Contractual Fiscal Equivalence Versus Geographical Fiscal Equivalence

This work extends the contractual procedure, normally used in therelationships among persons, to intergovernmental relationshipsnamely those among local jurisdictions. This changing inperspective challenges the efficiency criterion based ongeographical fiscal equivalence; in fact the level of equilibriumdoes not depend on the level of the public good provided perse; it rather depends on the fiscal system, on the position ofthe median voter, on whether interjurisdictional mobility iseither favoured or forbidden, and finally on whether the centralgovernment uses transfers either for redistributive purposes oras payments of the services provided by local jurisdictions. Inparticular, the paper shows that if two jurisdictions of the samelevel are allowed to have contractual relationships (horizontalrelationships) the more efficient of the two can sell the servicealso to the less efficient, so reducing citizens' unit costs.     

Fluctuating Saudi and Emirati Alignment Behaviours in the Horn of Africa

ABSTRACT

The overthrow of Omar al-Bashir after three decades of rule has brought to light a dynamic that has been present for years: an interweaving of political, economic and security issues between the states of the Horn of Africa and the Gulf monarchies. Since 2011, the most active powers are the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which seek political support to counter both Iran’s influence and the growing Turkish presence. The two Gulf monarchies’ search for alignments with African counterparts has favoured the continuous reshuffling of alliances with direct effects on the local actors’ strategic choices. These dynamics need to be considered to understand the determinants behind the currently increasing instability in the Red Sea area.     

A Criticism of M. Siderits and J. L. Garfield’s ‘Semantic Interpretation’ of Nāgārjuna’s Theory of Two Truths

This paper proposes a critical analysis of that interpretation of the Nāgārjunian doctrine of the two truths as summarized—by both Mark Siderits and Jay L. Garfield—in the formula: “the ultimate truth is that there is no ultimate truth”. This ‘semantic reading’ of Nāgārjuna’s theory, despite its importance as a criticism of the ‘metaphysical interpretations’, would in itself be defective and improbable. Indeed, firstly, semantic interpretation presents a formal defect: it fails to clearly and explicitly express that which it contains logically; the previously mentioned formula must necessarily be completed by: “the conventional truth is that nothing is conventional truth”. Secondly, after having recognized what Siderits’ and Garfield’s analyses contain implicitly, other logical and philological defects in their position emerge: the existence of the ‘conventional’ would appear—despite the efforts of semantic interpreters to demonstrate quite the contrary—definitively inconceivable without the presupposition of something ‘real’; moreover, the number of verses in Nāgārjuna that are in opposition to the semantic interpretation (even if we grant semantic interpreters that these verses do not justify a metaphysical reconstruction of Nagarjuna’s doctrine) would seem too great and significant to be ignored.     

The regulatory anticommons of green infrastructures

Development of green infrastructures (renewable energy plants and transmission networks) is urgently needed if significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions are to be accomplished in the next few decades. But the huge financial investments required by these infrastructures will not be undertaken without a well-designed regulatory framework. This paper argues that barriers to the implementation of such a framework can best be understood by drawing analogies to the Law and Economics literature on anticommons. Although situations of ownership anticommons (many owners with veto rights) and regulatory anticommons (many regulators with veto rights) display some differences from the point of view of the preferences and the coordination costs, it is submitted that this analytic framework can be employed to assess and criticize recent EU and US proposals which try to improve planning and siting procedures for cross-border green infrastructures. The literature on anticommons also suggests that effective remedies to suboptimal resource use are directly dependent on the design of the coordination mechanisms among all the regulatory levels.     

Normative complexity and the length of administrative disputes: evidence from Italian regions

The aim of this paper is to study the effects of normative complexity on delays in justice. In particular, a unique database was used, created by reading eight hundred sentences pronounced by the Italian Regional Administrative Courts of first instance (Tribunali Amministrativi Regionali), located in each of the 20 regions in Italy, between 2000 and 2007. After a preliminary analysis of the data, regarding the duration of disputes, their objects and other relevant variables, an econometric study was performed to verify whether the length of administrative disputes may be explained, together with other causes, by the complexity of the legal system. The indicator used as a proxy of normative complexity was developed in previous studies in this field. Different kinds of models were used and specifications performed to render the empirical results more robust. The outcome of the analysis appears to support the idea that normative complexity may be a burden on the activity of courts, and that this could contribute to explaining the slowness of justice proceedings.     

The international context and development of european integration

The article analyzes the evolution of Italian foreign policy from a somewhat generic support of Western positions until the early 1980s to a progressively more critical assessment of the country's medium and long-term interests. After outlining Italy's stance visa- vis the reform of the United Nations and other global issues, the article describes the country's role in Europe, with special focus on the security and economic integration aspects. In particular, the article illustrates how Italy's qualification as a founding member of Europe's economic and monetary union (EMU) has enhanced the credibility and visibility of the country on the world stage.     

A quantitative differentiation method for plastic bags by wide angle X-ray diffraction for tracing the source of illegal drugs

Thirty-three shopping bags, commonly encountered in the packaging of drug doses, were characterized by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Using this single technique, without sample preparation, nearly all the considered samples could be differentiated, achieving a discriminating power of 0.992. The rather large degree of variability existing in grocery bags, even though they are mass produced, was shown, confirming that these items can be useful in tracing the source of illicit drug doses.     

Spread and habitat selection of Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Diptera Calliphoridae) in Northern Italy: forensic implications

Abstract: Habitat selection exploited by Chrysomya albiceps during its initial spread in Northern Italy was analyzed in relation to landscape structure. The results of two short studies and a case report are here discussed. C. albiceps was not found on experimental pig carcasses in the urban area of Pavia. It was missing in the woody mountains surrounding Lecco, but it was found in the same area, at a lower altitude, within the typical “urban sprawl” landscape. It was then recorded in a natural reserve, among a rich carrion‐fly population. Indications coming from habitat selection suggest that C. albiceps has not yet saturated its potential ecological niche in newly colonized areas of Northern Italy. Factors like temperature, altitude, and interspecific competition can act as limiting factors, affecting habitat selection and distribution in newly colonized areas; the influence of those factors has to be taken into account for forensic purposes.