Sport brings to cities innovative solutions that influence urban life, yet the considerations about sport is still rarely contributed to the development of very popular smart cities strategies. This raises the question: what is the perception of sport in the city from the perspective of the smart city concept? One of the challenges of future urban policy is to provide initiatives that ensure the well-being and promote the model of a healthy city, especially during the era of the Covid 19 (...) pandemic. Therefore, sport creates an opportunity to combat these challenges. The study provides an in-depth literature review on sport factors influencing smart city domains through a systematic review process. Exploring this topic creates a paradigm for future studies on the discourse on smart cities and sport impact on evolution of cities of tomorrow. In particular, it indicate potential areas of interest from the point of view of local authorities and policymakers, who are able to incorporate governance through sport agendas. (shrink)

The concept of social capital has been recognized as one of the key aspect of public administration and is an essential part of local urban policy. From the point of view of the inhabitants, it conveys a sense of subjectivity, achievement, participation and co-government. Much more important is that social capital will be characterized by a measurable impact in terms of civic engagement in local affairs. Racibórz was selected as a case study due to the city’s proximity to the border. (...) On the one hand, it is regarded with a long tradition of self-government, self-organization, belonging to different legal and administrative systems throughout history, and on the other hand, with a marginal position in the territory and in the administrative structures of the country and the region. All these factors have, over the course of history, given rise to inhabitants’ behavioral patterns and created the basic forms and structures of civil society and/or social capital. Based on qualitative and ethnographic field studies, the authors presents the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic phenomena, which changes the structures of social capital in Raciborz by reducing/destroying it and ask the question how it can be rebuilt in the future. The aim of the article is to present one of the current challenges for urban policy in Poland: social participation, especially in the context of the concept of social capital, in Raciborz town at the time of the (post) Covid-19 pandemic. (shrink)

The article contains a case study of residents' participation in the process of shaping the city's public expenditure through participatory budgeting. The analyzed data were collected as part of the National Science Center [anonymyzed]. The research methods and tools used in the study included desk research, CAWI, a survey and scenario interviews. The case of Hrubieszów is only a part of our research that deserves a closer look due to the pro-participatory attitude of the significant number of the city officials, (...) social activists, and residents. There is also a certain level of enthusiasm, despite the fact that participatory budgeting arrived in this city relatively late - in 2017. Another interesting fact is that it is the smallest participatory budget among the twelve Polish cities thoroughly examined in our project. In this article we will present the functioning of this process both from the perspective of the local authorities and officials, as well as the project applicants and residents involved in the participatory budgeting process. In our analysis we are looking for local signs of readiness for cooperation which, in favorable conditions, focus on deliberative moments and are followed by a deliberative stance, constituting a basis for pro-participation activities. (shrink)

The synergies between rapid information technology (IT) development and the shifting paradigms of economic transactions have led to the emergence of digital entrepreneurship. This study aims to investigate potential precursors affecting the intention of final-year business students to engage in digital entrepreneurship. This research was examining the IT acceptance among the business students by employing two tailored technology acceptance models (TAM) based on theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and theory of reasoned action (TRA) models. A sample of 302 respondents were (...) analysed using SPSS and Smart-PLS. The results revealed that fresh graduates’ intentions to engage in digital entrepreneurship were significantly influenced by their own attitudes towards IT. The study also reaffirmed that the dimensions of Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour model, among others, attitude towards information technology (IT), perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norms except perceived risk have a “direct effect” on undergraduates’ interest in an Internet-based business model. Although the results have contributed to the paucity of the empirical research in digital entrepreneurship particularly in the Asian region, the availability of information technology, government resources and support to affect the digital usage and behaviour are not to be underestimated. (shrink)

Due to weak economies or ill-adapted public policies aggravated by the pandemic, official services dedicated to the unconditional reception and support of people in psychosocial distress in large urban areas are often put to the test. Here is the approach of the action research “Evolution after COVid-19 of the Invisibility of Precarities” (ECOVIP) dedicated to this phenomenon, as well as its first results concerning the precarity of unemployed “young” seniors (50-64 years old) in Lyon, France. This participative research is based (...) on workshops that bring together professionals from both the front-line psychosocial field and other fields such as employment or work, and in which they are offered a free expression of their lived situations of reception of precarious people. The first results provided by the scientific and transparent analysis of these exchanges show both a fairly precise understanding of the institutional decision leading to increasing invisibility, and the emergence of innovative professional resources capable of curbing it. (shrink)

