Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Last fall, the UN Secretary General?s High-level Panel Report on ?Threats, Challenges and Change? included weak states as a prime vector of civil war and poverty. Over the past few years, the OECD, the European Commission, the UNDP, the World Bank, USAID, and many western development agencies have developed new policies to strengthen with weak and fragile states. Washington?s prominent think tanks (e.g., the Carnegie Foundation, the Centre for Global Development) are commissioning analysis about ?on the brink,? ?fragile,? ?failing,? ?conflict and post-conflict? states. Research by prominent academics (eg, State failure Task Force, Collier, Fearon and Laitin, Fukuyama, Gates, Hegre) has substantially deepened our knowledge of state fragility. New early warning indicators are elaborated. Causes and structural determent of state weakness are conceptualized.Yet, much of this research stumbles on the key issue of how to measure the state. Most indicators (eg, GDP par capita, life expectancy, surveys) are often partial, referring to only one aspect of statehood. Depending on the study, the same indicator (eg, GDP) may be used to alternatively measure the dependent variable (the state) or an independent variable (the economy).This paper will develop a comprehensive, yet concise, indicator of statehood. Our understanding of the state has changed substantially over time. Whereas in the past physical security (Tilly, Webber) might have constituted the cornerstone of statehood, there has recently been a dramatic inflation in the amount of activities a state is required to perform. Today, states need to be legitimate (1), generate adequate resources (2), manage them appropriately (3), and use them at the very least to maintain a stable political environment while providing a basic level of public infrastructure and social services (4). This paper will provide a common yardstick of statehood, which will be user friendly and yet give a better grasp of the state.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper explores the impact of candidate demographic cues and partisan affiliation on citizens’ preferences in a low-information setting. I use an experimental design to control the sex and ethnicity of actual candidates presented to subjects, and I manipulate the presence and absence of partisan cues. I predict the extent to which (1) shared group characteristics, (2) explicit measures of group sentiment, and (3) implicit measures of group sentiment shape citizens’ preferences in the presence and absence of party cues. I find that the presence of party cues attenuates the impact of group-based sentiments (whether explicitly or implicitly measured) in the evaluation of a Hispanic candidate but not in the evaluation of a female candidate.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Are we measuring what we think we are measuring? Although it is recognized that HIV/AIDS interventions need to be “culturally sensitive” we do not have sensitive measures of culture. In the literature, ‘culture’ often serves as a proxy for race or ethnicity, complex cultural meanings get reduced to dichotomous variables in a “KAP” survey, and cultural factors only awkwardly fit into biology-based research paradigms. Common models assume culture determines attitudes, and attitudes in turn determine behavior. We critique this model, and argue that these connections need to be re-examined.

As the possibility of a vaccine fades further into the future, the effectiveness and sensitivity of prevention efforts becomes increasingly crucial. We argue that inappropriate, insensitive measures hinder evidence-based prevention research. Our research traces the history of key measures of culture, attitudes and practices used in HIV research since 1996. We survey articles from AIDS specific journals, and leading journals in medicine and social sciences to examine the prevalence of these measures and their efficacy. We trace methodological trajectories in measurement across discipline, region, and over time. Drawing from advances in social science research, we offer alternative measures of culture, attitudes and practices.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study scrutinizes the construct validity of three corruption indices by assessing their discriminant and convergent validity in reference to democracy and the shadow economy with a Multi-Trait-Multi-Method technique. It turns out that prominent indices of corruption (such as the Corruption Perception Index) do not only measure a country’s level of corrupt activities but also the degree of democracy due to their multidimensionality. While the convergent validity of corruption indices is warranted, discriminant validity must be considered as rather low. This implies problems like collinearity if multidimensional constructs are used for multivariate analysis.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The paper will examine Shakespeare's thoughts in Measure for Measure about the nature of tyranny. Most criticism of the play focuses on Angelo as the tyrannical figure, but perhaps more attention needs to be directed at Duke and his actions. Under the Duke's watch, his city has lost its bearing. His efforts to re-establish order, and the means he chooses to do so, create an environment that is potentially more damaging than the strong-handed actions of his temporarily installed law-enforcer, Angelo. One needs to then consider whether anything in the city really changes from the start of the play to the finish. The Duke has won a new bride, but is the city reformed in any significant way?