This study assesses the value of two analytical models explaining particular contemporary political events. This is undertaken through the comparative evaluation of two international models: the Advocacy Coalition Framework and Rhodes’s model of Governance. These approaches are evaluated against an single case study: the censorship of computer network (“online”) content in Australia. Through comparison evaluation, criticism, and reformulation, these approaches are presented as useful tools of policy analysis in Australia. / The first part of the thesis presents the theoretical basis of the research and the methodologies employed to apply them. It begins by examining how the disciplines of political science and public policy have focused on the role of politically-active “interest”, groups in the process of policy development and implementation. This focus has lead to ideas about the role of the state actors in policy making, and attempts to describe and explain the interface between public and private groups in developing and implementing public policies. These, largely British and American, theories have impacted upon Australian researchers who have applied these ideas to local conditions. The majority of this part, however, is spent introducing the two research approaches: Paul Sabatier’s Advocacy Coalitions Framework and Rod Rhodes’s theory of Governance. Stemming from dissatisfaction with research into implementation, Sabatier’s framework attempts to show how competing clusters of groups and individuals compete for policy “wins” in a discrete subsystem by using political strategies to effect favourable decisions and information to change the views of other groups. Governance, on the other hand, attempts to apply Rhodes’s observations to the changing nature of the British state (and by implication other liberal democracies) to show the importance of self-organising networks of organisations who monopolise power and insulate the processes of decision making and implementation from the wider community and state organs. Finally, the methodologies of the thesis are presented, based on the preferred research methods of the two authors. / The second part introduces the case serving as the basis for evaluating the models, namely, censorship of the content of computer networks in Australia between 1987 and 2000. This case arises in the late 1980s with the computerisation of society and technological developments leading to the introduction of, first publicly-accessible computer bulletin boards, and then the technology of the Internet. From a small hobbyists’ concern, the uptake of this technology combined with wider censorship issues leads to the consideration of online content by Australian Governments, seeking a system of regulation to apply to this technology. As the emerging Internet becomes popularised, and in the face of adverse media attention on, especially pornographic, online content, during the mid to late 1990s two Federal governments establish a series of policy processes that eventually lead to the introduction of the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act 1999, a policy decision bringing online content into Australia’s intergovernmental censorship system. / The final part analyses the case study using the two theoretical approaches. What this shows is that, from the perspective of the Advocacy Coalition Framework, debate over online content does not form a substantive policy subsystem until 1995, and within this three, relatively stable, competing coalitions emerge, each pressuring for different levels of action and intervention (from no regulation, to a strong regulatory model). While conflict within the subsystem varied, overall the framework’s analysis shows the dominance of a coalition consisting largely of professional and business interests favouring a light, co-regulatory approach to online content. From the perspective of Governance, the issue of online content is subject to a range of intra- and inter-governmental conflict in the period 1995-7, finally settling into a negotiated position where a complex policy community emerges based largely on structurally-determined resource dependencies. What this means is that policy making in the case was not autonomous of state institutions, but highly dependent on institutional power relations. Overall, in comparing the findings it becomes apparent that the approaches lack the capacity to fully explain the role of key sovereigns, defined here as those individuals with legal authority over decision making in the policy process, because of their methodological and normative assumptions about the policy process. By showing these individuals as part of wider networks of power-dependencies, and exploring the complex bundle of real, pseudo, symbolic, and nonsense elements that make up a policy, the role of Ministers as “semi-sovereign sovereigns” can be accommodated in the two approaches.