The effectiveness of representative democracy in South Africa is questionable, given the lack of confidence in the Parliament and the recurring service delivery protests, which indicate that citizens' opinions are unheard. Due to this, the Members of Parliament (MPs) devise strategies such as democratic innovation to involve citizens in policymaking as the platform for deliberation. Given this context, the paper discusses public participation in policymaking and how declining confidence in the Parliament necessitates democratic innovations as a panacea for increasing citizens' (...) participation in Parliament activities. The paper also identifies dilemmas that occur in public involvement. Data was generated by interviews (with 16 MPs), observation of plenary debates, minutes of the Parliament, Hansard, minutes of Select and Standing Committees, and Parliamentary speeches. Findings suggest that despite the complexity of implementing public participation in South Africa, the Parliament has made significant progress since 1994 in widening democratic innovation to facilitate public participation. However, disadvantaged people continue to be marginalized from policymaking. The paper suggests that there is a need for political education and public participation in policymaking to strengthen democratic institutions in South Africa. (shrink)

After the emergence of "new media," propaganda and so-called "alternative facts" are some of the main tools that have been used by governments, individuals, or interest groups to recalibrate the narration of certain information. By using the basic storytelling methods, the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) allows policymakers to use the media to spread the newer dynamics of narration. Since 2014, after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, the government has constantly been using narration through the state-funded media that (...) have changed the overall media landscape in the country. Thus, using the NPF, this research aims to perform a media content analysis of India and discuss the changing media landscape of the nation. To prove the argument, the article provides various empirical examples and facts (from India) which are changing the narrative among the public and the ruling party's pursuit of its political aims by radical change in public policy. (shrink)

This paper employs cases to discuss the impact of information, disinformation, and the evolution of scientific data as part of public health policy development in the COVID- 19 pandemic. The two areas of policy development center on (1) risk and public health precautions (e.g., mask mandates, cleaning protocols, and social distancing) and (2) risk and economic/travel policy (e.g., regional economic shutdown, travel restrictions, border closures). Key to the analysis is the understanding of social risk production and public trust in institutions (...) and individuals within those institutions that craft emergency, interim, and long-lasting public policy. The paper concludes with recommendations for enhancing public trust in government institutions and the management of risks during times of disasters, crises, and pandemics. (shrink)

This article deals with the effects of COVID-19 on the urban governance of Milan. The author argues that, despite the changeable situation still ongoing, looking at the measures assumed in 2020, the Municipality of Milan took middle-term strategies and radical decisions for the design and the use of the city from a perspective of sustainable prosperity together with the pandemic management. According to the "Milano 2020" Adaptation Strategy, several policies were adopted in order to decongest public areas through the enlargement (...) of spaces and services. In particular, during that period, the administration planned new policies in order to empower urban flexibility, rhythms and times, diversified mobility, public and green spaces, infrastructures, cooperation, and inclusion. In conclusion, the author argues that the pandemic has redefined the urban prosperity of Milan in relation to the sustainable transition and the new social challenges determined by the global scenario. (shrink)

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant policy challenges in developing countries, where operational resources and policy capacity are limited. Yet, some developing countries have fared better than others, and part of this success seems to be attributable to the use of prudent policy instruments within a policy mix that exhibits coherence. This article presents a COVID-19 case study of Pakistan and considers the following aspects of Pakistan's policy mix: (1) polio and rural support infrastructure deployed for COVID-19 detection and awareness-creation; (...) (2) the establishment of a national command and operation center (NCOC) to centralize real-time decision-making; (3) the use of the largest income support program to generate a targeted pro-poor stimulus; and (4) optimally targeted (smart) lockdowns. The findings suggest that developing countries can adjust sound policy responses to pandemic conditions despite their resource constraints, by calibrating extant policy instruments and mobilizing new ones within a coherent policy mix. (shrink)

