Suchergebnisse

Ballot questions often feature obscure and legalistic language that is difficult to comprehend. Because the language of ballot questions is often unclear, the authors hypothesize that questions with lower readability will have higher roll-off because voters will not answer questions they do not understand. The authors use an objective measure of readability to code readability scores for 1,211 state-level ballot questions from 1997 to 2007. Using hierarchical linear regression models of state-level data, the authors find that increased complexity leads to more roll-off. The authors further analyze some possible influences on readability by examining whether it is affected by the question topic.

Ballot questions often feature obscure and legalistic language that is difficult to comprehend. Because the language of ballot questions is often unclear, the authors hypothesize that questions with lower readability will have higher roll-off because voters will not answer questions they do not understand. The authors use an objective measure of readability to code readability scores for 1,211 state-level ballot questions from 1997 to 2007. Using hierarchical linear regression models of state-level data, the authors find that increased complexity leads to more roll-off. The authors further analyze some possible influences on readability by examining whether it is affected by the question topic. Adapted from the source document.

This study demonstrates that multimember districts (MMDs) complicate ballots, reduce voter information, and increase incentives for strategic voting in ways that reduce voter participation. Using data from three states that elect members of at least one legislative chamber from both single‐member districts (SMDs) and MMDs, we test hypotheses about the impact on MMDs on ballot drop‐off (selecting fewer candidates for an office than permissible) and roll‐off (not voting in down‐ballot races). We find support for both sets of hypotheses, with the strongest results related to ballot drop‐off. The results have broad implications for voter participation, representation, and election administration in the many states and localities that use MMDs to elect public officials.

This research explains the variance in voter turnout and ballot roll-off in county and circuit nonpartisan judicial elections in Florida from 2014 and 2016. Based on theory, a collection of constituent (demographic and socioeconomic), candidate, competition, and contextual variables is gathered to construct four regression models. Two full regression models were constructed for turnout and roll-off and analyzed using SPSS software, in addition to two best regression models analyzing five statistically significant variables found within each full model. Presidential year elections and higher populations age 65 and up had positive impacts on voter turnout, while primary elections, campaign expenditures, and populations of minor (other) party registered voters had statistically significant negative effects on turnout. Increases in ballot roll-off were associated with presidential year elections, and populations with more college degrees, higher median household income, and higher percentages of voters registered with no party affiliation or minor political parties. Roll-off decreased in primary elections. While various contextual, competition, and constituent variables had significant impact on both turnout and roll-off in Florida judicial elections, candidate characteristic variables had no significant impact on differences in voter turnout and ballot roll-off. ; 2018-05-01 ; B.A. ; College of Sciences, Political Science ; Bachelors ; This record was generated from author submitted information.

Small open-deck roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries in Indonesia have a poor safety record. The Indonesian Government is interested in means by which the safety of these vessels can be improved, and this was the main catalyst for commencing research in this area. Any solution should be capable of being retrofitted to both existing vessels and new designs to improve their stability and, hence, their safety. The research therefore focused on the intact stability of the bare hulls, and with addition of side casings, for the vessels for which data was made available by the Indonesian Government. The research covered both quasi-static analysis, based on the objective of meeting the IMO intact stability criteria, and a dynamic approach using time-domain simulation in regular beam waves. A parametric study of the stability parameters of the twenty vessels demonstrated that, without the presence of side casings, the vessels had difficulties in complying with the IMO intact stability criteria. The problems were solved by introducing side casings (watertight spaces above the vehicle deck) either inboard of the vessel's side-shell plating, or partially inboard and partially outboard of the side shell. The minimum extent (breadth) of side casings required was determined by iteration on each of the twenty vessels, incorporating variations in the height of the centre of gravity and loading conditions. The implementation of the minimum side casings showed that each vessel then met the IMO intact stability criteria. However, the assessment of the vessels' dynamic stability characteristics using time-domain simulation provided inconsistent results for these vessels with side casings which met the IMO intact stability criteria. For some particular conditions, the existence and the different forms of side casings could decrease vessel survivability by increasing the roll motion amplitudes for both inside and outside casings and could lead the vessel to capsize. The results of the dynamic stability analysis also confirmed the ...

