Jon Elster
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198280088
- eISBN:
- 9780191599927
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198280084.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Jon Elster surveys and classifies a wide range of literature that informs the study of justice. He positions Michael Walzer's theory of justice in relation to the three main categories into which he ...
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Jon Elster surveys and classifies a wide range of literature that informs the study of justice. He positions Michael Walzer's theory of justice in relation to the three main categories into which he believes studies of justice fall: descriptive, explanatory, and normative. In comparing Walzer's and his own account of the relevance of empirical findings for normative analysis, Elster aims to show that the complexity of the relationship between the two is not accurately captured by Walzer.Less
Jon Elster surveys and classifies a wide range of literature that informs the study of justice. He positions Michael Walzer's theory of justice in relation to the three main categories into which he believes studies of justice fall: descriptive, explanatory, and normative. In comparing Walzer's and his own account of the relevance of empirical findings for normative analysis, Elster aims to show that the complexity of the relationship between the two is not accurately captured by Walzer.
Tom Simpson
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195179675
- eISBN:
- 9780199869794
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195179675.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This chapter sketches the outlines of what a reasonable form of nativism might look like. The neuroconstructivists' challenge indicates that some misunderstanding continues to exist among certain ...
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This chapter sketches the outlines of what a reasonable form of nativism might look like. The neuroconstructivists' challenge indicates that some misunderstanding continues to exist among certain self-titled nonnativists over what it is that practicing nativists actually claim, together with a mistaken belief that current neurodevelopmental data is not or cannot be compatible with the nativist program. Both these issues are addressed by first providing further explication of the claims of practicing nativists, and then showing how these claims provide the basis for a reasonable nativism that is fully cognizant of and consistent with empirical data from all the developmental sciences, neuroconstructivism included.Less
This chapter sketches the outlines of what a reasonable form of nativism might look like. The neuroconstructivists' challenge indicates that some misunderstanding continues to exist among certain self-titled nonnativists over what it is that practicing nativists actually claim, together with a mistaken belief that current neurodevelopmental data is not or cannot be compatible with the nativist program. Both these issues are addressed by first providing further explication of the claims of practicing nativists, and then showing how these claims provide the basis for a reasonable nativism that is fully cognizant of and consistent with empirical data from all the developmental sciences, neuroconstructivism included.
Richard S. Katz
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195044294
- eISBN:
- 9780199854752
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195044294.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This book addresses the relationship between the different and often incompatible values of democratic theory and the electoral institutions used to achieve them. By analysing electoral systems ...
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This book addresses the relationship between the different and often incompatible values of democratic theory and the electoral institutions used to achieve them. By analysing electoral systems worldwide, including those of not only European and “honorary European” governments but also developing nations, this book provides the empirical data to find the institutions most appropriate to each model of democracy.Less
This book addresses the relationship between the different and often incompatible values of democratic theory and the electoral institutions used to achieve them. By analysing electoral systems worldwide, including those of not only European and “honorary European” governments but also developing nations, this book provides the empirical data to find the institutions most appropriate to each model of democracy.
Moulin Xiong
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780231170079
- eISBN:
- 9780231540810
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231170079.003.0008
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
Based on data collected from eight courts in five provinces, this chapter shows that China’s use of the death penalty was mainly limited to violent crimes and drug offenses in practice. In addition, ...
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Based on data collected from eight courts in five provinces, this chapter shows that China’s use of the death penalty was mainly limited to violent crimes and drug offenses in practice. In addition, the data showed a declining trend for the use of the death sentences with immediate execution but an increasing trend for the death sentences with suspension in the new century.Less
Based on data collected from eight courts in five provinces, this chapter shows that China’s use of the death penalty was mainly limited to violent crimes and drug offenses in practice. In addition, the data showed a declining trend for the use of the death sentences with immediate execution but an increasing trend for the death sentences with suspension in the new century.
Kay Lehman Schlozman, Sidney Verba, and Henry E. Brady
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691154848
- eISBN:
- 9781400841912
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691154848.003.0014
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter maps the terrain of political activity by organizations using systematic empirical data to reveal something about the political voice emerging from organized involvement in various ...