In recent decades, more and more young actors at the international level have been claiming and aspiring to play a significant role in managing public policy issues with global reach. The recent pandemic highlighted the asymmetry of nation-state responses in managing this health threat. At a time that the return-of-the-state scenario sounded familiar, it was misleading as well. Although each national government was focusing on its own people, and each claimed to have been better prepared to fight the crisis than (...) its neighbors, governance gaps were filled by networks of sub-national authorities, whose partnerships provided a wider geographical perspective of policy decisions. In this framework, this article assesses the role of the city diplomacy, focusing on the pandemic initiatives of the city of Athens that, due to its international affiliations, managed to fill the gaps of the measures taken for the most vulnerable groups by the central government during the pandemic of COVID-19. Desk-based research and the use of secondary sources provide the scope for our analysis. (shrink)

COVID-19 affected the entire world, culminating in a devastating worldwide disaster. The crisis had a major impact on Indonesia, both in terms of health and economic concerns. As economic support in Indonesia, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are also impacted. This study was carried out in the West Java Province, including respondents among MSME actors. The aim of this study was to see how entrepreneurial resilience and self-efficacy affected company performance during the COVID-19 crisis. To assess the connection between (...) variables, this research technique uses a quantitative methodology. The partial least squares path modeling (PLS-SEM) is used to validate the model's hypothesis, which is based on its association in a literature study done by numerous prior researchers. The findings of this study show that, as compared to entrepreneurial self-efficacy, entrepreneurial resilience has a substantial impact on MSME company performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the evaluation of the results of the research on the resilience of MSME owners, it must be supported by external variables such as government policies. (shrink)

The healthcare systems of almost every country have been facing an unprecedented crisis since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. In response, numerous countries have designed and launched their unique applications to inform their citizens about COVID-19 and to follow their health situation. While South Korea has been showing an effective fight against COVID-19, Turkey is one of the most affected ones by the virus. This paper aims to identify key differences and similarities between the contact tracing (...) apps that are used by Turkey and South Korea during COVID-19. In this way, it addresses how two members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), one developing (Turkey) and other developed (South Korea) countries, integrated their public policies and crisis management responses with the mobile phone applications and at what scale they are successful. Also, this paper investigates how these differences/similarities between their applications have affected their paths in the pandemic. Comparing their applications, it discusses policy-making processes, technological differences, and contact tracing strategies with policy recommendations for other countries. (shrink)

The article aims to compare the local tools of Ukrainian and Polish spatial policy. It includes legal solutions and problems related to their application diagnosed in the literature on the subject. Based on the analysis of the spatial management systems of both countries, the similarities and differences were determined, referring them to the international discussion and suggesting directions for further research. Ukraine and Poland were selected for analysis in terms of similarities and differences.

COVID-19 broke out in the period that Uganda was due to have presidential and parliamentary elections, posing a very precarious human security challenge. The ruling party (National Resistance Movement; NRM) faced the challenge of passing power to the Speaker of parliament if elections were not to be held. To mitigate the public health challenges and maintain power, the government acquiesced to an election process without public campaigns. Instead, campaigns were to be held over the radio, TV, and social media in (...) what came to be known as 'scientific elections.' However, in a country hamstrung by massive political and bureaucratic corruption and an entrenched regime that uses violence against opponents, little attention was paid to the fairness of the process, especially in terms of access to media resources by the opposition. Conversely, as elections are about crowds and showmanship, the Ugandan Electoral Commission struggled with the ever-evolving electoral campaign process, especially as large spontaneous crowds sprang up on the campaign trail of the political candidates. The opposition needs a large crowd for legitimacy and a show of popularity. To mitigate this, the ruling party used violence against opposition members as an excuse to enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the prevention of COVID-19, yet its candidates were left to gather crowds. This radicalized some of the opposition that used media outlets to call for violence and ethnic cleansing. This qualitative study delves into the extent to which the 'scientific elections' process was designed to produce a fair outcome of the 2021 elections in Uganda. This study uses the rational choice theory to explore the calculations of different stakeholders. The study relies on secondary data, especially available in media outlets, but also primary data through reports and social media and speeches of key figures in the political landscape in Uganda. The study finds that the Independent Electoral Commission was caught between two highly sophisticated opponents and did not have the capacity and agency to enforce the rules in the political game. In the end, the key facets of the 'scientific elections' process were found wanting and did not produce a fair outcome of the 2021 elections in Uganda. (shrink)

