazionali e dei sistemi educativi nazionali, per le sue implicazioni economiche, sociali e politiche, e intende portare un contributo allo studio sistematico e analitico dei progetti e delle esperienze di innovazione complessiva dell'ambiente di apprendimento. Il concetto di ambiente di apprendimento viene approfondito nelle diverse prospettive di riferimento, con specifica attenzione al framework del progetto "Innovative Learning Environments" [ILE], dell'Organisation For Economic And Cultural Development [OECD] che, con una prospettiva dichiaratamente olistica, individua nel dispositivo dell'ambiente di apprendimento la chiave per l'innovazione dell'istruzione nella direzione delle competenze per il ventunesimo Secolo. I criteri presenti nel quadro di riferimento del progetto sono stati utilizzati per un'analisi dell'esperienza proposta come caso di studio, Scuola-Città Pestalozzi a Firenze, presa in esame perché nell'anno scolastico 2011/2012 ha messo in pratica appunto un "disegno" di trasformazione dell'ambiente di apprendimento e in particolare dei caratteri del tempo/scuola. La ricerca, condotta con una metodologia qualitativa, è stata orientata a far emergere le interpretazioni dei protagonisti dell'innovazione indagata: dall'analisi del progetto e di tutta la documentazione fornita dalla scuola è scaturita la traccia per un focus-group esplorativo attraverso il quale sono stati selezionati i temi per le interviste semistrutturate rivolte ai docenti (scuola primaria e scuola secondaria di primo grado). Per quanto concerne l'interpretazione dei risultati, le trascrizioni delle interviste sono state analizzate con un approccio fenomenografico, attraverso l'individuazione di unità testuali logicamente connesse a categorie concettuali pertinenti. L'analisi dei materiali empirici ha permesso di enucleare categorie interpretative rispetto alla natura e agli scopi delle esperienze di insegnamento/apprendimento, al processo organizzativo, alla sostenibilità. Tra le implicazioni della ricerca si ritengono particolarmente rilevanti quelle relative alla funzione docente. ; This doctoral thesis explores the issue of innovation in school education, a topic international institutions and school organization are increasingly interested in for the economic and socio-political implications involved. The research undertaken aims at offering a contribution to the systemic and analytic studies in the field of learning approaches innovation, focusing on a theoretical investigation and empirical analysis. The concept of learning environment has been approached from different perspectives, focusing mainly on the project framework "Innovative Learning Environment" (ILE) of the Organization for Economic and Cultural Development (OECD). A holistic approach is at the basis of the above project, making the learning environment the key factor to educational innovation in keeping with 21st century skills. The criterions used in the project framework have been used for analyzing an experience proposed as a case-study, Scuola-Città Pestalozzi in Florence, selected as in the school year 2011/2012 it carried out a transformation "plan" of the learning environment affecting above all the features of time/school. The qualitative research aimed at bringing out the interpretations of the actors: from the analysis of the project and the material provided by the school a guideline for an exploratory focus-group has followed, leading to the choice of the issues of the semi-structured interviews to primary and lower secondary schools teachers. As for the results, the transcriptions of the interviews are interpreted through phenomenographical analysis selecting text units logically connected to relevant conceptual categories. The empirical material thus analyzed has pointed out some interpretative categories in relation to the nature and to the aims of teaching/learning experiences, to the organization process, to sustainability. Of special interest among the research results are those played by the teacher role.

