The aggregate power of all resources on the Internet is enormous. The Internet can be viewed as a massive virtual organization that holds tremendous amounts of information and resources with different ownerships. However, little is known about how to run this organization efficiently. This dissertation studies the problems of distributed task and resource allocation among self-interested agents in virtual organizations. The developed solutions are not allocation mechanisms that can be imposed by a centralized designer, but decentralized interaction mechanisms that provide incentives to self-interested agents to behave cooperatively. These mechanisms also take computational tractability into consideration due to the inherent complexity of distributed task and resource allocation problems. Targeted allocation mechanisms can achieve global task allocation efficiency in a virtual organization and establish stable resource-sharing communities based on agents’ own decisions about whether or not to behave cooperatively. This high level goal requires solving the following problems: synthetic task allocation, decentralized coalition formation and automated multiparty negotiation. For synthetic task allocation, in which each task needs to be accomplished by a virtual team composed of self-interested agents from different real organizations, my approach is to formalize the synthetic task allocation problem as an algorithmic mechanism design optimization problem. I have developed two approximation mechanisms that I prove are incentive compatible for a synthetic task allocation problem. This dissertation also develops a decentralized coalition formation mechanism, which is based on explicit negotiation among self-interested agents. Each agent makes its own decisions about whether or not to join a candidate coalition. The resulting coalitions are stable in the core in terms of coalition rationality. I have applied this mechanism to form resource sharing coalitions in computational grids and buyer coalitions in electronic markets. The developed negotiation mechanism in the decentralized coalition formation mechanism realizes automated multilateral negotiation among self-interested agents who have symmetric authority (i.e., no mediator exists and agents are peers). In combination, the decentralized allocation mechanisms presented in this dissertation lay a foundation for realizing automated resource management in open and scalable virtual organizations.

Public participation is an integral part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, as it provides opportunities for interested and affected parties (I&APs) to participate in the decision making process. The objective of public participation is to accomplish social and environmental justice and to promote informed decision making. Concern however exists that public participation is seen and implemented as a rigid “one size fits all” process and that the inputs by I&APs are limited to the pre-authorisation phases i.e. the I&APs are not involved in the environmental management of the full life cycle of the activity. The problem appears to stem from the fact that the implementation of the public participation process is associated with a number of shortcomings and may be seen as a paper exercise to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Management Act. The aim of the research is to determine the effectiveness of public participation in EIA processes, using a group of selected South African case studies. A structured, survey-based research study was conducted with I&APs, environmental assessment practitioners (EAPs) and officials from relevant decision making bodies (competent authorities). The main aim of the research has been achieved and all research objectives answered. The study concludes that public participation in EIA processes is not purely a paper exercise, but does in fact enhance decision making. However, there are widespread concerns regarding the selection of alternatives and the alignment of public participation processes in other environmental assessments. / M (Environmental Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Public participation is an integral part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, as it provides opportunities for interested and affected parties (I&APs) to participate in the decision making process. The objective of public participation is to accomplish social and environmental justice and to promote informed decision making. Concern however exists that public participation is seen and implemented as a rigid “one size fits all” process and that the inputs by I&APs are limited to the pre-authorisation phases i.e. the I&APs are not involved in the environmental management of the full life cycle of the activity. The problem appears to stem from the fact that the implementation of the public participation process is associated with a number of shortcomings and may be seen as a paper exercise to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Management Act. The aim of the research is to determine the effectiveness of public participation in EIA processes, using a group