This article shows that how we look at political rent and rent-seeking depends on our position on state interference in the economy and which theory of regulation we are familiar with. Although the theory of rent-seeking is in accordance with the paradigm of the private interest theories of regulation, the researcher also needs an insight based on the public interest theories of regulation if he wants to judge the impact of rent-seeking and the creation of political rent on social well-being (...) properly. The paper is also a conceptualization of political rent. It describes forms of rent-seeking and economic systems most amenable to it. (shrink)

Democratic elections pose an immense challenge to any government during an emergency crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. More so for a country like India, with close to 18% of the world's population comprising an equally daunting and eager voter base of around 911 million in the time of a raging virus, both in the urban and rural areas of the nation. The first democratic large-scale election during the pandemic was successfully held in the state of Bihar in North India with (...) more than 90 million voters, which was an astonishing feat by itself. The model followed by South Korea with the highest voter turnout provided an insight to the Indian authorities on conducting the elections. The Indian Election Commission, an independent statutory body which is entrusted with the task of conducting free and fair elections, allowed for the virtual mode of campaigning, and specific guidelines for polling were recommended. The rule changes have profound implications in significantly reducing crowded campaigns, which was synonymous with Indian democracy. The traditional lens through which the administration of elections was perceived has undergone a paradigm shift during the pandemic. New insights might surface if the electoral administration is reviewed in this study on an argumentative basis against the background of the big steps taken by the Indian election machinery. The aspects on which the research debates include: (i) the pros and cons of the action taken by the regulators; (ii) positive and negative responses from the political parties; and (iii) health and safety of the voters. The study concludes by affirming with data on the success of the Bihar Election and the wise choice of the Indian government in seizing the opportunity by taking the cues from South Korea. (shrink)

This paper develops a unified model of policy diffusion to analyze the speed of adoption of statewide lockdown policies within a federal system during the COVID-19 pandemic. The modified unified model was built to improve our understanding of policy diffusion in contexts where existing models fall short. The authors highlight three main policy diffusion channels: regional, vertical, and internal. The paper shows the empirical test of the model across US states and finds that vertical effects, such as higher approval ratings (...) for President Donald Trump, as well as a comparatively high proportion of COVID-19 federal funding support, bear a strong positive association with the speed of statewide lockdown adoption policies. In addition, certain internal effects are also important - higher governor approval ratings are positively associated with the speed of statewide lockdown adoption policies, as are state and local spending, democratic state governments, and population awareness of the virus. However, other internal factors, such as the stringency of statewide lockdown policies and the relative proportion of COVID-19 deaths in a state, were minimally associated with the speed of lockdown policy adoption. Surprisingly, unlike past studies, horizontal regional effects did not play a significant role in the presented analysis - the speed of adoption of lockdown policies by neighboring states bears no association with the speed of policy adoption of statewide lockdowns. Overall, the results suggest a strong influence of political factors on the speed of statewide lockdown adoption policies in the US. (shrink)

The aim of the article is to compare two emergency migration legislation adopted in Italy and Portugal. The article attempts to prove the link between integration and law, analyzing the different approaches of Italy and Portugal to the policy problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. As two of the Southern EU Member States with different views on immigration policies, Italy and Portugal represent an interesting case study to investigate. The article benefits from an interdisciplinary approach, addressing the issue, combining both the (...) legal and political literature. Ultimately, the article tries to assess if the current measures are in line with the regularization policies that have been adopted in the past decade. The main finding is that both states tend to pass emergency legislation favoring migrants and granting them equal access to healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing the link between law and integration. Further empirical research is desirable. (shrink)

The year 1999 marked the beginning of reforms in social insurance in Poland. Changes which were implemented then regarded mainly retirement insurance. Until the reform was introduced, the retirement insurance had operated under a pay-as-you-go system. However, political changes in Poland, as well as adverse demographic trends, led to ineffective functioning of the existing system of financing liabilities arising from retirement insurance. It was necessary to introduce changes that, above all, would allow for maintaining an appropriate level of retirement pension. (...) The following article concentrates on one selected aspect of this insurance - Open Pension Funds (in Polish: Otwarte Fundusze Emerytalne; OFEs) and presents major changes occurring in 2002-2018, their reasons and effects. The analysis is mainly based on data from the Financial Supervision Authority and the Social Insurance Institution. (shrink)