AbstractVoters often have difficulty making choices on the myriad state constitutional amendments they vote on each year. Without partisan cues, they turn to other sources for these low-salience, high complexity measures. One such source is newspaper endorsements. In this article, we look at newspaper endorsements of ballot measures in Florida over 20 years both on "no" votes and roll-off. We argue that endorsements' effect on "no" votes and roll-off differs in ways not previously appreciated. Newspaper endorsements have a positive impact on no votes, as expected from the information theory of voter participation. Endorsements have little impact on roll-off, which we posit is because roll-off voters are not likely to seek information from newspapers. Thus, newspaper endorsements serve to persuade, but not entice, voters to vote for ballot measures.

In recent years transport policy at an European Level has been focused on reducing the share of road transportation and promote alternative transportation means in order to reduce road congestion and carbon footprint. One of the solutions proposed has been promoting Short Sea Shipping (SSS) transportation combined with land transportation to become a door-to-door alternative to the monomodal road alternative. The maritime centered option would hit to birds with a stone: reduce congestion in the most urbanized areas of the European Union and partly replacing heavy polluting truck haulage for an environmentally friendlier option. The European Commission launched many polices and initiatives to make the modal shift happen, the crown jewel being the launch of multiple initiatives promoting the establishment of a system of Motorways of the Seas. Those are links between ports with higher standards in terms of travel time, costs and flexibility, which can compete one-on-one with road haulage among the countries in the Union. Despite different efforts from the public administration to kick off MoS lines and ensure their competitiveness, the expected momentum is still yet to come. In the light of this, this thesis aims at providing tools to assess the competitiveness of existing and MoS line to-be, to quantify the room for improvement available and the effects that some changes at an operational and strategical level might have on the success of any specific line. Particularly, the thesis presented aims at three specific objectives: (1) to identify the strategic potential of SSS in all its forms, considering the characteristics of the demand (goods to be moved) and the role of RoRo and MoS shipping in the global picture; (2) to identify the most sensible procedures in RoRo terminals operation to be addressed to improve their performance and perception from the end user, and; (3) To understand the costs of the supply chain, and the cost structure of RoRo shipping lines, and their sensitiveness in front of market changes, ...

