Empirical Facts Research Articles

Veblen’s quadripartite response to the First World War

Prior to the First World War, Thorstein Veblen wrote extensively about economic theory, formulating the tenets of an evolutionary and institutional economics, and criticizing the static and atomistic premises of classical and marginalist economics, particularly the marginalist theory of distribution, which, in his view, wrongly saw wealth as a reward for productive human labor, rather than a result of the unproductive conduct of parasitic elites. In this period, Veblen devoted relatively little attention to the topics of war and peace. As well, he held that social-scientific inquiry is disinterested: a value-neutral search for knowledge of empirical facts and the theories that explain them. However, during the War, Veblen, while retaining the economic principles of his prewar writings, increasingly combined his emphasis on economics with greater attention to political and cultural factors. Simultaneously, he abandoned his prior insistence on value neutrality to become an activist critic of the War and of Germany’s role in fomenting and perpetuating it. This shift led him to develop: (1) a policy-laced theory of war and peace; (2) practical proposals for building an international organization to promote world peace; (3) specific measures to alleviate wartime food and labor shortages in the U.S.; and (4) a sweeping plan for postwar social “reconstruction.” As Veblen developed these four sets of ideas, he continued his opposition to static and atomistic forms of analysis as well as his commitment to an evolutionary and institutional approach, which saw economic life, along with war and peace, turning on a divide between productive human beings and unproductive parasitic elites.

On the Epistemic Value of Reflection

Against philosophical orthodoxy, Kornblith (2012) has mounted an empirically grounded critique of the epistemic value of reflection. In this paper, I argue that this recent critique fails even if we concede that the empirical facts are as Kornblith says they are, and assume that reliability is the only determinant of epistemic value. The critique fails because it seeks to undermine the reliability of reflection in general but targets only one of its variants, namely individual reflection, while neglecting social reflection. This critique comprises two arguments which have a common structure: they both impose a requirement on the reliability of reflection, but deny, on empirical grounds, that the requirement is met. One argument imposes an introspection requirement, which I reject as superfluous. I show how reflection can proceed without introspection. The other argument imposes an efficacy requirement. This requirement concerns whether reflection is causally efficacious i.e., whether it leads us to change our minds for the better. I accept this as a genuine requirement. Even if we concede that individual reflection fails to meet this requirement, I argue that we have not been given sufficient evidence to believe that social reflection is bound to violate this requirement. Furthermore, my analysis of the conditions under which social reflection works best provides us with prima facie grounds for optimism regarding the reliability of social reflection. Ultimately, then, these arguments fail to undermine the epistemic value of reflection in general.

Innovation Concentration and Patent Market Structure

Two empirical facts concerning the increase in innovation concentration levels of U.S. industries over the last two decades have been established: innovating firms with larger market shares invest more in R&D and enter into more industries. This paper presents a model of an imperfectly competitive patent market with heterogeneous firms to show that R&D itself increases industry concentration. In the context of an imperfectly competitive patent market structure, firms generate endogenous variable markups. In particular, the price of firms' newly invented knowledge, the profit and survival rate of the innovating firms depend on the market share of the knowledge stock. Firms pay a random fixed cost in each period which together with market share determine the decision on whether to innovate in different sectors. Firms enter different sectors sequentially: they start developing new varieties in a sector with minimal competition, building up private knowledge, and then venturing into other sectors using R&D investment and accumulated knowledge. Finally, we prove that the stationary firm innovation size distribution exhibits a Pareto tail in the steady state.

Hardness results for decoding the surface code with Pauli noise

Real quantum computers will be subject to complicated, qubit-dependent noise, instead of simple noise such as depolarizing noise with the same strength for all qubits. We can do quantum error correction more effectively if our decoding algorithms take into account this prior information about the specific noise present. This motivates us to consider the complexity of surface code decoding where the input to the decoding problem is not only the syndrome-measurement results, but also a noise model in the form of probabilities of single-qubit Pauli errors for every qubit.In this setting, we show that quantum maximum likelihood decoding (QMLD) and degenerate quantum maximum likelihood decoding (DQMLD) for the surface code are NP-hard and #P-hard, respectively. We reduce directly from SAT for QMLD, and from #SAT for DQMLD, by showing how to transform a boolean formula into a qubit-dependent Pauli noise model and set of syndromes that encode the satisfiability properties of the formula. We also give hardness of approximation results for QMLD and DQMLD. These are worst-case hardness results that do not contradict the empirical fact that many efficient surface code decoders are correct in the average case (i.e., for most sets of syndromes and for most reasonable noise models). These hardness results are nicely analogous with the known hardness results for QMLD and DQMLD for arbitrary stabilizer codes with independent X and Z noise.