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This chapter maps the terrain of political activity by organizations using systematic empirical data to reveal something about the political voice emerging from organized involvement in various domains of national politics. For various domains of organizational activity, the chapter characterizes categories of organizations with respect to the likelihood that organizations are active and, if active, how much they do. In the process this chapter clarifies the strategic considerations and resource constraints that shape the involvement of different kinds of organizations in different arenas. Here, it becomes apparent that the policy makers in different institutional settings hear quite different mixes of messages.Less
This chapter maps the terrain of political activity by organizations using systematic empirical data to reveal something about the political voice emerging from organized involvement in various domains of national politics. For various domains of organizational activity, the chapter characterizes categories of organizations with respect to the likelihood that organizations are active and, if active, how much they do. In the process this chapter clarifies the strategic considerations and resource constraints that shape the involvement of different kinds of organizations in different arenas. Here, it becomes apparent that the policy makers in different institutional settings hear quite different mixes of messages.
Wolfgang Streeck
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199573981
- eISBN:
- 9780191702136
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199573981.003.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Political Economy, International Business
Since institutions of a political economy cannot be taken into consideration individually, institutional change should be looked at not as an individual subject but as a part of a social formation. ...
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Since institutions of a political economy cannot be taken into consideration individually, institutional change should be looked at not as an individual subject but as a part of a social formation. Such a view requires social systems to be understood in a way that they avoid being associated with the notion of a static equilibrium being seen as an ideal condition. The book takes on a quasi-inductive approach in reconstructing the evolution of five institutional complexes over a quarter century while also looking into the theoretical implications and questions that have been brought about by empirical observations. A series of conclusions are then offered that are based on empirical material regarding institutional change including how to analyse it and the nature and dynamics of contemporary capitalism.Less
Since institutions of a political economy cannot be taken into consideration individually, institutional change should be looked at not as an individual subject but as a part of a social formation. Such a view requires social systems to be understood in a way that they avoid being associated with the notion of a static equilibrium being seen as an ideal condition. The book takes on a quasi-inductive approach in reconstructing the evolution of five institutional complexes over a quarter century while also looking into the theoretical implications and questions that have been brought about by empirical observations. A series of conclusions are then offered that are based on empirical material regarding institutional change including how to analyse it and the nature and dynamics of contemporary capitalism.
Aniruddh D. Patel
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199553426
- eISBN:
- 9780191731020
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199553426.003.0026
- Subject:
- Psychology, Music Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter presents a response to the commentaries in Chapters 23–25. It discusses the importance of specifying cognitive mechanisms, the importance of advanced neuroimaging techniques, and the ...
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This chapter presents a response to the commentaries in Chapters 23–25. It discusses the importance of specifying cognitive mechanisms, the importance of advanced neuroimaging techniques, and the importance of integrating theory and empirical data.Less
This chapter presents a response to the commentaries in Chapters 23–25. It discusses the importance of specifying cognitive mechanisms, the importance of advanced neuroimaging techniques, and the importance of integrating theory and empirical data.
Boris Worm and Derek P. Tittensor
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780691154831
- eISBN:
- 9781400890231
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691154831.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter summarizes and synthesizes known biodiversity patterns, and analyzes them for congruency over space and time. The discussion is limited to macroecological patterns at continental to ...