of selected South African case studies. A structured, survey-based research study was conducted with I&APs, environmental assessment practitioners (EAPs) and officials from relevant decision making bodies (competent authorities). The main aim of the research has been achieved and all research objectives answered. The study concludes that public participation in EIA processes is not purely a paper exercise, but does in fact enhance decision making. However, there are widespread concerns regarding the selection of alternatives and the alignment of public participation processes in other environmental assessments. / M (Environmental Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Este trabalho tem por objetivo investigar o impacto das contribuições de campanha sobre o valor dos contratos com o setor público federal obtido pelos doadores. Além disso, busca-se incorporar à discussão de lobby uma contribuição original: analisar a interação entre empresas ao realizar as contribuições de campanha a candidatos a cargos federais. Para tanto, propõe-se a união entre duas literaturas, em princípio, isoladas. Por um lado, a literatura teórica e empírica que analisa os benefícios recebidos por empresas que realizam contribuições de campanha. Por outro lado, uma ampla literatura de econometria espacial que tem se dedicado a explorar como unidades observadas se influenciam. As matrizes de vizinhança espacial, que caracterizam exogenamente a relação entre unidades observadas, são especificadas em nível setorial: duas empresas são consideradas vizinhas se operam no mesmo setor de atividade (principal e/ou secundários). Como variável dependente, utiliza-se o valor dos contratos com o setor público federal após as eleições, para cada empresa, obtido no Portal da Transparência do Governo Federal. As contribuições de campanha para candidatos a cargos federais (para diferentes filiações partidárias e resultado nas eleições) são obtidas, para as eleições de 2006, na base de dados do TSE. Além do valor defasado dos contratos, outras variáveis de controle e códigos dos setores de atividade econômica provêm da RAIS. Utiliza-se um método de matching baseado no propensity score para selecionar a amostra de empresas: para cada empresa doadora, seleciona-se uma não doadora similar em termos de características observáveis. Os resultados do modelo base indicam um impacto total das contribuições de campanha sobre o valor dos contratos bem superior ao que seria estimado por métodos convencionais, devido principalmente à magnitude relativamente maior das contribuições realizadas por empresas vizinhas. A estimação por MQO revela impacto marginal de até 0,03% das contribuições de campanha sobre o valor dos contratos com o setor público federal após as eleições. Por sua vez, o impacto marginal estimado via SDM chega a 0,95%, quando consideradas contribuições a candidatos a cargos federais vitoriosos nas eleições de 2006. Portanto, a interação entre empresas responde pela maior parte dos benefícios provenientes das contribuições de campanha. / The aim of this work is to investigate the impact of campaign contributions on the value of contracts with the federal public sector earned by donors. In addition, we intend to incorporate to the discussion of lobby an original contribution: analyzing the interaction among firms lobbying candidates running for federal office. To this end, we propose the union of two isolated literatures. On one hand, the theoretical and empirical literature that analyze the benefits received by campaign contributor firms. On the other hand, a wide spatial econometrics literature that has explored how units influence each other. Spatial neighborhood matrices which exogenously characterize the relationship among units are specified in sector level: two firms are considered neighbors if operating in the same sector (primary and/or secondary). As the dependent variable, we use the value of contracts with the federal public sector after the elections, for each firm, from the Transparency Portal of the Federal Government. Campaign contributions to candidates running for federal office (for different party affiliations and result in elections) were obtained for the 2006 elections, from TSE database. Besides the lagged value of the contracts, other control variables and codes of sectors come from RAIS. We use a method based on propensity score matching to select the sample of firms: for each donor we select a non-donor based on observable characteristics. The results of the base model indicate the total impact of campaign contributions on the value of the contracts is higher than those estimated by conventional methods especially due to the relatively greater magnitude of the neighbors\' contributions. Estimation by OLS reveals marginal impact of up to 0.03% of campaign contributions on the value of contracts with the federal public sector after the elections. In turn, the estimated marginal impact via SDM reaches 0.95%, when considered contributions to victorious candidates in the 2006 elections Therefore, the interaction among firms accounts for most of the gains from campaign contributions.

