Brazilian Parliament and digital engagement

ABSTRACT

This paper examines how new technologies are employed by the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies to stimulate experiences of digital engagement. It also evaluates how new technologies are put in practice by the institution, considering its potentialities and limitations in mediating the relationship between the parliament and the citizens. This analysis is anchored in concepts put forth by Polsby about arena parliaments and transformative parliaments, in order to evaluate which of these models of engagement tools have greater potential. The study concludes that the use of digital technologies by the Brazilian Parliament is very diverse, with a variety of tools that allow for the interaction and engagement of citizens, although these tools have the greatest potential for the arena parliament model.     

Origin of blood ethanol in decomposed bodies

Problems related to blood contamination by other postmortem fluids in decomposed bodies (DB) make the interpretation of medicolegal blood alcohol levels (B EtOH) a very difficult task. So the aim of this paper is to show the utilization of vitreous humor (VH) as the biological fluid for an unequivocal determination of ethanol origin in DB for forensic purposes. Alcohol was determined in VH, blood (chest fluid-CF) and urine (Ur) collected from 27 DB in different states of putrefaction. A simple head-space gas-chromatographic method was used. In fifteen cases alcohol was found to be of endogenous production due to its absence in VH. In the twelve remainders, alcohol was detected in VH and CF in an atypical distribution. Examining the reliable scene and historical information together with the analytical data, ethanol origin in these cases was classified: endogenous production (3 cases), ingested (2 cases), both (2 cases), contaminated plus endogenous production (3 cases) and unable to determine (2 cases). According to the results obtained it was possible to conclude that alcohol analysis in VH is fundamental for determining the origin of ethanol detected in CF of DB.     

Testing for Cointegrating Relationships with Near-Integrated Data

Testing theories about political change requires analysts tomake assumptions about the memory of their time series. Appliedanalyses are often based on inferences that time series areintegrated and cointegrated. Typically analyses rest on Dickey–Fullerpretests for unit roots and a test for cointegration based onthe Engle–Granger two-step method. We argue that thisapproach is not a good one and use Monte Carlo analysis to showthat these tests can lead analysts to conclude falsely thatthe data are cointegrated (or nearly cointegrated) when thedata are near-integrated and not cointegrating. Further, analystsare likely to conclude falsely that the relationship is notcointegrated when it is. We show how inferences are highly sensitiveto sample size and the signal-to-noise ratio in the data. Wesuggest three things. First, analysts should use the singleequation error correction test for cointegrating relationships;second, caution is in order in all cases where near-integrationis a reasonable alternative to unit roots; and third, analystsshould drop the language of cointegration in many cases andadopt single-equation error correction models when the theoryof error correction is relevant.     

Social heterogeneity and wasteful lobbying

Using a general equilibrium model with endogenous policy, we explore how heterogeneity affects wasteful lobbying by sectoral interest groups. With the help of a simulation approach, we first investigate the impact of information heterogeneity on how lobbies react to a shift from a soft to a strict government budget constraint. Next, we examine how lobbying is influenced by heterogenous perception of the general equilibrium implications of lobbying effort. Finally, we explore the consequences of heterogenous specialization in households' asset portfolios. We conclude that social heterogeneity in information, perceptions, and portfolio compositions increases incentives to lobby.     

Reviews

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Drug consumption among sexual offenders against females

This article aims to evaluate the role of drug consumption among sexual offenders against females. Three groups of participants (N = 133) comprising sexual offenders against girls, pubertal females, and women were examined with reference to history of drug and/or alcohol use, impulsivity level, sexual addiction, and recidivism risk. Sexual offenders against women were found to have significantly more difficulties with drug use, higher impulsivity level, and to be younger than the sexual offenders against girls and pubertal females. The combination of drug consumption and higher level of impulsivity may contribute to sexual aggression against adult females.