In recent years transport policy at an European Level has been focused on reducing the share of road transportation and promote alternative transportation means in order to reduce road congestion and carbon footprint. One of the solutions proposed has been promoting Short Sea Shipping (SSS) transportation combined with land transportation to become a door-to-door alternative to the monomodal road alternative. The maritime centered option would hit to birds with a stone: reduce congestion in the most urbanized areas of the European Union and partly replacing heavy polluting truck haulage for an environmentally friendlier option. The European Commission launched many polices and initiatives to make the modal shift happen, the crown jewel being the launch of multiple initiatives promoting the establishment of a system of Motorways of the Seas. Those are links between ports with higher standards in terms of travel time, costs and flexibility, which can compete one-on-one with road haulage among the countries in the Union. Despite different efforts from the public administration to kick off MoS lines and ensure their competitiveness, the expected momentum is still yet to come. In the light of this, this thesis aims at providing tools to assess the competitiveness of existing and MoS line to-be, to quantify the room for improvement available and the effects that some changes at an operational and strategical level might have on the success of any specific line. Particularly, the thesis presented aims at three specific objectives: (1) to identify the strategic potential of SSS in all its forms, considering the characteristics of the demand (goods to be moved) and the role of RoRo and MoS shipping in the global picture; (2) to identify the most sensible procedures in RoRo terminals operation to be addressed to improve their performance and perception from the end user, and; (3) To understand the costs of the supply chain, and the cost structure of RoRo shipping lines, and their sensitiveness in front of market changes, pricing and public funding policies. To approach each issue different qualitative, analytical and simulating models are used depending on the concerned problem. The strategic assessment makes use interviews to identify the main requirements that a transporter might face when dealing with SSS. The role of the terminal is assessed by means of two separate models: from one side an analytical model is used to assess the relationship between capacity and quality by means of quantifying the service time the ship spends in a port and calculate the probability of delays. On the other side, the resilience of the port is assessed with an arborescence interlinking its current vulnerabilities, their causes and effects and their probability to happen. Finally, and regarding the business models, first a cost and time model is constructed for each of them and tested against variations on some of the variables and from there, a tool to calculate the optimal deployment of the shipping line to ensure the maximum shift (or profit) is provided. In that case, the model is complemented with the adaptation of a transportation discrete choice model. Overall, the tools should be helpful to assess the potential of a shipping line from its planning level to its final operational deployment. ; Els darrers anys, la política de transports a nivell europeu s'ha focalitzat en reduir el pes del transport per carretera de mercaderies i promoure mitjans de transport que li siguin alternatius, com a mesures per reduir la congestió a les carreteres i la petjada ecològica. Una de les solucions que s'ha posat sobre la taula, és l'anomenat Transport Marítim de Curta Distància (TMCD o SSS, en les seves sigles en anglès), com a una veritable alternativa bimodal (ferrocarril/carretera combinats amb transport marítim) a l'opció de transport monomodal per carretera. Diversos estudis certifiquen que el transport porta-a-porta transcorregut parcialment amb TMCD acostuma a registrar menors externalitats (bàsicament costos ambientals i de congestió) que el transport per carretera per cada tona transportada. Des d'un punt de vista operatiu, el TMCD i especialment la seva versió en forma d'Autopistes del Mar (AdM o MoS), enteses com a enllaços entre ports amb altes prestacions pel que fa a temps de viatge, flexibilitat i freqüència a un cost competitiu s'han estudiat àmpliament com a una alternativa directa i equivalent al transport per carretera. Però malgrat els esforços fets des de l'administració pública per promoure les línies d'AdM i assegurar-ne la competitivitat, aquestes no han obtingut l'impuls previst inicialment. L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi, de fet, és proveir un conjunt d'eines per tal d'avaluar la competitivitat de qualsevol AdM i quantificar-ne el marge de millora i l'efecte que alguns canvis a nivell operatiu i estratègic podrien tenir en la seva competitivitat , tan a nivell operatiu com estratègic, per tal de garantir-ne la competitivitat futura. De forma més específica, la tesi que aquí es presenta, analitza tres aspectes específics de les AdM: (1) Quines característiques a de tenir el seu mercat potencial a nivell estratègic, (2) con rol prenen les terminals portuàries, enteses com la baula dèbil de la cadena de transport, a nivell de la valoració qualitativa de la cadena de transport per part del seu usuari final i (3), possibles models de negoci pel transportista / propietari de la mercaderia per treure el màxim profit de les AdM. Cada un dels tres aspectes s'adreça mitjançant eines diferenciades que s'adaptin a la problemàtica plantejada. L'anàlisi estratègic es basa en entrevistes a usuaris de cadenes de transport per establir els principals requeriments del transportista que es pugui plantejar l'ús d'una AdM. A partir dels requeriments, es defineixen diversos models de cadena de transport, arribant a la conclusió que les cadenes 'push-pull' i 'push against stock' són les candidates que més es beneficiarien d'una AdM, almenys a nivell estratègic. El rol de la terminal s'analitza qualitativament analitzant-ne dos aspectes per separat: d'una banda es crea un model basat en una combinació de valors d'origen estocàstic, determinista i via simulació, per calcular el temps d'operació mínim d'un buc de càrrega rodada a una terminal marítima i la relació que hi ha entre nivell d'ús de la terminal i la seva capacitat. D'altra banda, també s'estableix un marc per quantificar la vulnerabilitat i resiliència de la terminal davant de elements que afectin la seva normal operació i com aquests poden afectar la qualitat percebuda del servei. Finalment, pel que fa als models de negoci pels transportistes, es construeix un model de costos i temps per cada un d'ells, se n'analitza la sensibilitat i el pes de les principals variables que els afecten com a eina per calcular el model de negoci, les característiques de la línia marítima i les tarifes de base a cobrar des de la perspectiva de la naviliera. Per assolir-ho, el model es complementa amb l'adopció d'un model d'elecció modal. Preses conjuntament, es proporciona una metodologia per ajudar a avaluar el potencial de futures AdM o millorar les existents i l'efecte que hi poden tenir les actuals i futures polítiques de transport. ; Postprint (published version)