This study explores the notion of contestation in environmental education. Contestation is a process in which self-interested individuals and groups in a social organisation cooperate, compete and negotiate in a complex interaction aimed at solving social problems. A "framework for critique" is developed, comprising technicist, liberal<interpretive and critical paradigms in each of scientific knowledge, educational innovation, educational research and education itself. This framework forms the basis from which a critique is mounted of contesting perspectives in environmental education at international, national and local levels. The thesis argues, firstly, that contestation takes place in the domains of (a) language or "policy in environmental education; (b) organisational strategies aimed at initiating or improving environmental education; (c) educational practices conducted in the name of environmental education; and (d) within perspectives between these domains. The thesis argues, secondly, that the presently dominant techniqist models of innovation expressed in the organisation of environmental education are part of an hegemonic relationship which acts to "technologise" the innovation: they provide an organisational strategy for establishing environmental and educational progress without offering a theory for self-reflection and ideology-critique. The incompatibility of certain contesting perspectives and practices is masked, thus contributing to continuity, rather than reform. The thesis characterises this "educational problem of environmental education" as a series of theory-practice gaps at all levels, where "theory" is the set of beliefs and assumptions held by individual practitioners, and in. terms of which they understand their educational practices. An educational problem exists because these theory-practice gaps exist; the educational problem continues because these theory-practice gaps exist unacknowledged within the infrastructure of environmental education due to the effects of false consciousness and hegemony. The thesis addresses the issue of which of several contesting forms of educational research offers the most coherent response to the educational problem of environmental education, and argues that, for the time being, approaches grounded in the critical social sciences are both the best justified and most promising approaches . to educational research for environmental education.

Cada vez mais se reconhece que para realizar uma boa gestão de recursos públicos é preciso fazer avaliações, que gerem informações sobre a qualidade, a eficácia e a efetividade das políticas, projetos e programas realizados. No entanto, ainda são recentes no Brasil a reflexão e o debate sobre avaliações no âmbito das políticas públicas, principalmente na área habitacional. Na prática são muitas as inquietações para a definição de modelos de avaliação, escolha de metodologias, apresentação de resultados e a utilização das informações no rumo de determinada política. O objetivo geral do estudo foi propor um método de avaliação da execução do Plano Local de Habitação de Interesse Social em municípios de pequeno porte, visando o acompanhamento dos resultados e o cumprimento das metas propostas. A fim de alcançar o objetivo geral, foram propostos objetivos específicos, correspondentes aos cinco artigos que compõem esta tese. O primeiro artigo teve como objetivo mapear e descrever a trajetória da Política Habitacional no Brasil, visando entender a evolução da habitação nos aspectos sociais, históricos, políticos, bem como sua organização em termos de gestão. O segundo artigo pretende identificar e discutir as principais características dos modelos de avaliação de políticas ou programas. O terceiro artigo, foi elaborado para mostrar os aspectos conceituais sobre indicadores, as suas propriedades, bem como as formas de classificá-los nos diversos ciclos das políticas públicas. O quarto artigo, teve por objetivo elaborar um método para avaliação da execução de PLHIS. O quinto artigo, por sua vez, foi elaborado para aplicar e analisar o método em um município de pequeno porte. No que se refere aos objetivos, a pesquisa caracterizou-se como exploratória, de natureza aplicada, com abordagem qualitativa do problema. Os principais resultados mostraram na literatura que as políticas públicas são vistas como um ciclo deliberativo, formado por vários estágios e constituindo um processo dinâmico e de aprendizado. Este ciclo é constituído por diversas fases que são: diagnóstico, formulação, implementação e avaliação, e que na prática, as fases que se interligam entre si, de tal forma que essa separação se dá mais para facilitar a compreensão do processo. A avaliação de políticas públicas acaba sendo o elemento essencial e estratégico para a gestão da coisa pública. Entretanto, na área habitacional, o