  We investigate universality, scaling, the beta-function and the topological
charge in the positive plaquette model for SU(2) lattice gauge theory.
Comparing physical quantities, like the critical temperature, the string
tension, glueball masses, and their ratios, we explore the effect of a complete
suppression of a certain lattice artifact, namely the negative plaquettes, for
SU(2) lattice gauge theory. Our result is that this modification does not
change the continuum limit, i.e., the universality class. The positive
plaquette model and the standard Wilson formulation describe the same physical
situation. The approach to the continuum limit given by the beta-function in
terms of the bare lattice coupling, however, is rather different: the
beta-function of the positive plaquette model does not show a dip like the
model with standard Wilson action.