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This chapter summarizes and synthesizes known biodiversity patterns, and analyzes them for congruency over space and time. The discussion is limited to macroecological patterns at continental to global scales (thousands of km). The chapter also focuses on the simplest measure of biodiversity—namely, species richness. The discussions cover marine coastal biodiversity, marine pelagic biodiversity, deep-sea biodiversity, terrestrial biodiversity, changes in biodiversity patterns through time, and robustness of documented biodiversity patterns. Among the findings is that averaging across all known species groups on land and in the sea, tropical peaks in species richness were as common as subtropical peaks, whereas species groups cresting in temperate or polar latitudes were more exceptional. Thus, the oft-cited unimodal pattern of biodiversity appears frequently, particularly on land, but there is also evidence that supports a newly emerging paradigm of asymmetric unimodal or bimodal peaks often in the subtropics, and particularly in the marine realm.Less
This chapter summarizes and synthesizes known biodiversity patterns, and analyzes them for congruency over space and time. The discussion is limited to macroecological patterns at continental to global scales (thousands of km). The chapter also focuses on the simplest measure of biodiversity—namely, species richness. The discussions cover marine coastal biodiversity, marine pelagic biodiversity, deep-sea biodiversity, terrestrial biodiversity, changes in biodiversity patterns through time, and robustness of documented biodiversity patterns. Among the findings is that averaging across all known species groups on land and in the sea, tropical peaks in species richness were as common as subtropical peaks, whereas species groups cresting in temperate or polar latitudes were more exceptional. Thus, the oft-cited unimodal pattern of biodiversity appears frequently, particularly on land, but there is also evidence that supports a newly emerging paradigm of asymmetric unimodal or bimodal peaks often in the subtropics, and particularly in the marine realm.
David A. Weisbach
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226676005
- eISBN:
- 9780226676029
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226676029.003.0011
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Behavioural Economics
This chapter analyses the consequences of happiness research for taxation. It focuses on the finding that happiness depends on status as well as income, examining how adding status concerns to ...
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This chapter analyses the consequences of happiness research for taxation. It focuses on the finding that happiness depends on status as well as income, examining how adding status concerns to standard optimal tax models changes the results. It then compares the empirical findings of the happiness literature to see whether they provide the type of data needed to parameterize the models, arguing that the models need different types of data than most happiness studies emphasize. The chapter also looks at Robert Frank's arguments for a progressive consumption tax based on the findings of the happiness research. It finds that these claims are not supported by the current models or empirical data. Finally, the chapter considers a number of other potential implications of happiness research for taxation, including marriage penalties or bonuses, special tax rates for the disabled, and age-dependent taxation.Less
This chapter analyses the consequences of happiness research for taxation. It focuses on the finding that happiness depends on status as well as income, examining how adding status concerns to standard optimal tax models changes the results. It then compares the empirical findings of the happiness literature to see whether they provide the type of data needed to parameterize the models, arguing that the models need different types of data than most happiness studies emphasize. The chapter also looks at Robert Frank's arguments for a progressive consumption tax based on the findings of the happiness research. It finds that these claims are not supported by the current models or empirical data. Finally, the chapter considers a number of other potential implications of happiness research for taxation, including marriage penalties or bonuses, special tax rates for the disabled, and age-dependent taxation.
Stephen Farrall, Jonathan Jackson, and Emily Gray
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199540815
- eISBN:
- 9780191701191
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199540815.003.0003
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
This chapter presents arguments — supported by empirical data — which underpin a number of claims in this chapter. These revolve around the design and interpretation of survey questions, the ...
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This chapter presents arguments — supported by empirical data — which underpin a number of claims in this chapter. These revolve around the design and interpretation of survey questions, the frequency with which basic human emotions (such as fear) are encountered, and the nature of the fear of crime when it comes visiting. This chapter suggests that fear is an infrequent emotion in response to crime, and there is, unsurprisingly, an enormous complexity and diversity of human emotion in general and about crime in particular. This chapter further elaborates that while it may be difficult to produce precise evidence about the frequency or intensity of fear of crime, there is considerable room for methodological improvement in order to capture important detail and describe the significant characteristics of these responses. The chapter concludes that more work needs to be done if one has to tease out the reality of this social phenomenon and such empirical study promises to produce more valid and reliable research tools that will facilitate more theoretically sophisticated modes of explanation of this important social and political issue of the day.Less
This chapter presents arguments — supported by empirical data — which underpin a number of claims in this chapter. These revolve around the design and interpretation of survey questions, the frequency with which basic human emotions (such as fear) are encountered, and the nature of the fear of crime when it comes visiting. This chapter suggests that fear is an infrequent emotion in response to crime, and there is, unsurprisingly, an enormous complexity and diversity of human emotion in general and about crime in particular. This chapter further elaborates that while it may be difficult to produce precise evidence about the frequency or intensity of fear of crime, there is considerable room for methodological improvement in order to capture important detail and describe the significant characteristics of these responses. The chapter concludes that more work needs to be done if one has to tease out the reality of this social phenomenon and such empirical study promises to produce more valid and reliable research tools that will facilitate more theoretically sophisticated modes of explanation of this important social and political issue of the day.