quadro de carência de recursos humanos e de falta de estrutura organizacional e financeira dificultam o acompanhamento e a execução da política de habitação em nível municipal. Diante disso, os resultados indicaram que o método é exequível e capaz de evidenciar as necessidades básicas do município, através da caracterização do cenário atual com relação ao PLHIS, bem como indicar as carências a serem eliminadas em monitoramentos e avaliações futuras. / Increasingly it is recognized that to achieve a good management of public resources is necessary to make assessments, managing information about the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of policies, projects and programs. However, it is still recent in Brazil the reflection and debate on level of the public policies, especially in the housing area. In practice, there are many concerns to the definition of valuation models, choice of methodologies, presentation of results and use of information in the course of a given policy. The general objective of the study was to propose a method of evaluating the implementation of the Local Plans of Social Interested Housing (PLHIS- Planos Locais de Habitação de Interesse Social) in small municipalities, aiming at monitoring the performance and compliance of the proposed goals. In order to achieve the general objective, specific objectives were proposed, corresponding to the five articles that make up this thesis. The first paper aimed to map and describe the trajectory of Housing Policy in Brazil, aiming to understand the evolution of housing in social, historical, political, as well as your organization in terms of management. The second paper aimed to identify and discuss the main characteristics of the models of evaluation of policies or programs. The third paper was prepared to show the conceptual aspects of indicators, their properties, as well as the ways of classifying through cycles of public policy.The fourth paper, aimed to develop a method for evaluating the implementation of PLHIS. The fifth paper, in turn, was developed to analyze and apply the method in a small city. As regards to the objectives, the research was characterized as exploratory, applied work, with a qualitative approach to the problem. The main results shown in the literature that public policies are seen as a deliberative cycle, consisting of various stages and constituting a dynamic learning process. This cycle consists of several phases, which are: diagnosis, formulation, implementation and evaluation, and in practice, the phases are interlinked, so that this separation occurs more to facilitate understanding of the process. The evaluation of public policy ends up being the essential and strategic part to the management of public affairs. However, in the housing area, the shortcomings scenario of human resources and lack of organizational and financial structure hinder the monitoring and implementation of housing policy at the municipal level. Thus, the results indicate that the method is feasible and able to demonstrate the basic needs of the municipality, through the characterization of the current situation regarding PLHIS and indicate the shortcomings and being eliminated in monitoring and future evaluations.

Cada vez mais se reconhece que para realizar uma boa gestão de recursos públicos é preciso fazer avaliações, que gerem informações sobre a qualidade, a eficácia e a efetividade das políticas, projetos e programas realizados. No entanto, ainda são recentes no Brasil a reflexão e o debate sobre avaliações no âmbito das políticas públicas, principalmente na área habitacional. Na prática são muitas as inquietações para a definição de modelos de avaliação, escolha de metodologias, apresentação de resultados e a utilização das informações no rumo de determinada política. O objetivo geral do estudo foi propor um método de avaliação da execução do Plano Local de Habitação de Interesse Social em municípios de pequeno porte, visando o acompanhamento dos resultados e o cumprimento das metas propostas. A fim de alcançar o objetivo geral, foram propostos objetivos específicos, correspondentes aos cinco artigos que compõem esta tese. O primeiro artigo teve como objetivo mapear e descrever a trajetória da Política Habitacional no Brasil, visando entender a evolução da habitação nos aspectos sociais, históricos, políticos, bem como sua organização em termos de gestão. O segundo artigo pretende identificar e discutir as principais características dos modelos de avaliação de políticas ou programas. O terceiro artigo, foi elaborado para mostrar os aspectos conceituais sobre indicadores, as suas propriedades, bem como as formas de classificá-los nos diversos ciclos das políticas públicas. O quarto artigo, teve por objetivo elaborar um método para avaliação da execução de PLHIS. O quinto artigo, por sua vez, foi