Enhancing Pre-Service Teacher Education: Crafting a Technology-Responsive Curriculum for Modern Classrooms and Adaptive Learners

This study examines the incorporation of technology in pre-service teacher education, specifically emphasising creating a curriculum sensitive to the needs of contemporary classrooms and adaptable learners. The research examines the current literature using a scoping review methodology to find significant patterns, difficulties, and most effective approaches. After conducting an extensive search on various databases, a total of 345 publications were found. Of these, 54 articles that had undergone peer review and were published between 2010 and 2024 were chosen for in-depth examination. The results emphasise the crucial importance of technology in improving teaching and learning methods, underscoring the need for teacher education programmes to integrate digital tools and teaching methods properly. The review highlights several key topics, including the significance of practical training, the necessity for ongoing professional growth, and the influence of institutional support on promoting technology integration. Furthermore, the study emphasises the importance of creating versatile and responsive curricula to cater to learners' varied requirements in modern educational environments. This research offers helpful recommendations for policymakers, educators, and curriculum creators who want to provide future teachers with the necessary skills to succeed in technology-rich learning environments. These recommendations are based on a combination of empirical facts and theoretical ideas. The report asserts that a meticulously organised curriculum incorporating technology is crucial in equipping pre-service teachers with the skills to develop captivating, inclusive, and efficient learning opportunities for all students.

Restoring the question of culture: identity, essence and the unknowability of difference

Throughout the 20th century the question of culture was a central pillar of social scientific thought. From Durkheim to Levi-Strauss, from Stuart Hall to Dennis Cosgrove, the question of culture and cultural difference was a touchstone for understanding the structures, norms and expectations that organised society. Yet, today the concept has disappeared from the academic landscape, including geography, where it is absorbed into other debates and terms, or discarded as an antiquated essentialist construct. Despite pressing political debates about culture wars, identity politics, cultural appropriation and nativism, there seems to be little interest in discussing, debating, much less theorising, the concept of culture as a credible explanatory tool. The aim of this lecture is two-fold: first it explores what has been lost by forsaking the question of culture (in geography and elsewhere); and second, it endeavours to reframe the question of culture in terms that emancipate it from the problem of difference. Indeed, at its heart, I argue that while geographers commonly study difference as an obvious empirical fact of life, emerging and receding at various scales, the nature of difference itself is unknowable. Yet rather than seeing this as an obstacle to theorising culture, the lecture uses it as an invitation to think culture differently: culture not as an explanation for difference but as an elucidation of the phenomenon of claiming difference. The lecture will focus on explaining this distinction and how it fundamentally changes the question of culture. The plenary lecture explores and develops arguments examined in my forthcoming monograph, Dreams of Presence: a Geographic Theory of Culture (University of Toronto Press, 2024).

Overeducation and economic mobility

We assess the hypothesis that declining intergenerational economic mobility in Norway is attributable to a rising signaling value of education accompanied by more overeducation particularly among upper-class offspring. We identify five empirical facts that together point in this direction:• The educational earnings premium has risen, but only through the extensive (employment) margin.• The rising earnings premium is associated with completed degrees only. When educational attainment is measured as time actually invested, the premium has declined.• Both educational attainment and the labor market's skill-requirements (as predicted by the occupational distribution) have increased, but attainment has risen faster than requirements such that the incidence of overeducation has increased.• There is a steep positive social gradient in overeducation: Overeducation is more frequent and has risen faster among offspring in upper-class families.• There is a steep negative social gradient in non-employment: Non-employment is more frequent and has risen faster among offspring in lower-class families.

Private ownership in monopolistic competition models

Motivated by empirical evidence, I study the properties of a monopolistic competition model with private ownership. Toward that goal, I consider a monopolistic competition model with additive preferences, homogeneous workers and homogeneous firms. I then introduce in such a standard framework a single additional ingredient: private ownership. Private ownership means that each firm is owned and managed by a single household called the entrepreneur, and this entrepreneur receives profits as sole revenues. In turn, private ownership changes the nature of entry. Free entry in the industry is no longer satisfied. Rather, the number of firms is now determined through occupational choice. Armed with this new framework, I provide a full characterization of a market equilibrium, and compare it to the standard model with collective ownership and free entry. Notably, I find new results concerning optimality, the transmission of aggregate shocks and the ability of the new model to replicate well-established empirical facts.