This article addresses the foreign policy strategies of the European Union (EU) after the 2015 refugee crisis. It investigates to what extent the EU migration policy is part of the European foreign policy. The paper outlines that the migration policy was not prepared for collective action failure at the domestic level, and, in order to overcome it, it is transferred to the external dimension of the EU. It argues that migration, previously considered being part of the state's domestic affairs, transformed (...) from an issue of domestic policy to the foreign one. Thus, the authors study the interconnection between migration and security as a key element for understanding this "foreignization" process. The development of close cooperation with third countries in the field of migration regulation has become one of the priorities of the overall migration policy of the European Union. However, the EU has not gained much success, and the migration crisis even more clearly indicated the need to develop an external dimension to the management of migration processes, but in a more pragmatic approach that would ensure the EU's security interests. The basis for the external dimension of EU migration policy is relations with third countries and linking development assistance with security and border protection issues. The paper analyses EU parliamentary debates before and after the 2015 refugee crisis; by doing so, the interconnection between migration and security is assessed, leading to a further understanding of the EU migration "foreignization process". (shrink)

Liberal states simultaneously pursue policies of encouraging and controlling (un)desired immigration. Forces of representative democracy, nationhood, constitutionalism, and capitalism - each call for a distinct migration strategy. Previous research focusing on attitudes towards migration used quantitative methods examining values and perceptions that influence people's opinions. Still, it did not explore the diversity and complexity of sentiments. This paper aims to provide a more nuanced perspective based on tweets on and around the last day of the British membership in the European (...) Union (31 January 2020). Data were collected using NCapture - a web-browser extension that downloaded tweets with hashtags #Brexit, #BrexitDay, and #BrexitEve, and imported them directly to NVivo. Seven batches of tweets were captured on 30-31 January and 1, 7-10 February; extracting 250,095 published between 23 January and 10 February. All retweets, duplicates, non-English tweets, and spam were removed, leaving 888 tweets for the analysis. The dataset was coded twice, assigning sentiments towards Brexit as positive (n = 203), negative (n = 586), or neutral (n = 99), and using inductive thematic analysis. The findings showed the division of discourse on migration was more complicated than merely in favor and against immigration. Interestingly, they also exhibited the shift in the British debate from benefits and drawbacks of immigration to the reciprocity of migration policies in the future relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union. (shrink)

The aim of the study is to analyze if the subsidiarity principle in the context of the legal solutions introduced by the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council 2018/957 amending Directive 96/71 concerning the posting of employees in the framework of the provision of services should be considered justified and proportionate. The arguments presented will show the opinion that the subsidiarity principle is one of the basic rules for conducting economic policy in the European Union. On this (...) basis, it will be investigated whether policy powers should be delegated to the lowest possible level of government, close to the citizens concerned by the policy, unless there are undeniable benefits to running it at a higher level in closer policy coordination. It should be considered if the European Commission proposal pursues a purpose other than the declared one and thus, violates the principle of proportionality. It will be proved that smart and clear rules are needed that are adapted to the rapidly growing mobility of EU businesses and citizens, which will prevent the progressive loss of competitiveness of the EU market, while accelerating social convergence and preventing illegal activities affecting intra-EU migrant workers. The issues mentioned above and the conclusions may lead, according to the author, to the reflection on the importance of the fact that the division of competences between the Member States and the EU institutions is ultimately a political decision that arises in the context of a conflict of interest and indicates that economic analyses can only provide arguments for or against policy centralization. Furthermore, it should be noted that the integration is a dynamic process, and therefore, the results of the analysis regarding the justification for the application of the subsidiarity principle may lead to divergent assessments by the Member States, as the conditions of the functioning of economies are rapidly changing. (shrink)