elaborado para aplicar e analisar o método em um município de pequeno porte. No que se refere aos objetivos, a pesquisa caracterizou-se como exploratória, de natureza aplicada, com abordagem qualitativa do problema. Os principais resultados mostraram na literatura que as políticas públicas são vistas como um ciclo deliberativo, formado por vários estágios e constituindo um processo dinâmico e de aprendizado. Este ciclo é constituído por diversas fases que são: diagnóstico, formulação, implementação e avaliação, e que na prática, as fases que se interligam entre si, de tal forma que essa separação se dá mais para facilitar a compreensão do processo. A avaliação de políticas públicas acaba sendo o elemento essencial e estratégico para a gestão da coisa pública. Entretanto, na área habitacional, o quadro de carência de recursos humanos e de falta de estrutura organizacional e financeira dificultam o acompanhamento e a execução da política de habitação em nível municipal. Diante disso, os resultados indicaram que o método é exequível e capaz de evidenciar as necessidades básicas do município, através da caracterização do cenário atual com relação ao PLHIS, bem como indicar as carências a serem eliminadas em monitoramentos e avaliações futuras. / Increasingly it is recognized that to achieve a good management of public resources is necessary to make assessments, managing information about the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of policies, projects and programs. However, it is still recent in Brazil the reflection and debate on level of the public policies, especially in the housing area. In practice, there are many concerns to the definition of valuation models, choice of methodologies, presentation of results and use of information in the course of a given policy. The general objective of the study was to propose a method of evaluating the implementation of the Local Plans of Social Interested Housing (PLHIS- Planos Locais de Habitação de Interesse Social) in small municipalities, aiming at monitoring the performance and compliance of the proposed goals. In order to achieve the general objective, specific objectives were proposed, corresponding to the five articles that make up this thesis. The first paper aimed to map and describe the trajectory of Housing Policy in Brazil, aiming to understand the evolution of housing in social, historical, political, as well as your organization in terms of management. The second paper aimed to identify and discuss the main characteristics of the models of evaluation of policies or programs. The third paper was prepared to show the conceptual aspects of indicators, their properties, as well as the ways of classifying through cycles of public policy.The fourth paper, aimed to develop a method for evaluating the implementation of PLHIS. The fifth paper, in turn, was developed to analyze and apply the method in a small city. As regards to the objectives, the research was characterized as exploratory, applied work, with a qualitative approach to the problem. The main results shown in the literature that public policies are seen as a deliberative cycle, consisting of various stages and constituting a dynamic learning process. This cycle consists of several phases, which are: diagnosis, formulation, implementation and evaluation, and in practice, the phases are interlinked, so that this separation occurs more to facilitate understanding of the process. The evaluation of public policy ends up being the essential and strategic part to the management of public affairs. However, in the housing area, the shortcomings scenario of human resources and lack of organizational and financial structure hinder the monitoring and implementation of housing policy at the municipal level. Thus, the results indicate that the method is feasible and able to demonstrate the basic needs of the municipality, through the characterization of the current situation regarding PLHIS and indicate the shortcomings and being eliminated in monitoring and future evaluations.

Cada vez mais se reconhece que para realizar uma boa gestão de recursos públicos é preciso fazer avaliações, que gerem informações sobre a qualidade, a eficácia e a efetividade das políticas, projetos e programas realizados. No entanto, ainda são recentes no Brasil a reflexão e o debate sobre avaliações no âmbito das políticas públicas, principalmente na área habitacional. Na prática são muitas as inquietações para a definição de modelos de avaliação, escolha de metodologias, apresentação de resultados e a utilização das informações no rumo de determinada política. O objetivo geral do estudo foi propor um método de avaliação da execução do Plano Local de Habitação de Interesse Social em municípios de pequeno porte, visando o acompanhamento dos resultados e o cumprimento das metas propostas. A fim