Unveiling the Detrimental Impacts of Intensive Chemical Use and Monoculture on Soil Health and Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land in Telangana

Objective: The primary objective of this research is to investigate the implications of excessive chemical use in agriculture and its detrimental impact on the environment. The study aims to highlight the urgent need for a shift towards sustainable farming practices that prioritize both productivity and ecological preservation. Theoretical Framework: The research appears to be grounded in the concept of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing the balance between economic growth, social progress, and environmental protection. It aligns with the understanding that intensive agricultural practices, while boosting yields, can have severe ecological consequences. Method: Researchers employed a descriptive survey methodology to gather data through semi-structured interviews, case studies, and group discussions. This mixed-methods approach provided a comprehensive understanding of farmers' practices and challenges. The collected data was analysed using SPSS software with a focus on descriptive statistics. Results and Discussion: The findings are alarming, indicating a heavy reliance on chemicals (98.2%) and a widespread adoption of monocropping (84.8%), particularly cotton cultivation. The study also revealed a decline in traditional farming practices with a shift towards mechanized methods (87.6%). Furthermore, there is growing scepticism among farmers about the effectiveness of livestock manure as a fertilizer. These results underscore the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Research Implications: The study's findings affect lawmakers, farmers, and environmentalists. Sustainable agriculture practices that reduce chemical use, promote biodiversity, and protect soil health are urgently needed. The research also emphasises the importance of educating farmers about the long-term effects of current methods and the benefits of sustainable ones. Originality/Value: This article presents empirical facts on agricultural chemical consumption and related issues, advancing current knowledge. By evaluating the issue from a sustainable development goals viewpoint, the research illuminates the complex relationship between agricultural productivity and environmental preservation. The findings can inform legislation and actions to promote environmentally friendly agriculture.

The most successful and influential Americans come from a surprisingly narrow range of ‘elite’ educational backgrounds

The highest-achieving figures in politics, business, academia, and the media dominate public discourse and wield great influence in society. Education—perhaps especially at “elite” colleges and universities—may lie at the heart of the divide between the general public and these top achievers. In this paper, we build a new data set for the American “elite” and systematically examine the link between selective schools and outstanding achievements. In Study 1, across 30 different achievement groups totaling 26,198 people, we document patterns of attendance at a set of 34 “Elite” 34 schools, the 8 Ivy League schools, and Harvard University in particular. In Study 2, we surveyed 1810 laypeople to estimate how well they are aware of the key empirical facts from Study 1. We found that exceptional achievement is surprisingly strongly associated with “elite” education, especially obtaining a degree from Harvard, and the general public tends to underestimate the size of this effect. Attending one of just 34 institutions of higher education out of the roughly 4000 in the U.S. appears to be a critical and surprising factor separating extraordinary achievers from others in their fields.

The Effect of Financial Performance to Share Returns on Companies IDX 30 Indexed During The Covid Pandemic at The Indonesian Stock Exchange

This research is a replication of several previous on going studies due to previous research results that tried to test the influence of financial performance on stock returns on IDX 30 during the covid 19 pandemic. The study is intended to obtain an explanation of empirical facts on the influence of factors described through financial stability, external pressure, and financial targets together and partial influences financial statement fraud on banking companies during the period of COVID 19 on the Indonesian Stock Exchange. The population in this study is all IDX 30 indexed companies on the Indonesian Stock Exchange, namely as many as 30 companies. With sample count of 22 companies. The type of data used in this study was secondary data with the amount of observation from 2019-2020 during the COVID 19 pandemic period so that it became a sample of observation of 22 X 2 = 44 samples, and the scale used in this study was the scale of ratio and analysis of data used was with the multiple linear regression approach at a significant rate of 5%. Research will be very useful input for investors as an important guideline for looking at the condition of the company and the fundamental aspects to assess the expectations of the return (return shares) that it will acquire and as a decision maker to buynot buy shares of the company. The results of this research are also expected to be used by IDX 30 companies to find out their condition and finances so as to improve the financial performance of the next period that will eventually affect the company’s stock price. In addition, this research can also be used as the basis for advanced research to review financial performance viewed from different perspectives of financial instruments.

