Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Ghana recently marked another important stage in its democratic march withhighly successful general elections in December 2004. While the incumbentNew Patriotic Party (NPP)/Kufuor administration retained power, the resultswere closer than had been generally predicted. Kufuor secured 52 percentwhile John Evans Atta Mills obtained 45 percent of the presidential vote;the NPP obtained 128 seats in the 230-seat legislature and the NDC obtained94. The success of the December general elections also marked 12 years ofuninterrupted civilian democratic governance in the country. The paper drawsupon the comparative results of the 2000 and 2004 elections, post-electiondevelopments, and public opinion polls to assess the degree to which Ghanais verging on democratic consolidation.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Findings from recent surveys of public opinion and development aid show an overwhelming level of support for the principle of aid to poor countries and official development aid. Such findings have buoyed policymakers who have argued that high-levels of support are necessary for increasing aid levels, notably to the 0.7% (ODA/GNI ratio) goal for all OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) countries. In this paper, we argue that the assumed linkage between public opinion and aid is faulty on several grounds. First, there is no empirical evidence showing positive covariation between public opinion and development aid. Second, measures of public support suffer from poor validity. Third, measures of support do not control for knowledge-levels and perceptions of aid effectiveness. Fourth, there is little understanding of the factors that motivate support for development aid or concern for poverty in the first place. We conclude by arguing for survey instruments that remedy the issues raised above and for targeted development education programs.

Publication Type: Paper/Poster Proposal
Abstract: Can we safely assume that if a measurement is appropriate for established democracies it will also be reliable or valid in emerging democracies? Can we and should we capture potentially complex constructs using single-item indicators? The present paper assesses the reliability and validity of at least two important indicators that have been widely used in survey research. The first, interpersonal trust, is a key indicator of social capital theory, which is often used as a correlate of modernization and quality of democracy. The second, the left-right ideology scale, has been used in many electoral and political studies. Both are a single-item measures of potentially complex phenomenon, and most of the time, both have been used uncritically, that is, without assessing if the indicator is an appropriate measure - for the specific social system under study.
By using secondary data and original survey research, we test if these measurements are adequate for the case of Mexico. Our main data sources are: (1) the 1990, 1995 and 2000 WVS; (2) the first national panel study conducted in Mexico between 2000 and 2002; and (2) two original surveys conducted in Mexico City in 2004, that provide alternative measures of the constructs under study. We use longitudinal and conceptual consistency analyses to test the reliability of indicators. We use confirmatory factor analysis to test the internal and external validity of multi-item constructs. Finally we replicate scholarly findings by testing if the proposed multi-item indicators are better predictors than their single-item predecessors. By replicating previous analyses on the subject, and - by addressing several gaps in the - literature, we find that the assessment of such concepts is not entirely adequate. Our main contribution is to call the attention of the survey industry about the relevance of using constructs without previously making a theoretical justification.

Publication Type: Session Paper
Abstract: Industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails has taken entertainment-education to a new level with its new album campaign for Year Zero. As part of this campaign, fans of the band engage in an interactive alternate reality game through online message boards. Year Zero diffuses its messages through parasocial interaction as its participants exchange ideas through an online environment. This use of the Internet gratifies social and psychological needs as participants engage in discussions, post artwork and discuss ideas. A qualitative content analysis was conducted to define themes and understand how fans interact with Year Zero. It was found that through this medium, users have created a political environment of fans engaged in activism. Users share ideas through Internet tools which enhance their experience and diffuse the educational messages of Year Zero.