de alcançar o objetivo geral, foram propostos objetivos específicos, correspondentes aos cinco artigos que compõem esta tese. O primeiro artigo teve como objetivo mapear e descrever a trajetória da Política Habitacional no Brasil, visando entender a evolução da habitação nos aspectos sociais, históricos, políticos, bem como sua organização em termos de gestão. O segundo artigo pretende identificar e discutir as principais características dos modelos de avaliação de políticas ou programas. O terceiro artigo, foi elaborado para mostrar os aspectos conceituais sobre indicadores, as suas propriedades, bem como as formas de classificá-los nos diversos ciclos das políticas públicas. O quarto artigo, teve por objetivo elaborar um método para avaliação da execução de PLHIS. O quinto artigo, por sua vez, foi elaborado para aplicar e analisar o método em um município de pequeno porte. No que se refere aos objetivos, a pesquisa caracterizou-se como exploratória, de natureza aplicada, com abordagem qualitativa do problema. Os principais resultados mostraram na literatura que as políticas públicas são vistas como um ciclo deliberativo, formado por vários estágios e constituindo um processo dinâmico e de aprendizado. Este ciclo é constituído por diversas fases que são: diagnóstico, formulação, implementação e avaliação, e que na prática, as fases que se interligam entre si, de tal forma que essa separação se dá mais para facilitar a compreensão do processo. A avaliação de políticas públicas acaba sendo o elemento essencial e estratégico para a gestão da coisa pública. Entretanto, na área habitacional, o quadro de carência de recursos humanos e de falta de estrutura organizacional e financeira dificultam o acompanhamento e a execução da política de habitação em nível municipal. Diante disso, os resultados indicaram que o método é exequível e capaz de evidenciar as necessidades básicas do município, através da caracterização do cenário atual com relação ao PLHIS, bem como indicar as carências a serem eliminadas em monitoramentos e avaliações futuras. / Increasingly it is recognized that to achieve a good management of public resources is necessary to make assessments, managing information about the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of policies, projects and programs. However, it is still recent in Brazil the reflection and debate on level of the public policies, especially in the housing area. In practice, there are many concerns to the definition of valuation models, choice of methodologies, presentation of results and use of information in the course of a given policy. The general objective of the study was to propose a method of evaluating the implementation of the Local Plans of Social Interested Housing (PLHIS- Planos Locais de Habitação de Interesse Social) in small municipalities, aiming at monitoring the performance and compliance of the proposed goals. In order to achieve the general objective, specific objectives were proposed, corresponding to the five articles that make up this thesis. The first paper aimed to map and describe the trajectory of Housing Policy in Brazil, aiming to understand the evolution of housing in social, historical, political, as well as your organization in terms of management. The second paper aimed to identify and discuss the main characteristics of the models of evaluation of policies or programs. The third paper was prepared to show the conceptual aspects of indicators, their properties, as well as the ways of classifying through cycles of public policy.The fourth paper, aimed to develop a method for evaluating the implementation of PLHIS. The fifth paper, in turn, was developed to analyze and apply the method in a small city. As regards to the objectives, the research was characterized as exploratory, applied work, with a qualitative approach to the problem. The main results shown in the literature that public policies are seen as a deliberative cycle, consisting of various stages and constituting a dynamic learning process. This cycle consists of several phases, which are: diagnosis, formulation, implementation and evaluation, and in practice, the phases are interlinked, so that this separation occurs more to facilitate understanding of the process. The evaluation of public policy ends up being the essential and strategic part to the management of public affairs. However, in the housing area, the shortcomings scenario of human resources and lack of organizational and financial structure hinder the monitoring and implementation of housing policy at the municipal level. Thus, the results indicate that the method is feasible and able to demonstrate the basic needs of the municipality, through the characterization of the current situation regarding PLHIS and indicate the shortcomings and being eliminated in monitoring and future evaluations.