Submitted by Henrique Teixeira (henrique.oliv@gmail.com) on 2016-03-16T02:51:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao.pdf: 1894861 bytes, checksum: af73e440cc555c69c32dbb74b4ba3f59 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Renata de Souza Nascimento (renata.souza@fgv.br) on 2016-03-16T21:49:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao.pdf: 1894861 bytes, checksum: af73e440cc555c69c32dbb74b4ba3f59 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-17T11:42:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao.pdf: 1894861 bytes, checksum: af73e440cc555c69c32dbb74b4ba3f59 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-18 / Starting from the idea that economic systems fall into complexity theory, where its many agents interact with each other without a central control and that these interactions are able to change the future behavior of the agents and the entire system, similar to a chaotic system we increase the model of Russo et al. (2014) to carry out three experiments focusing on the interaction between Banks and Firms in an artificial economy. The first experiment is relative to Relationship Banking where, according to the literature, the interaction over time between Banks and Firms are able to produce mutual benefits, mainly due to reduction of the information asymmetry between them. The following experiment is related to information heterogeneity in the credit market, where the larger the bank, the higher their visibility in the credit market, increasing the number of consult for new loans. Finally, the third experiment is about the effects on the credit market of the heterogeneity of prices that Firms faces in the goods market. / Partindo da ideia de que os sistemas econômicos se enquadram na teoria da complexidade, onde seus inúmeros agentes interagem entre si sem um controle central e que essas interações são capazes de alterar o comportamento futuro dos agentes e de todo o sistema, semelhante a um sistema caótico, incrementamos o modelo de Russo et al. (2014) para a realização de três experimentos com foco na interação entre bancos e empresas em uma economia artificial. O primeiro experimento diz respeito a Relationship Banking onde, segundo a literatura, a interação ao longo do tempo entre bancos e empresas é capaz de produzir benefícios mútuos, principalmente devido a redução da assimetria de informação entre eles. O experimento seguinte está relacionado a assimetria de informação no mercado de crédito, onde quanto maior o banco, maior sua visibilidade no mercado de crédito, elevando na mesma proporção as consultar para novos emprestimos. Por fim, o terceiro experimento é relativo aos efeitos no mercado de crédito da heterogeneidade de preços que as empresas se deparam no mercado de bens

Das Tendomer ist ein Modellsystem, um Gleitringnetzwerke besser zu verstehen. Basis dafür ist ein Molekül, das Polyrotaxan, bestehend aus einer Polymerkette mit aufgefädelten Ringmolekülen. Verknüpft man den ersten Ring eines Polyrotaxans mit dem ersten Ring eines zweiten Polyrotaxans entsteht ein Tendomer. Diese Verbingung der Polyrotaxane kann entlang der Polymerkette gleiten und teilt jedes Polyrotaxan in eine elastische und eine speichernde Kette. Die unverbundenen Ringe sind zwischen der gleitenden Verbindung und dem Kettenende eingeschlossen. Dies erzeugt eine Kraft auf die gleitende Verbindung ähnlich dem Druck eines eindimensionalen Gases. Dieser Gasdruck steht im Gleichgewicht mit der Elastizität der elastischen Kette und wir zeigen, dass daraus unter Krafteinwirkung eine nicht-lineare Kraft-Abstandskurve resultiert. Für kleine Kräfte ist das Tendomer steif und wird schlagartig weich oberhalb einer Kraftschwelle. Für hohe Kräfte ist die Ausdehnung von der finiten Deformierbarkeit der Polyrotaxane begrenzt. Wir überprüften unsere theoretischen Vorhersagen mit Hilfe von Monte-Carlo Simulationen und numerische Berechnungen der exakten Zustandsfunktion. Endvernetzte Polymernetzwerke aus Tendomeren, deren elastische Enden mit mehrfunktionalen Vernetzern verknüpft werden, sind nahezu verschlaufungsfrei, da die speichernden Ketten den elastischen Volumenanteil stark verdünnen. Dennoch wird eine Deformationserweichung in numerischen Berechnungen uniaxialer Deformationen beobachtet, die auf Tendomere oberhalb der Kraftschwelle zurückzuführen sind. Tendomernetzwerke zeigen Quellgrade von 100-1000, was sonst nur bei Polyelektrolyt- oder schwach vernetzten Netzwerken beobachtet wird. Außerdem ist der Quellgrad nahezu unabhänging von der Ringanzahl je Tendomer, wobei mit steigender Anzahl der Modul sinkt. Auf Grundlage dieser elastischen Eigenschaften sind Tendomernetzwerke vielversprechende Modellsysteme für zukünftige Anwendungen in der Mikrofluidik, als Sensoren, oder als ladungsträgerfreie Superabsorber. / We propose a model system, the tendomer, to deepen the understanding of slide ring networks. A polyrotaxane consists of a linear polymer chain where ring molecules are threaded. Connecting the first ring of one polyrotaxane with the first ring of a second polyrotaxane results in the tendomer. The formed connection can freely slide along the backbone and splits each backbone chain into an elastic and a storage chain. The remaining slide rings are confined between the slip link and the chain end resembling an one dimensional gas. This gas exerts a pressure on the slip link which is balanced by the elasticity of the elastic chain under deformation. The key feature of the tendomer is a highly non-linear force-extension relation. For low forces, the tendomer is stiff and suddendly becomes soft above a threshold force, which crosses over to the stiff finite extensibility regime. We confirmed these theoretical predictions with Monte-Carlo simulations and numerical calculations from the exact partition function. End-linked networks where tendomers replace conventional chains are almost free of entanglements due to the diluation of the elastic polymer volume fraction by the storage chains. Similar to conventional networks, a strain softening in uniaxial deformations is observed in the numerical calculations of the stress strain relation, where a fraction of all chains enters the non-linear soft regime of the force-extension relation. Tendomer networks obey swelling ratios in the range of 100-1000, which is usually measured for polyelectrolyte or weakly cross-linked gels. The swelling equilibrium is almost independent of the number of slide rings, while the modulus decreases with an increasing number. These elastic properties make tendomer networks a promising material for new applications in microfluidics, as sensors, or as charge neutral superabsorbers.