Since the refugee crisis of 2015, the European Union's institutions and EU Member States' governments have strengthened policies to manage better migration flows and protect the EU's external borders. In the external dimension, the Union implemented a wide variety of economic, political, and deterrence measures to regain control over migratory flows. Although development cooperation was declared one of the important tools for addressing root causes of migration, the externalization of migration management to neighboring transit countries became the main pillar of (...) the anti-crisis strategy. Although this policy enabled to reduce essentially the number of irregular arrivals in Europe, it cannot be considered as a long-term solution. To be better prepared for migration challenges of the future, the EU should rethink its development cooperation with the origin and transit countries and include both forced and economic migrants in its comprehensive response. Aid can be a useful tool for the EU if it is used to manage rather than to stop migration. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is to analyze the dimension of the humanitarian crisis of Venezuela, with a particular emphasis on the importance of regional migration problems and the involvement of the international community. The article consists of an introduction that focuses on the background of the current migration crisis, especially in terms of substantive and methodological assumptions and the theoretical perspective. Then, the article focuses on analyzing two major research areas: a) the main social, economic, and political causes of (...) the Venezuelan migration crisis; the effects and causes of the crisis for both the Venezuelan economy and the security of the Latin American region; and b) the involvement of the international community, with a particular emphasis on the activities of the European Union, the United Nations, Latin American governments and the United States. Hence, the hypothesis indicates that the problem concerning the migration crisis of Venezuela is both caused by and deepens further socio-economic problems of the country, causing a feedback effect. The article is prepared based on an institutional and legal method (analysis of selected initiatives and the shape of public policies supporting the problem of the refugee crisis of Venezuela); systemic (analysis of the impact of the migration crisis on regional security in Latin America); content analysis (in particular documents and statutes of international organizations and governments); descriptive statistics method (analysis of statistical data related to the scale of the economic crisis of Venezuela and the population affected by the refugee problem). The results of the article indicate that the possibilities of handling the migration crisis are still limited due to the lack of coordination of the actions of the Venezuelan government and international organizations. (shrink)

The immediate post-colonial period offered opportunities as well as formidable challenges for former colonies of European powers. While colonial mentalities still pervaded in many European capitals and paternalism remained pervasive throughout the political diplomacy of the period, other perspectives were emerging. Through innovative policy engagements that occurred in the late 1950s and into the 1960s, a new sense of transnational purpose could be seen which presented former colonies with partnership options that were seemingly and practically outside the context of the (...) historic geo-economic imposition. Whereas some European powers continued to exert overly dismissive attitudes to African engagement and society, other approaches experimented with developmental policies that were lauded by both sides at the time. This article will look at the practice and policies of associationism - the outworking of the Yaounde and Lome agreements - and will look at the formative international cooperation policies of the European Community (EC), as it evolved through the period when former European colonies were attaining independence. Finally, it will survey the reasons for the demise of associationism and speculate on the onset of what some have described as "neo-colonalism" (Langan, 2018: 1-32; Nkrumah, 1965). (shrink)

For many decades Iran was a destination of economic immigration for Afghans. There, they could earn money to provide for their families at home. Since the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in 1979, Iran also became a place of refuge for some 3 million Afghans. Their situation was changing according to the changes in the internal and international position of Iran. Sometimes the Iranian authorities were sympathetic; other times they were fiercely unsympathetic and keen to remove the Afghan "guests." So, the (...) Afghans in Iran could not be sure how long they would be allowed to stay there, if the Iranians would be willing to support them, and if they would have work to provide for their families. This state of uncertainty of the Afghan community was worsened by an outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the Iranian and Afghan healthcare systems are unable to effectively deal with the problem. And the economic collapse in Iran affected primarily the foreigners there of whatever stance, in this particular case, the Afghans. The main aim of the article is to present the changing and unstable situation of Afghans in Iran in recent years. The analysis covers areas such as their legal status, education, family life, or the right to work. It also takes into account, to a limited extent, the internal situation of Iran, which undoubtedly influenced the situation of Afghan migrants. Based on the analysis of the available materials, it can be concluded that the position of the Afghans in Iran was and is strongly dependent on the situation of Iran and the good or bad will of the Iranian authorities. At the same time, due to the complicated situation in Afghanistan, Afghan migrants find themselves in a hopeless situation and are "doomed" to stay in Iran. (shrink)