Este trabalho tem por objetivo investigar o impacto das contribuições de campanha sobre o valor dos contratos com o setor público federal obtido pelos doadores. Além disso, busca-se incorporar à discussão de lobby uma contribuição original: analisar a interação entre empresas ao realizar as contribuições de campanha a candidatos a cargos federais. Para tanto, propõe-se a união entre duas literaturas, em princípio, isoladas. Por um lado, a literatura teórica e empírica que analisa os benefícios recebidos por empresas que realizam contribuições de campanha. Por outro lado, uma ampla literatura de econometria espacial que tem se dedicado a explorar como unidades observadas se influenciam. As matrizes de vizinhança espacial, que caracterizam exogenamente a relação entre unidades observadas, são especificadas em nível setorial: duas empresas são consideradas vizinhas se operam no mesmo setor de atividade (principal e/ou secundários). Como variável dependente, utiliza-se o valor dos contratos com o setor público federal após as eleições, para cada empresa, obtido no Portal da Transparência do Governo Federal. As contribuições de campanha para candidatos a cargos federais (para diferentes filiações partidárias e resultado nas eleições) são obtidas, para as eleições de 2006, na base de dados do TSE. Além do valor defasado dos contratos, outras variáveis de controle e códigos dos setores de atividade econômica provêm da RAIS. Utiliza-se um método de matching baseado no propensity score para selecionar a amostra de empresas: para cada empresa doadora, seleciona-se uma não doadora similar em termos de características observáveis. Os resultados do modelo base indicam um impacto total das contribuições de campanha sobre o valor dos contratos bem superior ao que seria estimado por métodos convencionais, devido principalmente à magnitude relativamente maior das contribuições realizadas por empresas vizinhas. A estimação por MQO revela impacto marginal de até 0,03% das contribuições de campanha sobre o valor dos contratos com o setor público federal após as eleições. Por sua vez, o impacto marginal estimado via SDM chega a 0,95%, quando consideradas contribuições a candidatos a cargos federais vitoriosos nas eleições de 2006. Portanto, a interação entre empresas responde pela maior parte dos benefícios provenientes das contribuições de campanha. / The aim of this work is to investigate the impact of campaign contributions on the value of contracts with the federal public sector earned by donors. In addition, we intend to incorporate to the discussion of lobby an original contribution: analyzing the interaction among firms lobbying candidates running for federal office. To this end, we propose the union of two isolated literatures. On one hand, the theoretical and empirical literature that analyze the benefits received by campaign contributor firms. On the other hand, a wide spatial econometrics literature that has explored how units influence each other. Spatial neighborhood matrices which exogenously characterize the relationship among units are specified in sector level: two firms are considered neighbors if operating in the same sector (primary and/or secondary). As the dependent variable, we use the value of contracts with the federal public sector after the elections, for each firm, from the Transparency Portal of the Federal Government. Campaign contributions to candidates running for federal office (for different party affiliations and result in elections) were obtained for the 2006 elections, from TSE database. Besides the lagged value of the contracts, other control variables and codes of sectors come from RAIS. We use a method based on propensity score matching to select the sample of firms: for each donor we select a non-donor based on observable characteristics. The results of the base model indicate the total impact of campaign contributions on the value of the contracts is higher than those estimated by conventional methods especially due to the relatively greater magnitude of the neighbors\' contributions. Estimation by OLS reveals marginal impact of up to 0.03% of campaign contributions on the value of contracts with the federal public sector after the elections. In turn, the estimated marginal impact via SDM reaches 0.95%, when considered contributions to victorious candidates in the 2006 elections Therefore, the interaction among firms accounts for most of the gains from campaign contributions.

