The yolk is the set of points bounded by the smallest circle that intersects every median line in a two-dimensional spatial voting game. While the character of such voting games clearly depends critically on the location and size of the yolk, until recently it has been difficult make useful generalizations about these matters. Tovey has shown that, if voter ideal points are randomly drawn from a “centered” continuous distribution, the expected yolk radius decreases as the number of voters increases, approaching zero as the number of voters increases without limit. This result leaves open two questions: (1) the rate at which the yolk shrinks as the number of voters increases, and (2) the impact on the size and location of the yolk of the distinctive “non-random” clustering of ideal points typically seen in empirical data. Using CyberSenate spatial voting software, we can provide answers to these questions.

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies.

All interested faculty and students are invited to attend.

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. The seminar will meet about twice per month, on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00p.m. All interested faculty and students are invited to attend. Fall 07: All seminars will be held at Harvard, 1737 Cambridge Street, N354, unless otherwise noted. (map). Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Scott Ashworth, Princeton University "Does Informative Media Commentary Reduce Politicians' Incentives to Pander?"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. The seminar will meet about twice per month, on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00p.m. All interested faculty and students are invited to attend. Fall 07: All seminars will be held at Harvard, 1737 Cambridge Street, N354, unless otherwise noted. (map). Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Tom Palfrey, California Institute of Technology "The Dynamics of Distributive Politics"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. The seminar will meet about twice per month, on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00p.m. All interested faculty and students are invited to attend. Spring 2007: All seminars will be held at Harvard, 1737 Cambridge Street, N354, unless otherwise noted. (map). Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Riccardo Puglisi, Political Science, MIT "Partisan Bias in Economic News: Evidence on the Agenda-Setting Behavior of U.S. Newspapers"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. The seminar will meet about twice per month, on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00p.m. All interested faculty and students are invited to attend. Spring 2007: All seminars will be held at Harvard, 1737 Cambridge Street, N354, unless otherwise noted. (map). Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Josep Colomer, Political Studies, CIDE "The Chicken or the Egg? The origins of electoral systems and political parties"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. The seminar will meet about twice per month, on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00p.m. All interested faculty and students are invited to attend. Fall 2006: All seminars will be held at MIT, Millikan Room, E53-482 (map) Andrea Prat, London School of Economics and New York University "How much public money is wasted, and why? Evidence from a change in procurement law"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. The seminar will meet about twice per month, on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00p.m. All interested faculty and students are invited to attend. Fall 2006: All seminars will be held at MIT, Millikan Room, E53-482 (map) Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Sean Gailmard, Northwestern University Agency Problems and Electoral Institutions: The 17th Amendment and Representation in the Senate

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. The seminar will meet about twice per month, on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00p.m. All interested faculty and students are invited to attend. Spring 2006: All seminars will be held at Harvard, 1737 Cambridge Street, N354, unless otherwise noted. (map). Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Valentino Luchinese, Political Science, MIT "Testing Models of Distributive Politics using Federal Spending in the U.S. States"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. The seminar will meet about twice per month, on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00p.m. All interested faculty and students are invited to attend. Spring 2006: All seminars will be held at Harvard, 1737 Cambridge Street, N354, unless otherwise noted. (map). Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Elizabeth Maggie Penn, Government, Harvard University "Institutions and Group Identity"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. The seminar will meet about twice per month, on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00p.m. All interested faculty and students are invited to attend. Fall 2005: All seminars will be held at MIT, Millikan Room, E53-482 (map) Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Nicola Persico, Economics, University of Pennsylvania A Drawback of Electoral Competition

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. The seminar will meet about twice per month, on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:00p.m. All interested faculty and students are invited to attend. Fall 2005: All seminars will be held at MIT, Millikan Room, E53-482 (map) Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Michael Ting, Political Science, Columbia University Whistleblowing

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Massimo Morelli, Economics, Ohio State University "Endogenous Affirmative Action: Gender Bias Leads to Gender Quotas"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Torun Dewan, London School of Economics "Scandal, Protection, and Recovery in Political Cabinets"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Rafael di Tella, Harvard Business School "Why Doesn't Capitalism Flow to Poor Countries"
*related paper, please read

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Election Roundtable: John Aldrich, Steve Ansolabehere and Morris Fiorina, MIT and Stanford University

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Gerard Roland, University of California Berkeley "The Long Run Impact of Bombing Vietnam"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Guido Tabellini, Bocconi University, IGIER "How do electoral rules shape party structures, government coalitions, and economic policies?"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Joe Oppenheimer University of Maryland "Micro-Macro Problems: Cracks in the Public Choice Foundation."

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Adam Meirowitz, Princeton University "Accountability and representation in repeated elections with uncertain policy constraints"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Antonio Rangel, Stanford University "Democratic Policy-Making with Real-Time Agenda Setting: Part 1"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. John Londregan, Princeton University
"Common Law vs the Civil Code: Precedent and Predictability"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. John M. de Figueiredo & Brian S. Silverman, MIT/NBER & University of Toronto "Academic Earmarks and the Returns to Lobbying"

The MIT Political Science Department and The Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University are sponsoring a seminar on formal and quantitative political research. The Program on Positive Political Economy (PPE) supports research-related activities that integrate the study of economics and politics, whether by studying "economic" behavior in the political process or "political" behavior in the marketplace. In general, positive political economy is concerned with showing how observed differences among institutions affect political and economic outcomes in various social, economic, and political systems and how the institutions themselves change and develop in response to individual and collective beliefs, preferences, and strategies. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the papers. Timothy Besley, London School of Economics "Handcuffs for the Grabbing Hand? Media Capture and Government Accountability"