Robert H. Logie
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195100990
- eISBN:
- 9780199846849
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195100990.003.0002
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter describes each of the seven “ages” or instantiations of working memory, which include the views of working memory as contemplation, as process, and as constraint of language ...
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This chapter describes each of the seven “ages” or instantiations of working memory, which include the views of working memory as contemplation, as process, and as constraint of language comprehension. It evaluates which view fits best with the voluminous corpus of empirical data that has accumulated on the topic and argues that working memory is best thought of as a number of separate components. The chapter also discusses the idea that working memory acts as a gateway to long-term memory.Less
This chapter describes each of the seven “ages” or instantiations of working memory, which include the views of working memory as contemplation, as process, and as constraint of language comprehension. It evaluates which view fits best with the voluminous corpus of empirical data that has accumulated on the topic and argues that working memory is best thought of as a number of separate components. The chapter also discusses the idea that working memory acts as a gateway to long-term memory.
Eric Barthalon
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231166287
- eISBN:
- 9780231538305
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231166287.003.0002
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Behavioural Economics
This chapter examines the main assumptions of the rational expectations hypothesis (REH). REH is a pillar of the neo-Walrasian approach to general equilibrium, a mathematically demanding theory ...
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This chapter examines the main assumptions of the rational expectations hypothesis (REH). REH is a pillar of the neo-Walrasian approach to general equilibrium, a mathematically demanding theory purporting to show how the interaction between rational agents engaged in constrained maximization of consumption, production, profits, etc., over time, generates a unique and stable intertemporal equilibrium. This chapter first provides a historical overview of REH before discussing John Muth's critique of exponential averages as a forecasting technique and his claim that exponential smoothing is an optimal filtering method, along with his other arguments against adaptive expectations. It then considers the application of REH to macroeconomics and proceeds by analyzing some of the criticisms against REH, including the mathematical or computational difficulties present in RE models and the compatibility of RE models with empirical data. Finally, it highlights REH's limited methodological relevance when it comes to modeling observed economic behavior.Less
This chapter examines the main assumptions of the rational expectations hypothesis (REH). REH is a pillar of the neo-Walrasian approach to general equilibrium, a mathematically demanding theory purporting to show how the interaction between rational agents engaged in constrained maximization of consumption, production, profits, etc., over time, generates a unique and stable intertemporal equilibrium. This chapter first provides a historical overview of REH before discussing John Muth's critique of exponential averages as a forecasting technique and his claim that exponential smoothing is an optimal filtering method, along with his other arguments against adaptive expectations. It then considers the application of REH to macroeconomics and proceeds by analyzing some of the criticisms against REH, including the mathematical or computational difficulties present in RE models and the compatibility of RE models with empirical data. Finally, it highlights REH's limited methodological relevance when it comes to modeling observed economic behavior.
Eric Barthalon
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231166287
- eISBN:
- 9780231538305
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231166287.003.0006
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Behavioural Economics
This chapter focuses on the simultaneous testing of the compatibility of both the HRL formulation of the demand for money and the fundamental equation of monetary dynamics (FEMD) with empirical data. ...