Questa tesi di dottorato verte sull'individuazione di politiche industriali atte ad implementare il mercato dei prodotti a denominazione di origine. Inevitabilmente, l'analisi economica dei prodotti agroalimentari tipici di qualità implica anche l'approfondimento e l'individuazione, delle problematiche connesse con la creazione di un valore addizionale per il consumatore, rispetto a quello dei prodotti standardizzati. Questo approccio richiama l'attenzione, da una parte, sulle caratteristiche della domanda e sulla disponibilità del consumatore a riconoscere e apprezzare questo plus-valore, dall'altra sulle strategie che l'offerta può attivare per conseguire un premium price rispetto al prodotto standardizzato. Le certificazioni comunitarie Dop, Igp e Stg oltre che il marchio di prodotto biologico racchiudono, solitamente, tali dinamiche valoriali ma sono tutt'oggi poco conosciute dai consumatori. Diversi studi internazionali dimostrano, infatti, che la maggioranza dei cittadini comunitari ignorano il significato delle certificazioni di qualità. L'ipotesi di fondo di questo studio si basa sulla possibilità di fidelizzare questi marchi con i brand della grande distribuzione già affermati, come quello di Coop. Analizzare gli effetti dell'introduzione di prodotti private label a denominazione di origine nel mercato della grande distribuzione organizzata italiana ci permetterebbe di comprendere se questo segmento di mercato può aiutare il settore delle Dop/Igp. Questo studio ha cercato di verificare se il prodotto private label a denominazione di origine, riesca a sfruttare il doppio binario di fiducia rappresentato dal marchio comunitario unito a quello dell'impresa di distribuzione. Per comprendere la propensione del consumatore a spendere di più per questi prodotti, abbiamo utilizzato l'analisi dell'elasticità della domanda sul prezzo dei dati scanner fornitici da Coop Adriatica. Siamo riusciti a dimostrare tale positivo connubio confermato anche da una indagine demoscopica effettuata ad hoc sui consumatori. ; This doctoral thesis focuses on the identification of industrial policies designed to implement the market for products with designation of origin. Inevitably, the economic analysis of typical food quality also implies the study and identification, of the problems associated with the creation of additional value for the consumer, compared to that of standardized products. This approach draws attention, on the one hand, the characteristics of demand and consumer willingness to recognize and appreciate this added value, the other on strategies that can activate the offer in order to achieve a premium price compared to the standardized product. The certifications Community PDO, PGI and TSG as well as the brand of organic products contain, usually, value-but these dynamics are still poorly understood by consumers. Several international studies have shown, in fact, that the majority of EU citizens are ignorant of the meaning of quality certifications. The basic hypothesis of this study is based on the ability to retain these brands with brands of large retailers already established, such as Coop. To analyze the effects of the introduction of private label products with a designation of origin in the Italian market supermarket chains would allow us to understand whether this segment of the market can help the field of PDO / PGI. This study sought to determine whether the private label product designation of origin, is able to take advantage of the dual track of confidence represented by the European certification brand combined with that of the distribution. To understand the propensity of consumers to spend more for these products, we used the analysis of the elasticity of demand on the price of scanner data supplied to us by Coop Adriatica. We were able to demonstrate that positive union also confirmed by an opinion poll carried out ad hoc on consumers.

none ; La giustizia spaziale è un concetto emergente in particolare nella geografia anglosassone e francese: la giustizia sociale nelle sue rappresentazioni e materializzazioni spaziali. Contiene in sé due caratteristiche essenziali che la distinguono dalla giustizia territoriale: una decisa critica al modello economico neoliberista e una visione dello spazio come prodotto sociale che è creato dalle strutture sociali ed allo stesso tempo influisce su di loro. Il lavoro propone il concetto di giustizia spaziale come valore guida delle politiche urbane e propone una metodologia di rappresentazione che riesca ad integrare la spazialità nell'analisi. Spatial justice is an emerging concept in geography: social justice in its representations and spatial aspects. Two essential characteristics differentiate it from territorial justice: a critique of the neoliberal economic model and a view of space as a social product that is created by social structures and at the same time affects them. The thesis proposes the concept of spatial justice as a guiding value of urban policies, and a method of representation able to integrate the space into the analysis. ; Geografia Economica ; open ; PRISCO, MARIA ROSARIA

In 2008 Chris Anderson wrote a provocative piece titled The End of Theory. The idea being that we no longer need to abstract and hypothesis; we simply need to let machines lead us to the patterns, trends, and relationships in social, economic, political, and environmental relationships. According to Anderson, the new availability of huge amounts of data offers a whole new way of understanding the world. Correlation supersedes causation, and science can advance even without coherent models and unified theories. But numbers, contrary to Anderson's assertion, do not, in fact, speak for themselves. From the neuroscience's standpoint, every choice we make is a reflection of an, often unstated, set of assumptions and hypotheses about what we want and expect from the data: no assertion, no prediction, no decision making is possible without an a priori opinion, without a project. Data-driven science essentially refers to the application of mathematics and technology on data to extract insights for problems, which are very clearly defined. In the real world, however, not all problems are such. To help solve them, one needs to understand and appreciate the context. The problem of landscape becomes, for this reason, critical and decisive. It requires an interdisciplinary approach consisting of several different competencies and skills. ; 8 ; 1 ; 117 ; 146 ; 8 ; Ethics in Progress