In recent years transport policy at an European Level has been focused on reducing the share of road transportation and promote alternative transportation means in order to reduce road congestion and carbon footprint. One of the solutions proposed has been promoting Short Sea Shipping (SSS) transportation combined with land transportation to become a door-to-door alternative to the monomodal road alternative. The maritime centered option would hit to birds with a stone: reduce congestion in the most urbanized areas of the European Union and partly replacing heavy polluting truck haulage for an environmentally friendlier option. The European Commission launched many polices and initiatives to make the modal shift happen, the crown jewel being the launch of multiple initiatives promoting the establishment of a system of Motorways of the Seas. Those are links between ports with higher standards in terms of travel time, costs and flexibility, which can compete one-on-one with road haulage among the countries in the Union. Despite different efforts from the public administration to kick off MoS lines and ensure their competitiveness, the expected momentum is still yet to come. In the light of this, this thesis aims at providing tools to assess the competitiveness of existing and MoS line to-be, to quantify the room for improvement available and the effects that some changes at an operational and strategical level might have on the success of any specific line. Particularly, the thesis presented aims at three specific objectives: (1) to identify the strategic potential of SSS in all its forms, considering the characteristics of the demand (goods to be moved) and the role of RoRo and MoS shipping in the global picture; (2) to identify the most sensible procedures in RoRo terminals operation to be addressed to improve their performance and perception from the end user, and; (3) To understand the costs of the supply chain, and the cost structure of RoRo shipping lines, and their sensitiveness in front of market changes, pricing and public funding policies. To approach each issue different qualitative, analytical and simulating models are used depending on the concerned problem. The strategic assessment makes use interviews to identify the main requirements that a transporter might face when dealing with SSS. The role of the terminal is assessed by means of two separate models: from one side an analytical model is used to assess the relationship between capacity and quality by means of quantifying the service time the ship spends in a port and calculate the probability of delays. On the other side, the resilience of the port is assessed with an arborescence interlinking its current vulnerabilities, their causes and effects and their probability to happen. Finally, and regarding the business models, first a cost and time model is constructed for each of them and tested against variations on some of the variables and from there, a tool to calculate the optimal deployment of the shipping line to ensure the maximum shift (or profit) is provided. In that case, the model is complemented with the adaptation of a transportation discrete choice model. Overall, the tools should be helpful to assess the potential of a shipping line from its planning level to its final operational deployment. ; Els darrers anys, la política de transports a nivell europeu s'ha focalitzat en reduir el pes del transport per carretera de mercaderies i promoure mitjans de transport que li siguin alternatius, com a mesures per reduir la congestió a les carreteres i la petjada ecològica. Una de les solucions que s'ha posat sobre la taula, és l'anomenat Transport Marítim de Curta Distància (TMCD o SSS, en les seves sigles en anglès), com a una veritable alternativa bimodal (ferrocarril/carretera combinats amb transport marítim) a l'opció de transport monomodal per carretera. Diversos estudis certifiquen que el transport porta-a-porta transcorregut parcialment amb TMCD acostuma a registrar menors externalitats (bàsicament costos ambientals i de congestió) que el transport per carretera per cada tona transportada. Des d'un punt de vista operatiu, el TMCD i especialment la seva versió en forma d'Autopistes del Mar (AdM o MoS), enteses com a enllaços entre ports amb altes prestacions pel que fa a temps de viatge, flexibilitat i freqüència a un cost competitiu s'han estudiat àmpliament com a una alternativa directa i equivalent al transport per carretera. Però malgrat els esforços fets des de l'administració pública per promoure les línies d'AdM i assegurar-ne la competitivitat, aquestes no han obtingut l'impuls previst inicialment. L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi, de fet, és proveir un conjunt d'eines per tal d'avaluar la competitivitat de qualsevol AdM i quantificar-ne el marge de millora i l'efecte que alguns canvis a nivell operatiu i estratègic podrien tenir en la seva competitivitat , tan a nivell operatiu com estratègic, per tal de garantir-ne la competitivitat futura. De forma més específica, la tesi que aquí es presenta, analitza tres aspectes específics de les AdM: (1) Quines característiques a de tenir el seu mercat potencial a nivell estratègic, (2) con rol prenen les terminals portuàries, enteses com la baula dèbil de la cadena de transport, a nivell de la valoració qualitativa de la cadena de transport per part del seu usuari final i (3), possibles models de negoci pel transportista / propietari de la mercaderia per treure el màxim profit de les AdM. Cada un dels tres aspectes s'adreça mitjançant eines diferenciades que s'adaptin a la problemàtica plantejada. L'anàlisi estratègic es basa en entrevistes a usuaris de cadenes de transport per establir els principals requeriments del transportista que es pugui plantejar l'ús d'una AdM. A partir dels requeriments, es defineixen diversos models de cadena de transport, arribant a la conclusió que les cadenes 'push-pull' i 'push against stock' són les candidates que més es beneficiarien d'una AdM, almenys a nivell estratègic. El rol de la terminal s'analitza qualitativament analitzant-ne dos aspectes per separat: d'una banda es crea un model basat en una combinació de valors d'origen estocàstic, determinista i via simulació, per calcular el temps d'operació mínim d'un buc de càrrega rodada a una terminal marítima i la relació que hi ha entre nivell d'ús de la terminal i la seva capacitat. D'altra banda, també s'estableix un marc per quantificar la vulnerabilitat i resiliència de la terminal davant de elements que afectin la seva normal operació i com aquests poden afectar la qualitat percebuda del servei. Finalment, pel que fa als models de negoci pels transportistes, es construeix un model de costos i temps per cada un d'ells, se n'analitza la sensibilitat i el pes de les principals variables que els afecten com a eina per calcular el model de negoci, les característiques de la línia marítima i les tarifes de base a cobrar des de la perspectiva de la naviliera. Per assolir-ho, el model es complementa amb l'adopció d'un model d'elecció modal. Preses conjuntament, es proporciona una metodologia per ajudar a avaluar el potencial de futures AdM o millorar les existents i l'efecte que hi poden tenir les actuals i futures polítiques de transport. ; Postprint (published version)