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This chapter focuses on the simultaneous testing of the compatibility of both the HRL formulation of the demand for money and the fundamental equation of monetary dynamics (FEMD) with empirical data. Maurice Allais's HRL formulation of the demand for money and the FEMD complement each other and are in practice interdependent. Through the coefficient of psychological expansion, the HRL formulation links the sequence of rates of growth in nominal spending and relative desired balances, while the FEMD shows how the gap between effective and desired balances determines growth in nominal spending. Yet, appealing as these complementarity and interdependence may be from a theoretical point of view, they remain to be confronted with empirical data. This chapter first reviews early tests of the HRL formulation of the demand for money before discussing Allais's joint testing of the HRL formulation and the FEMD using the U.S. economy of 1918–1941 as the data set. It also considers the insights and assumptions that behavioral finance could or should borrow from Allais's monetary dynamics.Less
This chapter focuses on the simultaneous testing of the compatibility of both the HRL formulation of the demand for money and the fundamental equation of monetary dynamics (FEMD) with empirical data. Maurice Allais's HRL formulation of the demand for money and the FEMD complement each other and are in practice interdependent. Through the coefficient of psychological expansion, the HRL formulation links the sequence of rates of growth in nominal spending and relative desired balances, while the FEMD shows how the gap between effective and desired balances determines growth in nominal spending. Yet, appealing as these complementarity and interdependence may be from a theoretical point of view, they remain to be confronted with empirical data. This chapter first reviews early tests of the HRL formulation of the demand for money before discussing Allais's joint testing of the HRL formulation and the FEMD using the U.S. economy of 1918–1941 as the data set. It also considers the insights and assumptions that behavioral finance could or should borrow from Allais's monetary dynamics.
Eric Barthalon
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231166287
- eISBN:
- 9780231538305
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231166287.003.0008
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Behavioural Economics
This chapter extends the field of application of the theory of psychological time and memory decay to nominal interest rates by looking at their correlation with the perceived rate of nominal growth ...
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This chapter extends the field of application of the theory of psychological time and memory decay to nominal interest rates by looking at their correlation with the perceived rate of nominal growth in eighteen countries. It begins with an overview of the theory of the psychological rate of interest, paying special attention to the psychological symmetry between memory decay and future discounting. It then considers whether the psychological rate of interest computed from the sequence of quarterly nominal GDP growth rates is compatible with U.S. AAA corporate bond yields since 1951. It also presents empirical observations about nominal interest rates and the perceived rate of nominal growth and proceeds to discuss nominal interest rates at the end of the German hyperinflation as well as the application of the theory of the psychological rate of interest to the yield on British Consols during the nineteenth century. It concludes that Maurice Allais's theory of the psychological rate of interest is not compatible with a broader set of empirical data.Less
This chapter extends the field of application of the theory of psychological time and memory decay to nominal interest rates by looking at their correlation with the perceived rate of nominal growth in eighteen countries. It begins with an overview of the theory of the psychological rate of interest, paying special attention to the psychological symmetry between memory decay and future discounting. It then considers whether the psychological rate of interest computed from the sequence of quarterly nominal GDP growth rates is compatible with U.S. AAA corporate bond yields since 1951. It also presents empirical observations about nominal interest rates and the perceived rate of nominal growth and proceeds to discuss nominal interest rates at the end of the German hyperinflation as well as the application of the theory of the psychological rate of interest to the yield on British Consols during the nineteenth century. It concludes that Maurice Allais's theory of the psychological rate of interest is not compatible with a broader set of empirical data.
H. Tristram Engelhardt
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780823251445
- eISBN:
- 9780823252909
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823251445.003.0024
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
With regard to the environment, and more generally with respect to developing environmental policy, there is uncertainty about all the empirical data that can be invoked to change and frame policy. ...
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With regard to the environment, and more generally with respect to developing environmental policy, there is uncertainty about all the empirical data that can be invoked to change and frame policy. Against this background of controversy and contention, this chapter focuses primarily on what Orthodox Christianity can bring to the articulation of an environmental ethic. To do this, a general theological background is presented, then some salient empirical and moral ambiguities are highlighted, and then finally some general theological constraints and norms bearing on environmental ethics are elaborated. Throughout, the emphasis is on recalling the prime focus of Orthodox theology, which falls on rightly loving, worshipping, and believing in God and, in the light of that rightly ordered love of God, loving one's neighbor. Within these constraints, Orthodox Christianity leaves a considerable space within which one is left to determine prudent choices. The chapter concludes with the recognition that we must first pursue the kingdom of heaven, not the realization of the environmentalist kingdom.Less
With regard to the environment, and more generally with respect to developing environmental policy, there is uncertainty about all the empirical data that can be invoked to change and frame policy. Against this background of controversy and contention, this chapter focuses primarily on what Orthodox Christianity can bring to the articulation of an environmental ethic. To do this, a general theological background is presented, then some salient empirical and moral ambiguities are highlighted, and then finally some general theological constraints and norms bearing on environmental ethics are elaborated. Throughout, the emphasis is on recalling the prime focus of Orthodox theology, which falls on rightly loving, worshipping, and believing in God and, in the light of that rightly ordered love of God, loving one's neighbor. Within these constraints, Orthodox Christianity leaves a considerable space within which one is left to determine prudent choices. The chapter concludes with the recognition that we must first pursue the kingdom of heaven, not the realization of the environmentalist kingdom.