La direttiva 2014/23/UE rappresenta la prima iniziativa promossa dal Parlamento europeo e dal Consiglio volta a disciplinare in modo organico le concessioni di servizi. Il presente progetto si pone come obiettivo quello di analizzare le previsioni che il decreto legislativo 18 aprile 2016, n. 50 pone a disciplina dei contratti di concessione dei servizi, evidenziando come il più delle volte il legislatore nazionale si sia limato a riprodurre pedissequamente previsioni della direttiva anche laddove di fatto godesse di una maggiore libertà di scelta. Si procederà, inoltre, ad analizzare le diverse tipologie di servizio di interesse generale contemplate in ambito europeo e all'individuazione delle omologhe categorie di servizio pubblico previste dal diritto nazionale. Ci si interrogherà, infine, sulla possibilità di ricondurre il servizio farmaceutico nel novero dei servizi pubblici locali a rilevanza economica e sulla possibilità di ricomprendere la concessione di servizi tra i modelli di conduzione delle farmacie pubbliche. ; The research project consists of the analysis of the main innovations introduced by the public contracts code in the matter of service concessions, assessing whether this contractual situation could act as a model for the management of municipal pharmacies. We will proceed to examine the services of general economic interest in Europe and then proceed to identify the homologous public service categories provided for by national law. This last analysis will allow to evaluate the nature of the pharmaceutical service by asking about the possibility of placing it or not in the local public services.

La Tesi analizza le relazioni tra i processi di sviluppo agricolo e l'uso delle risorse naturali, in particolare di quelle energetiche, a livello internazionale (paesi in via di sviluppo e sviluppati), nazionale (Italia), regionale (Emilia Romagna) e aziendale, con lo scopo di valutare l'eco-efficienza dei processi di sviluppo agricolo, la sua evoluzione nel tempo e le principali dinamiche in relazione anche ai problemi di dipendenza dalle risorse fossili, della sicurezza alimentare, della sostituzione tra superfici agricole dedicate all'alimentazione umana ed animale. Per i due casi studio a livello macroeconomico è stata adottata la metodologia denominata "SUMMA" SUstainability Multi-method, multi-scale Assessment (Ulgiati et al., 2006), che integra una serie di categorie d'impatto dell'analisi del ciclo di vita, LCA, valutazioni costi-benefici e la prospettiva di analisi globale della contabilità emergetica. L'analisi su larga scala è stata ulteriormente arricchita da un caso studio sulla scala locale, di una fattoria produttrice di latte e di energia elettrica rinnovabile (fotovoltaico e biogas). Lo studio condotto mediante LCA e valutazione contingente ha valutato gli effetti ambientali, economici e sociali di scenari di riduzione della dipendenza dalle fonti fossili. I casi studio a livello macroeconomico dimostrano che, nonostante le politiche di supporto all'aumento di efficienza e a forme di produzione "verdi", l'agricoltura a livello globale continua ad evolvere con un aumento della sua dipendenza dalle fonti energetiche fossili. I primi effetti delle politiche agricole comunitarie verso una maggiore sostenibilità sembrano tuttavia intravedersi per i Paesi Europei. Nel complesso la energy footprint si mantiene alta poiché la meccanizzazione continua dei processi agricoli deve necessariamente attingere da fonti energetiche sostitutive al lavoro umano. Le terre agricole diminuiscono nei paesi europei analizzati e in Italia aumentando i rischi d'insicurezza alimentare giacché la popolazione nazionale sta invece aumentando. ; The thesis analyses the relationships between agricultural development processes and the use of natural resources, in particular energetic resources, at international (developing and developed countries), national (Italy), regional (Emilia Romagna) and farm scales with the aim of evaluating the Eco-efficiency of agricultural development processes, their evolution over time and the main dynamics also in relation to the problems of fossil fuel dependency, food security, substitution processes between agricultural lands devoted to human and animal food production. For the different case studies at macroeconomic level the methodology "SUMMA", Sustainability Multi-method Multi-scale Assessment (Ulgiati et al., 2006) has been adopted. The SUMMA methodology integrates a selection of LCA impact categories, cost-benefit evaluation methods and the global footprint view provided by the Emergy Synthesis. The large scale analysis has been enriched by a case study at the local scale of a dairy farm which produces milk and energy services from renewable sources (solar photovoltaic and biogas). The study carried out with the Life Cycle Assessment Methodology, LCA and Contingent Evaluation assessed the environmental, economic and social effects of the reduction of fossil fuel dependency scenarios. The two case studies at macroeconomic level showed that agriculture at global level is highly dependent from fossil fuel sources even if the presence of policies promoting the increase of efficiency in the use of resources and greening production models. The first modest effects of agricultural European policies seems however visible for European countries. In general the energy footprint is high as the continuous mechanization of agricultural processes replaces energy with human labor. The agricultural lands of European countries (including Italy) reduced in the period investigated increasing the risks of food insecurity for the growing residential population.