Discusses the impact of use of the electronic voting machine on the rate at which voters take part in direct democracy by lowering ballot roll-off, that is, failure by voters at the polls to record a preference in referenda contests; based on voting data, 1992 and 1996; Kentucky.

This article explores the correlates of ballot roll-off in the 2014 Toronto municipal election. While turnout in the mayoral contest was comparatively high, roughly 4.3% of voters abstained from council races. Using data from the Toronto Election Study, a large- N survey of electors conducted around the time of the 2014 Toronto Election, this study identifies a series of factors related to roll-off from mayoral to council elections. These variables include a number of sociodemographic characteristics and attitudinal factors commonly associated with turnout, measures of attachment to the city, and a series of election-specific factors. Results reveal that many factors commonly associated with abstention similarly drive roll-off, but that the experiences of individual voters also have an impact upon roll-off rates.

none ; 6 ; no ; Funding text This research has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 826339, project H2Ports - Implementing Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Technologies in Ports. The JU receives support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and Spain, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy. ; The port-logistic industry has a significant impact on the urban environment nearby ports and on the surrounding coastal areas. This is due to the use of large auxiliary power systems on ships operating during port stays, as well as to the employment of a number of fossil fuel powered road vehicles required for port operations. The environmental impact related to the use of these vehicles is twofold: on one hand, they contribute directly to port emissions by fuel consumption; on the other hand, they require some of the ship auxiliary systems to operate intensively, such as the ventilation system, which must operate to remove the pollutants produced by the vehicle engines inside the ship. The pathway to achieve decarbonization and mitigation of energy use in ports involves therefore the adoption of alternative and cleaner technology solutions for the propulsion systems of such port vehicles. This paper presents the performance analysis of a hydrogen powered cargo-handling vehicle for roll-on and roll-off port operations in a real case scenario. The fuel cell/battery hybrid powertrain of the vehicle has been previously designed by the authors. On the base of real data acquired during an on-field measurement campaign, and by means of a validated numerical model of the vehicle dynamics, different mission profiles are defined, in terms of driving and duty cycles, in order to represent typical port operations. A rule-based energy management strategy is then used to estimate the energy and hydrogen consumptions required by the vehicle and to assess its suitability to accomplish the defined target port operations. Outputs from this study show the ...

It is well recognized in the literature that a country's transport system plays a central role in its development. In this paper, we show the economic impacts of improvements in the transport system by studying experience of the Philippines with the Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) policy that promotes the use of Ro-Ro ferry terminal system. Using difference-in-difference strategies in analyzing agricultural household income and children's education, we find that the operation of Ro-Ro ports largely benefitted the households living near the Ro-Ro ports. More specifically, our estimates suggest that agricultural households gained higher income from the operation of these ports because both agriculture and non-agriculture related activities were stimulated. Our results also imply the boost in non-agriculture related activities on the islands where the Ro-Ro ports are located. Meanwhile, our analysis on children's education reveals an increase in school attendance of males and females in municipalities near the Ro-Ro ports. We likewise confirm that there was an increase in family income in these areas, thereby suggesting the increased capacity of households to send children to school. As a whole, our study demonstrates some examples of short-run and long-run impacts of improving a country's transport system. Likewise, it highlights the importance of an efficient and affordable transport system in an archipelagic country like the Philippines.