Den som är sakägare i en förrättning eller process har rätt att föra sin talan. Det vill säga rättatt inkomma med yrkanden, överklaga beslut och i vissa fall rätt till ersättning. Vidlantmäteriförrättningar, enligt bland annat ledningsrättslagen, avgör förrättningslantmätarenvilka som är sakägare och får föra sin talan i förrättningen.Ledningsrätt gör det möjligt för en ledningshavare att dra fram och ha sina allmännyttigaledningar i annans mark. Lantmäterimyndigheten prövar frågan vid en ledningsrättsförrättningenligt bestämmelser i ledningsrättslagen (fortsätt LL) och i ett antal frågor blir dessutomfastighetsbildningslagen (fortsatt FBL) tillämplig.Vilka som ska vara sakägare vid en ledningsrättsförrättning behandlas i LL 18 § jämte FBL 4kap. 11 §. Bestämmelsen i FBL stadgar att förrättningslantmätaren ska utreda vilka som ärsakägare i förrättningen. Bestämmelsen i LL stadgar att rättighetshavare, med rätt till fastighetsom kommer att belastas av ledningsrätt, ska vara sakägare om deras rätt berörs. De syfte ochfrågeställningar som formulerats i arbetet går ut på att undersöka hur man avgör om någonsrätt berörs – och hur omfattande förrättningslantmätarens utredningsplikt är. Ett perspektiv avrättsekonomi har också adderats till undersökningen.Med utgångspunkt i syfte och frågeställningar har metoden utformats. För att undersöka hurlagstiftaren avsåg att sakägarbegreppet skulle tolkas och hanteras har förarbeten undersökts.Så även de vägledande rättsfall som finns. För att se hur begreppet tillämpas i praktiken har 40genomförda ledningsrättsförrättningar undersökts. Vidare har förrättningslantmätare ochtekniska råd intervjuats.Resultatet från undersökta förrättningsakterna visar att hanteringen av sakägarbegreppet ärmycket varierande. I vissa förrättningar är alla rättighetshavare, vars rättighet korsas sakägare.I andra är ingen av dessa sakägare. I intervjuerna förstärks bilden av att begreppet tolkas olika  och är svårt att tolka. Det finns också en varierande syn på hur strikt tolkningen ska göras ochhur omfattande utredningsplikten är.Förarbetena ger inte mycket svar i frågan om hur begreppet ska tolkas. Däremot finns ett antalrättsfall som vägledning. I rättsfall där ledningsrätten kommer att gå in på upplåtet utrymmeför en ledning (upplåten med avtalsservitut eller ledningsrätt), har domstolen ansett atträttighetshavarna ska anses vara berörda.Utifrån ett perspektiv av rättssäkerhet kan sägas att det ska vara förutsebart hur lagen kommeratt tolkas. I dessa fall skiljer sig tillämpningen åt för mycket för att vara förutsebar, något somtyder på att lagrummets utformning inte är tillräckligt tydligt för att uppfylla ett rättssäkertförfarande.Ett förtydligande eller en omformulering behövs – både ifråga om hur mycket som ska utredasoch ifråga om tolkningen av begreppet berörs. / Interested parties in a cadastral procedure or process holds the right to take legal actions. Incadastral procedures such as utility easement procedures, it is the cadastral surveyor decidingon who should be considered an interested party.Utility easement is a way for a proprietor of utility easement to ensure its right to have publicutilities in someone else’s land. In Sweden it is the cadastral authority determining if utilityeasement can be formed in a utility order according to the Utility Easement Act.The legal framework in deciding which ones should be considered as interested parties in autility easement procedure are to be found in the Utility Easement Act and the PropertyFormation Act. According to these the cadastral surveyor is responsible for investigating whoshould be interested parties in the procedure. It also says that a right-holder, with the right tospace on a property that will be claimed by the utility easement should be an interested party ifhis right is concerned.To examine how the legislator intended the law to be interpreted, the legislative history hasbeen investigated. Also, cases from court regarding this specific question has been studied forguidance in the interpretation. To investigate how cadastral surveyors’ apply the concept inutility easement procedures a study of cadastral documents has been done. In addition to thisseveral cadastral surveyors and technical judges have been interviewed to convey their viewand approach to the concept.The result shows that who is considered an interested party in the utility easement proceduresis handled differently between different cadastral procedures. The interviews reinforce thepicture of a concept that is difficult to interpret and therefore has a varying interpretation.The legislative history does not describe how to interpret the concept of interested parties. Butaccording to the cases, the court seem to have a quite low threshold for when a right-holdershould be considered as an interested party. The differences in how the concept of interested  parties according to the Utility Easement Act are interpreted indicates an inadequatelegislation.The formation of the concept of interested parties is vague which opens for a lot of differentinterpretations. A clarification is well needed, and a reformulation would be even better –both in the interpretation of the concept interested parties and the cadastral surveyors’ duty toinvestigate.