Prospects for economic and political developments in southeastern Asia; economic successes and their social and political ramifications; some emphasis on causal factors and exportability of local development models both within the region and outside it; 12 articles.

The starting point from which this work originated is to understand and investigate the problem of inequality, from a sociological perspective, through the gender category and specifically in science. The difference in the number of women at the highest level (and not only) of professional hierarchies in science (universities, laboratories, research centers, institutions) is a reality. Our research aims to investigate the mechanisms through which gender inequality operates in the scientific world and, to achieve this goal, we have used a case study considered particularly important and useful, that of the For Women and Science Award, an important international recognition dedicated to women who work in science. After defining the theoretical horizon which constitutes the context of the thematics of our research, we have realised a secondary analysis of data and then, we have developed and submitted the award's winners to a structured interview, integrating, in this way, the preparatory study phase with the direct voice of the protagonists. The core of the research is represented by the case study of the L'Oréal's Award, which has permitted to establish a direct dialogue with the scientists who have succeeded in science and therefore it has helped us to highlight some of the key dynamics responsible of inequality. On one hand, the Award's case study reflects how the presence of women in the scientific world is still perceived as a phenomenon to be underlined, therefore, in certain aspects, to be protected, showing that gender equality in science must not be taken for granted, but rather as an objective to be pursued with perseverance and determination. On the other hand, it stresses that scientific research has become - as the European Community has not failed to highlight and as the literature underlines - a constitutive aspect of a developed society and of its economic and political dynamics. We may wonder: why a multinational has decided to invest in an area apparently so far from its own sector? How is the ...

The starting point from which this work originated is to understand and investigate the problem of inequality, from a sociological perspective, through the gender category and specifically in science. The difference in the number of women at the highest level (and not only) of professional hierarchies in science (universities, laboratories, research centers, institutions) is a reality. Our research aims to investigate the mechanisms through which gender inequality operates in the scientific world and, to achieve this goal, we have used a case study considered particularly important and useful, that of the For Women and Science Award, an important international recognition dedicated to women who work in science. After defining the theoretical horizon which constitutes the context of the thematics of our research, we have realised a secondary analysis of data and then, we have developed and submitted the award's winners to a structured interview, integrating, in this way, the preparatory study phase with the direct voice of the protagonists. The core of the research is represented by the case study of the L'Oréal's Award, which has permitted to establish a direct dialogue with the scientists who have succeeded in science and therefore it has helped us to highlight some of the key dynamics responsible of inequality. On one hand, the Award's case study reflects how the presence of women in the scientific world is still perceived as a phenomenon to be underlined, therefore, in certain aspects, to be protected, showing that gender equality in science must not be taken for granted, but rather as an objective to be pursued with perseverance and determination. On the other hand, it stresses that scientific research has become - as the European Community has not failed to highlight and as the literature underlines - a constitutive aspect of a developed society and of its economic and political dynamics. We may wonder: why a multinational has decided to invest in an area apparently so far from its own sector? How is the ...

The starting point from which this work originated is to understand and investigate the problem of inequality, from a sociological perspective, through the gender category and specifically in science. The difference in the number of women at the highest level (and not only) of professional hierarchies in science (universities, laboratories, research centers, institutions) is a reality. Our research aims to investigate the mechanisms through which gender inequality operates in the scientific world and, to achieve this goal, we have used a case study considered particularly important and useful, that of the For Women and Science Award, an important international recognition dedicated to women who work in science. After defining the theoretical horizon which constitutes the context of the thematics of our research, we have realised a secondary analysis of data and then, we have developed and submitted the award's winners to a structured interview, integrating, in this way, the preparatory study phase with the direct voice of the protagonists. The core of the research is represented by the case study of the L'Oréal's Award, which has permitted to establish a direct dialogue with the scientists who have succeeded in science and therefore it has helped us to highlight some of the key dynamics responsible of inequality. On one hand, the Award's case study reflects how the presence of women in the scientific world is still perceived as a phenomenon to be underlined, therefore, in certain aspects, to be protected, showing that gender equality in science must not be taken for granted, but rather as an objective to be pursued with perseverance and determination. On the other hand, it stresses that scientific research has become - as the European Community has not failed to highlight and as the literature underlines - a constitutive aspect of a developed society and of its economic and political dynamics. We may wonder: why a multinational has decided to invest in an area apparently so far from its own sector? How is the ...