Wittgenstein on mathematical facts

AbstractThe status of mathematical facts has long been taken to be unclear in Wittgenstein's philosophy of mathematics, and often, it seems that he wants to eliminate mathematical facts in favour of facts about our beliefs or behaviour. In this paper, I argue that by reading Wittgenstein as a radical conventionalist, we can give a reading of the relevant passages according to which Wittgenstein doesn't deny that there are mathematical facts, but rather denies that one needs a metaphysical account of what mathematical facts are and how they relate to the world that goes beyond the minimal claims of radical conventionalism—that empirical facts about how we would find natural to project our training into new cases and the constitution of concepts by our agreement are enough. At the end of the paper, I discuss the implications of this reading on how to understand a rule's determination of its own application.

Multi-Product Exporters: Verifying Stylized Facts

Abstract In this paper, we propose a statistical model to characterize the null hypothesis of the random product size distribution for multi-product exporters. It serves as a benchmark to test the empirical facts and model predictions. We ask which stylized facts that characterize multi-product exporters and motivate such theories as core competencies, productivity being a driver of both scope and scale, and economies of scope among others, are spurious, and which are informative. The benchmark model also provides alternative moments to test the validity of these theories.

A sticky Poisson Hidden Markov Model for spike data.

Fitting a hidden Markov Model (HMM) to neural data is a powerful method to segment a spatiotemporal stream of neural activity into sequences of discrete hidden states. Application of HMM has allowed to uncover hidden states and signatures of neural dynamics that seem relevant for sensory and cognitive processes. This has been accomplished especially in datasets comprising ensembles of simultaneously recorded cortical spike trains. However, the HMM analysis of spike data is involved and requires a careful handling of model selection. Two main issues are: (i) the cross-validated likelihood function typically increases with the number of hidden states; (ii) decoding the data with an HMM can lead to very rapid state switching due to fast oscillations in state probabilities. The first problem is related to the phenomenon of over-segmentation and leads to overfitting. The second problem is at odds with the empirical fact that hidden states in cortex tend to last from hundred of milliseconds to seconds. Here, we show that we can alleviate both problems by regularizing a Poisson-HMM during training so as to enforce large self-transition probabilities. We call this algorithm the 'sticky Poisson-HMM' (sPHMM). When used to-gether with the Bayesian Information Criterion for model selection, the sPHMM successfully eliminates rapid state switching, outperforming an alternative strategy based on an HMM with a large prior on the self-transition probabilities. The sPHMM also captures the ground truth in surrogate datasets built to resemble the statistical properties of the experimental data.

PENGARUH KOMITE AUDIT, KEPEMILIKAN MANAJERIAL, UKURAN PERUSAHAAN, DAN LEVERAGE TERHADAP INTEGRITAS LAPORAN KEUANGAN DENGAN KULITAS AUDIT SEBAGAI VARIABLE MODERASI (STUDI EMPIRIS PADA PERUSAHAAN NON-CYCLICALS DAN CYCLICALS DI BEI PERIODE 2018-2022)

The purpose of this research is to test and share empirical facts regarding the influence of audit committees on theintegrity of financial statements, industrial aspects of management ownership, leverage and audit quality. The purposeof this research is to determine the influence of audit committees, management ownership, industry size and financialreporting integrity with audit quality as a moderating variable The expected results of this research can be summarizedas follows: audit committees have a significant positive influence on the integrity of financial reports; corporateresponsibility has a significant positive effect on the integrity of financial reports, industrial aspects do not have amaterial impact on the completeness of financial reports. Leverage has no significant effect on the integrity of financialreports; Audit quality does not moderate the influence of the audit committee on the integrity of financial reports; Auditquality moderates the influence of corporate responsibility on the integrity of financial reports, audit quality does notmoderate the influence of industry aspects of the completeness of financial reports, audit quality does not moderate theinfluence of leverage on the completeness of financial reports.