Ciências Empresariais / Os teoristas de redes industriais argumentam, explicita ou implicitamente, a significância das relações de negócio para a empresa focal isto é, as relações de negócio contribuem em alguma medida para a sobrevivência e crescimento da empresa focal. Eu não nego a possível existência de relações de negócio significantes mas sustento, em contraste com o consenso dentro da Teoria de Mercados-como-Redes, que a significância das relações não deve ser um axioma. A significância não pode ser uma propriedade assumida a priori para cada uma das relações de negócio da empresa focal. Ao invés, a noção de significância das relações tem de ser discutida e as suas causas totalmente explicadas. Adoptando uma posição de Realismo Crítico, defendo que a significância das relações é um evento do mundo empresarial que merece uma explicação causal robusta. A minha principal questão de investigação é a seguinte: Como é produzida a significância das relações de negócio? Todas as relações de negócio que a empresa focal estabelece, desenvolve, sustenta, e termina com contrapartes (tipicamente seus fornecedores e clientes) podem ser consideradas entidades que exibem características estruturais tais como continuidade, complexidade, informalidade, e simetria. Em virtude dessa estrutura peculiar, as relações de negócio ficam na posse de certos poderes e susceptibilidades (e.g., permitem o acesso e exploração de recursos e competências externos e complementares). Quando esses poderes e susceptibilidades (i.e., funções e disfunções) são postos em prática, inevitavelmente sob certas contingências (em particular os mercados e redes que rodeiam a empresa focal), efeitos (i.e., benefícios e sacrifícios) resultam para a empresa focal e a significância das relações de negócio é potencialmente gerada. Dois dos poderes das relações os de `acesso e `inovação são especialmente consequenciais, dado que a sua activação afecta provavelmente a delimitação das fronteiras verticais da empresa focal. A significância das relações pode ser gerada por causa dos benefícios em excesso de sacrifícios (i.e., valor de relação) que são apropriados pela empresa focal assim como pela influência dual que as relações de negócio exercem sobre o que a empresa focal faz e obtém feito por outros. As relações de negócio contribuem respectivamente para (i) o acesso a e exploração de (e ocasionalmente o desenvolvimento de) recursos e competências externos, tipicamente complementares e desejados pela empresa focal e (ii) a criação de novos e a modificação e melhoria (ou não) dos recursos e competências internos, existentes na empresa focal. Aquilo que a empresa focal inclui dentro das suas fronteiras verticais (primariamente recursos e competências) e aquilo que faz e obtêm feito (actividades), são ambos fortemente moldados pelas relações de negócio nas quais está largamente embebida. A significância das relações de negócio pode resultar da influência que as relações de negócio exercem sobre a natureza e o âmbito da empresa focal. / The markets-as-networks theorists contend, either explicitly or tacitly, the significance of business relationships for the focal firm that is, business relationships contribute somewhat to the focal firm s survival and growth. I do not deny the possible existence of significant business relationships but sustain, in contrast to the consensus within the Markets-as-Networks Theory, that relationship significance should not be a self-evident assumption. Significance cannot be a taken-for-granted property of each and every one of the focal firm s business relationships. Instead, the notion of relationship significance needs to be discussed and its causes thoroughly explained. Adopting a critical realist position, the relationship significance is claimed to be an event of the business world, rightly deserving a robust causal explanation. My main research question is thus the following: How is the relationship significance brought about? All the business relationships that the focal firm establishes, develops, maintains, and terminates with counterparts (most typically its suppliers and customers) can be adequately considered as entities which exhibit structural features namely continuity, complexity, informality, and symmetry. Owing to that peculiar structure, business relationships are endowed with certain causal powers and liabilities (e.g., allow the access to and exploitation of external and complementary resources and competences). Where those powers and liabilities (i.e., functions and dysfunctions) are put to work, inevitably under certain contingencies (namely the markets and networks surrounding the focal firm), effects (i.e., benefits and sacrifices) result for the focal firm and the relationship significance is likely to be brought about. Two of those relationship powers the `access and `innovation ones are especially consequential, for their activation is likely to affect the delimitation of the focal firm s vertical boundaries. The relationship significance can be brought about owing to the overall benefits in excess of sacrifices (i.e., relationship value) accruing to the focal firm as well as the dual influence that business relationships have on what the focal firm does and gets done by others. For the business relationships contribute respectively both (i) to the access to and exploitation (and on occasion the development) of the external, typically complementary competences and resources needed by the focal firm and (ii) to the creation of new, and the modification and enhancement (or impairment) of the extant, internal resources and competences of the focal firm. What the focal firm comprises within its vertical boundaries (chiefly resources and competences) and what it does and gets done (activities) are both strongly shaped by the business relationships in which it is deeply embedded. The relationship significance can result from the influence of business relationships on the nature and scope of the focal firm.