Ediberto Román and Michael A. Olivas
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814776575
- eISBN:
- 9780814776582
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814776575.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Political History
This chapter presents empirical data to address the range of allegations against undocumented immigrants; for example, they drain the national economy. The data come from various sources, including ...
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This chapter presents empirical data to address the range of allegations against undocumented immigrants; for example, they drain the national economy. The data come from various sources, including the federal government, conservative think tanks, and leading immigrant rights advocacy groups. These studies document the effects of recent immigration and refute the claims of the xenophobes like “Mexican immigration is an invasion of the United States” or that undocumented immigration is causing a crime wave across the country. Based on the evidence, it argues that the rhetoric against illegal immigrants is not only unsupported by the facts, but also contrary to logic.Less
This chapter presents empirical data to address the range of allegations against undocumented immigrants; for example, they drain the national economy. The data come from various sources, including the federal government, conservative think tanks, and leading immigrant rights advocacy groups. These studies document the effects of recent immigration and refute the claims of the xenophobes like “Mexican immigration is an invasion of the United States” or that undocumented immigration is causing a crime wave across the country. Based on the evidence, it argues that the rhetoric against illegal immigrants is not only unsupported by the facts, but also contrary to logic.
Mikaël Cozic
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- July 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190690649
- eISBN:
- 9780190690670
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190690649.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
How are scientific hypotheses and theories assessed against empirical data? Philosophers of science have tried to find out whether there are general principles underlying this activity. This chapter ...
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How are scientific hypotheses and theories assessed against empirical data? Philosophers of science have tried to find out whether there are general principles underlying this activity. This chapter goes through the major types of philosophical theories of confirmation. It starts with two proposals that elaborate criteria of qualitative confirmation on the basis of (deductive) logic: instantialism and hypothetico-deductivism. The main part of the chapter is devoted to Bayesian confirmation theory (BCT), which relies on a probabilistic framework and is able to provide both qualitative and quantitative criteria of confirmation. We discuss in details the strengths and limits of BCT. In the closing section, we address the issue of how BCT (and Bayesianism in general) relate to the problem of induction.Less
How are scientific hypotheses and theories assessed against empirical data? Philosophers of science have tried to find out whether there are general principles underlying this activity. This chapter goes through the major types of philosophical theories of confirmation. It starts with two proposals that elaborate criteria of qualitative confirmation on the basis of (deductive) logic: instantialism and hypothetico-deductivism. The main part of the chapter is devoted to Bayesian confirmation theory (BCT), which relies on a probabilistic framework and is able to provide both qualitative and quantitative criteria of confirmation. We discuss in details the strengths and limits of BCT. In the closing section, we address the issue of how BCT (and Bayesianism in general) relate to the problem of induction.
Caroline Vandenabeele
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262015271
- eISBN:
- 9780262295437
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262015271.003.0013
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This chapter takes an empirical and pragmatic view of legal identity, birth registration, and inclusive development questions. Intensive research and experiences in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Cambodia ...