The Influence of Human Resource Competencies on The Quality of Financial Statements: Lessons from Indonesia

The increasing demand for good governance has encouraged the government to implement public accountability. One form of accountability in governance is to realize the accountability and transparency of government financial management, through the submission of accountability reports in the form of financial statements. The Navy Headquarters Work Unit is also tasked with preparing accountable and transparent financial reports. Empirical facts show that there are still several problems in realizing the quality of the financial statements (LK) of the Headquarters Satker, especially those caused by the competence of human resources (HR). This study aims to determine the effect of Human Resources competence on the quality of the Headquarters Satker financial statements. The population in this study were personnel serving in the Navy Finance Service (Diskual). The research method used is quantitative with a survey design. The results of this study found that: 1) Human Resource Competence has a positive and significant effect on the quality of Financial Statements. The limitations of this study are put forward as a reference for further research to produce better research. Some of these limitations are the uneven diversity/variation of age, length of service and work experience of respondents (across generations) and data collection carried out at a certain time, so that variations in perception are uneven and cannot be seen continuously.

Why regulations on empirical claims in the media are justified

Abstract In light of rampant fake news and disinformation in today's press and social media, I provide a new consequentialist argument that regulations on the media pertaining to certain false verifiable empirical facts are warranted. This contention is based in part on a collection of pre-existing empirical findings that I newly piece together from political science and psychology demonstrating that a post-truth society is likely with current media. My position is then defended from several counters, such as that it violates deontological rights to free speech and to freedom of the press, that free speech leads to the acquisition of truth, and that government regulators can be biased and corrupt.

Epidemic modelling suggests that in specific circumstances masks may become more effective when fewer contacts wear them

BackgroundThe effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 depends on many contextual factors, including adherence. Conventional wisdom holds that the effectiveness of protective behaviours, such as wearing masks, increases with the number of people who adopt them. Here we show in a simulation study that this is not always true.MethodsWe use a parsimonious network model based on the well-established empirical facts that adherence to such interventions wanes over time and that individuals tend to align their adoption strategies with their close social ties (homophily).ResultsWhen these assumptions are combined, a broad dynamic regime emerges in which the individual-level reduction in infection risk for those adopting protective behaviour increases as adherence to protective behaviour decreases. For instance, at 10 % coverage, we find that adopters face nearly a 30 % lower infection risk than at 60 % coverage. Based on surgical mask effectiveness estimates, the relative risk reduction for masked individuals ranges from 5 % to 15 %, or a factor of three. This small coverage effect occurs when the outbreak is over before the pathogen is able to invade small but closely knit groups of individuals who protect themselves.ConclusionsOur results confirm that lower coverage reduces protection at the population level while contradicting the common belief that masking becomes ineffective at the individual level as more people drop their masks.

Balance-Sheet Netting in U.S. Treasury Markets and Central Clearing

In this paper, we provide a comprehensive investigation of the potential for expanded central clearing to reduce the costs of the supplementary leverage ratio (SLR) on Treasury market intermediation in both cash and repo markets. Combining a detailed analysis of the rules involved in calculating the SLR with a unique set of regulatory data, we conclude that expanding central clearing would have relatively limited effects on the level of SLRs. We do find intermediaries’ increase their balance sheet netting when their regulatory balance sheet costs are higher. Our data permits us to establish a number of empirical facts related to the noncentrally cleared bilateral (NCCB) repo segment, and to repo activity overall, at the bank holding company level. We find that sizeable amounts of bilaterally-cleared activity would not be nettable even if centrally cleared. We also find that a significant portion of activity is already nettable outside of central clearing because dealers are structuring their NCCB trades to net. While expanded central clearing could have other benefits, such as imposing a more uniform margin regime on Treasury market intermediation, the scope of its effects on reducing balance sheet costs associated with the leverage ratio is limited.

Investigation of Employee Performance Determinants Reviewing Competence and Organizational Culture with Performance Satisfaction as Intervening Variable

This research intends to collect empirical data, facts, and information that are valid, accurate, and trustworthy regarding the Influence of Organizational Culture, Competence, and Learning on Employee Performance, causal studies at the Sibolga Navigation District Office Class III. This study was conducted from January to March 2022 utilizing a quantitative research strategy and survey methodology. This study's sample consists of 109 state civil servants and 86 state civil servants from the Class Navigation District Office. III Sibolga. Using a Likert Scale, the researchers determined the value of each question item across all variables, as well as the amount of the value provided in each statement. Path Analysis is used to assess data gathered via questionnaire distribution. Competence has a good and considerable impact on job satisfaction, organizational culture has a big impact on job satisfaction, and job satisfaction has a significant impact on performance, according to the findings of this study.