A diversidade de interações que ocorre dentro de sistemas biológicos, considerando desde as organelas de uma célula até toda a biosfera, pode ser modelada por meio da teoria de redes. A dinâmica das interações entre os elementos é uma propriedade intrínseca desses sistemas. Diversas ferramentas foram propostas para comparar redes, que representam os muitos estados assumidos por um sistema. Porém, nenhuma delas é capaz de comparar características estruturais de mais de duas redes simultaneamente. Devido à grande quantidade de estados que um sistema pode assumir, construímos uma ferramenta estatística para comparar duas ou mais redes e indicar variáveis chave no processo estudado. A principal proposta deste trabalho foi comparar redes de correlação usando medidas baseadas nos espectros dos grafos (conjunto de autovalores das matrizes de adjacência), como a distribuição espectral. Essa medida está associada a diversas características estruturais das redes como o número de caminhos, diâmetro e cliques. Além da distribuição espectral, também comparamos as redes por entropia espectral, distribuição dos graus e pelas centralidades dos nós. Usamos dois diferentes conjuntos de dados biológicos (expressão gênica de células tumorais e metabolismo vegetal) para realizar os testes de desempenho da ferramenta e para os estudos de caso. O método proposto está implementado em um pacote do programa R, chamado BioNetStat, com interface gráfica para o usuário leigo em programação. Constatamos que os testes são eficientes em diferenciar mais de duas redes. Além disso, o aumento do número de redes comparadas e a queda dos números de unidades amostrais, diminui o poder estatístico do teste. Mostramos ainda que ocorre uma economia de tempo significativa ao realizarmos uma única análise para comparar muitas redes ao invés de compará-las par-a-par. Além disto, o método apontou grupos de variáveis com papel central nos sistemas biológicos estudados que não foram encontrados nas análises onde apenas a expressão ou concentração dos elementos foi estudada. Foi possível assim diferenciar células de tipos cancerígenos ou órgãos de organismos vegetais através das centralidades das redes. As variáveis levantadas possibilitam ao usuário gerar hipóteses sobre seus papeis nos processos em estudo. O BioNetStat pode assim ajudar a detectar possíveis novas descobertas associadas a mecanismos de funcionamento de sistemas. / The diversity of interactions, which are among elements of the biological systems, can be studied based on the networks theory. Moreover, the dynamic of these interactions is an inherent trait of those systems. In this sense, several tools have been proposed to compare networks, in that each network represents a state assumed by the system. However, the biological systems generally can assume much more than two biological states and none of the tools are able to compare structural characteristics among more than two networks simultaneously. To solve this issue, we developed a statistical tool to compare two or more networks and highlight key variables of a system. Here we describe the new method, called BioNetStat, that is able to compare correlation networks using traits that are based on graph spectra (the group of eigenvalues of the adjacency matrix), such as the spectral distribution. This measure is associated with several structural characteristics of networks such as the number of walks, diameter, and cliques. In addition to the spectral distribution, BioNetStat can also compare networks to the node centralities. We used two different biological datasets, tumoral cells genes expressions and plant metabolism, to evaluate the performance of BioNetStat and as case studies. The tool is implemented in an R package, and it also has a user-friendly interface. We showed that BioNetStat is efficient in distinguishing more than two networks. In comparison with a similar tool (GSCA), the increase in the number of compared networks reduces less the statistical power of the BioNetStat than the GSCA. Furthermore, BioNetStat is able to find signaling pathways in a bigger proportion than the GSCA, complementing tools proposed in the literature. In the case studies, the method pointed out variables, and sets of variables, with a central role in biological systems, which were not highlighted when only gene expression pattern or metabolomics were studied. For instance, BioNetStat allowed us to differentiate among cancer types and plant organs. The BioNetStat results bring new findings on what differentiate the states, giving us a systemic view of our study subject and affording the proposition of new hypotheses about the studied processes.