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This chapter takes an empirical and pragmatic view of legal identity, birth registration, and inclusive development questions. Intensive research and experiences in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Cambodia provide the basis for the empirical information. A connection between legal identity documentation and access to benefits and opportunities, and between birth registration and human rights protection, is described, with Nepal as the empirical source. Barriers including financial, legal, and political, among others, in obtaining birth registration documentation in Nepal’s context are also discussed. A case study on the risks related to the demand-based approach to birth registration based on Bangladesh’s empirical data is presented.Less
This chapter takes an empirical and pragmatic view of legal identity, birth registration, and inclusive development questions. Intensive research and experiences in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Cambodia provide the basis for the empirical information. A connection between legal identity documentation and access to benefits and opportunities, and between birth registration and human rights protection, is described, with Nepal as the empirical source. Barriers including financial, legal, and political, among others, in obtaining birth registration documentation in Nepal’s context are also discussed. A case study on the risks related to the demand-based approach to birth registration based on Bangladesh’s empirical data is presented.
Kirsten Gengel
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199665303
- eISBN:
- 9780191748561
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199665303.003.0002
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Semantics and Pragmatics, Syntax and Morphology
This chapter introduces the empirical data which form the basis for the discussion throughout the book. The examples provided mainly illustrate elliptical structures occurring in the lower part of ...
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This chapter introduces the empirical data which form the basis for the discussion throughout the book. The examples provided mainly illustrate elliptical structures occurring in the lower part of the clause such as Pseudogapping, and VP Ellipsis, but also include Sluicing, Fragment answers, Gapping, Stripping (Bare Argument Ellipsis), and NP Ellipsis. The majority of data are taken from English, with previously unpublished Pseudogapping examples. The main appeal of this chapter, however, is the section on cross-linguistic data, which contains previously unpublished Pseudogapping examples from the Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic, in particular), as well as examples of constructions similar to Pseudogapping in French and Portuguese. For each Ellipsis phenomenon described, a short summary of its distinctive properties is given.Less
This chapter introduces the empirical data which form the basis for the discussion throughout the book. The examples provided mainly illustrate elliptical structures occurring in the lower part of the clause such as Pseudogapping, and VP Ellipsis, but also include Sluicing, Fragment answers, Gapping, Stripping (Bare Argument Ellipsis), and NP Ellipsis. The majority of data are taken from English, with previously unpublished Pseudogapping examples. The main appeal of this chapter, however, is the section on cross-linguistic data, which contains previously unpublished Pseudogapping examples from the Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic, in particular), as well as examples of constructions similar to Pseudogapping in French and Portuguese. For each Ellipsis phenomenon described, a short summary of its distinctive properties is given.
Michael R. Powers
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231153676
- eISBN:
- 9780231527057
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231153676.003.0012
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter addresses the fundamental problems of separating signals from noise in modeling risk-related phenomena. It gives particular attention to the Titius-Bode law (TBL) of exponentially ...
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This chapter addresses the fundamental problems of separating signals from noise in modeling risk-related phenomena. It gives particular attention to the Titius-Bode law (TBL) of exponentially increasing distances between the successive planets of our solar system, because of its remarkable similarity to the Gompertz-Makeham law (GML) of human mortality. Both types of analyses involve observational studies, in which the researcher must rely on the data as they are collected, without the option of generating new observations according to some experimental design. However, the former are infinitely more complicated in that they open the door to arbitrarily large numbers of additional explanatory variables in attempting to assess causality, whereas the latter simply address the presence of a simple functional relationship. The chapter argues that observational studies are entirely useless for resolving matters of causal relationship. While these can provide guidance as coarse data-analytic techniques, they should eventually be replaced by more sophisticated alternatives.Less
This chapter addresses the fundamental problems of separating signals from noise in modeling risk-related phenomena. It gives particular attention to the Titius-Bode law (TBL) of exponentially increasing distances between the successive planets of our solar system, because of its remarkable similarity to the Gompertz-Makeham law (GML) of human mortality. Both types of analyses involve observational studies, in which the researcher must rely on the data as they are collected, without the option of generating new observations according to some experimental design. However, the former are infinitely more complicated in that they open the door to arbitrarily large numbers of additional explanatory variables in attempting to assess causality, whereas the latter simply address the presence of a simple functional relationship. The chapter argues that observational studies are entirely useless for resolving matters of causal relationship. While these can provide guidance as coarse data-analytic techniques, they should eventually be replaced by more sophisticated alternatives.
