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Different Political (different + political)
Selected AbstractsOrdering the alternatives of a strategic plan for Valencia (Spain)JOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 3 2001Pablo Aragonés Abstract In this article we present an evaluation of the initiatives involved in a Strategic Plan for Valencia City (Spain) by applying a method to assist Multi-Criteria Decision-Making. The complexity of the case lies in the size of the problem, 47 alternatives and 10 criteria, as well as the need to reach a consensus on the final result. The method followed, which has been named PRES Multi-expert, can be generalized and applied to other complex cases. Thirteen experts have participated in the process, representing different political and social groups of the City, a group of analysts, formed by three lecturers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, and a consultant, representing the City Hall of Valencia. The PRES algorithm was used to order the alternatives developed in 1992 by Gómez-Senent at this University. In this article we highlight the advantages of applying the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Aid techniques and the importance of following a procedure to select the criteria, pondering on them and evaluating the alternatives. This procedure ensures that the parties interested in or affected by the decision take part in deciding what measures to adopt. The Multi-expert PRES method facilitates this participation and can be adapted to different types of problems. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Debt, democratization, and development in Latin America: How policy can affect global warmingJOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2008René W. Aubourg The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis conjectures a nonlinear relationship between pollution and economic growth, such that pollution per capita initially increases as countries economically develop, but then reaches a maximum point before ultimately declining. Much of the EKC literature has focused on testing this basic hypothesis and, in studies that find evidence of an EKC, estimating the "turning point" level of development at which the per capita pollution-growth relationship changes sign. This approach has not emphasized the policy relevance of specification issues or the potential role of policy variables. This research explores a modified EKC specification which conditions the pollution-growth relationship on a country's level of debt and degree of democratization. These variables turn out to be significant, implying that different political and economic contexts can shift EKCs and their turning points. These findings suggest that policies to relieve debt burdens and institute political reform, in addition to their usual justifications, also could be used as a strategy to reduce carbon emissions from developing countries. © 2008 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. [source] Childhood obesity: political developments in Europe and related perspectives for future action on preventionOBESITY REVIEWS, Issue 1 2008D. Fussenegger Summary The dramatically increasing prevalence of obesity, especially among children, has become a major public health problem in Europe. In reaction to this alarming trend, a series of initiatives and actions has been launched in recent years. As the potential impact of these activities is widely unknown so far, we underline the need for adequate evaluation of these measures. The aim of this paper is to report the latest developments in the fight against obesity at different political levels across Europe, with special attention to the major results of the recent World Health Organization European Ministerial Conference on Counteracting Obesity. In accordance with the main principles of the European Charter on Counteracting Obesity adopted at the meeting, immediate action should be taken now by implementing the few available schemes with proven effectiveness. Finally, given the lack of appropriate evaluation, we consider it particularly important to establish national research centres to collect country-specific data that are to be evaluated together by a central European administration department. Based on the results of such a comprehensive data pool, concrete strategies could be developed for future policy building. [source] Output and Productivity Performance of Hong Kong and Singapore's Transport and Communications Sector, 1990 to 2005,ASIAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009Boon L. Lee C430; D290; L910; L960; O570 This paper uses the industry of origin approach to analyze value added and labor productivity outcomes arising from progressive liberalization of government and from statutory board control of transport and communications in Singapore. The paper compares these outcomes with those from the market-orientated, more privatized transport and communications sector in Hong Kong, for the benchmark year 2004 and a review period from 1990 to 2005. The study is among the first to carefully compare labor productivity in specific sectors between the two countries. Although Singapore generally recorded higher levels of labor productivity, there was some catch-up by Hong Kong in the later part of the review period. There was also substantial variation in labor productivity performance within sectoral branches in the two sectors. The study suggests there is some evidence that the different political,economic structures and policy approaches to deregulation and liberalization played a role in determining productivity performance in the transport and communications sectors in Singapore and Hong Kong. The analysis infers a potential, increasing focus on privatization as the driving force for further liberalization of the transport and communications sector in Singapore. [source] The Limits to Evidence-Based Policy: Evidence, Emotion and Criminal Justice1AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 2 2010Arie Freiberg While ,evidence-based' or ,rationalist' approaches to criminal policy may appeal to technocrats, bureaucrats and a number of academics, they often fail to compete successfully with the affective approaches to law and order policies which resonate with the public and which appear to meet deep-seated psychological needs. They also often fail to recognise that ,policy' and ,politics' are related concepts and that debates about criminal justice are played out in broader arenas than the academy, the bureau or the agency. To be successful, penal reform must take account of the emotions people feel in the face of wrongdoing. Further, successful reform must take into account changes in public ,mood' or emotions over time and be sensitive to different political and social cultures. This article argues that criminal justice policies are more likely to be adopted if, in addition to the gathering and presentation of evidence, they recognise and deal with the roles of emotions, symbols, faith, belief and religion in the criminal justice system. It also recognises that evidence alone is unlikely to be the major determinant of policy outcomes and that the creation and successful implementation of policy also requires extensive engagement and evidence-based dialogue with interested and affected parties. This necessitates a different kind of modelling for evidence-based policy processes. [source] |