Public-private partnerships (PPP) as suppliers for public services have been increasingly used as an instrument for improving public policy, mostly when it comes to reducing costs and improving public transport. The purpose of this paper is to carry out a comparative analysis between two metropolitan areas in Mexico and to identify the main causes that explain the performance and difficulties of a hybrid supplying model. The transport sector was chosen not only for its great importance in urban areas but also (...) due to its representativeness to highlight the specificities of PPPs. The Mexican experience has shown that infrastructure projects tend to underestimate their costs and to overestimate their demand, even with supposed formal validation processes. In this sense, even though PPPs have been generally promoted by international organizations, there is a prevailing need to explore the implications and challenges that emerge from this kind of governance tools. Process tracing was conducted as a methodological technique within a comparative approach using qualitative information. (shrink)

The paper examines how the Ghanaian policy environment shapes access inequalities in well-being at old age, utilizing qualitative and quantitative datasets obtained from individuals aged 50+ (n = 230). The results show from older people (70%) that aged policy extensively excludes older adults. This denotes an incomprehensible policy domain that comprises the constitution, social protection policy, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) act, and the national ageing policy. The challenge is the mandatory retirement age is 60 years; while the compartmentalization (...) of the NHIS free healthcare provision is for those aged 70+, the Welfare Card (EBAN) provides access to social amenities, including transportation, to older people 65+ at a discount of 50%. However, older adults are not a homogenous group. These policies address needs of the aged incoherently, with currency across the spheres of social exclusion and inclusion. However, a policy is a key resource, the limitation of which may have dire repercussions, including ageism. This has broader implications for social, economic, political exclusion regarding multi-dimensional facets of healthcare and labor force participation. These are discussed in light of the three pillars of ageing social policy, namely healthcare, paid work, and social care. The paper argues that government policy is skewed towards children, youth, gender, and education, despite older adults' increasing population, without an appreciation for concrete and determinate policies. (shrink)

The prompt development of the world's South and the stagnation in the evolution of the world's North altered the directions of policy diffusion. Up to date, the literature lacks a clear framework that captures these changes. This article contributes to research by offering a Generation Learning Framework to study the new paths of policy and technology dissemination around the globe. Anthropological propositions of Margaret Mead are adapted to capture a higher demand and popularity of the South-South transfers over the less (...) frequent South-North transfers. Illustrating the framework with the examples of South-Korean lesson-drawing, the study concludes that the era of knowledge transfer exclusively from the North to South is over. The proposed framework can be further applied to the fast-growing experiences in the learning practices that take place in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Africa. (shrink)

This paper advocates the use of a Weberian framework in the analysis of the processes of Europeanization of public policies. It focuses on employment policies to explore the "elective affinities" between the European Employment Strategy launched in 1997 and the subsequent elaboration of national reforms reorganizing and strengthening monitoring, surveillance, and sanctions of the unemployed. From this perspective, Europeanization is defined as mutual reinforcement between European policy frames and national reforms than a top-down unilateral relationship of influence.

The approach to identifying practical problems is in the interaction between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the consequences of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, and ways to overcome them by coordinating national institutes' activities in the UK and the EU. The specific research results that characterize the novelty of the study are as follows: it was found that the UK's withdrawal from the EU is a specific form of manifestation of the global tendency to revive elements of (...) isolationism in international economic relations; it was found that the work of the European Commission and the UK government on further cooperation between the EU and the UK can be used to create models of cooperation between the Eastern Partnership countries and the EU in the future. The aim is to study the theoretical and practical foundations of the European integration of the UK in retrospective and modern times to identify problems of cooperation with the EU, a general analysis of the causes and possible consequences of leaving the EU, prospects for further development. (shrink)

The main aim of this paper is to present the impact which the Government Program for Social Participation of Senior Citizens (in Polish: Rządowy Program na rzecz Aktywności Społecznej Osób Starszych; ASOS) for the years 2014-2020 had on the social activation of the elderly in Poland, based on a case study of one project. The first part of the article presents a justification for research concerning the activation of the elderly in Poland. Next, the paper discusses the main objective of (...) ASOS, as well as its significance as the first national-level public intervention for social activation of the elderly in Poland. Then, the effects of ASOS on the social activation of the elderly are analyzed. The analysis is based on a qualitative approach to impact evaluation of the Active Regardless of Age project, which was co-financed by ASOS. Finally, the authors identify a list of various types of outcomes achieved by the project which apply to social activation of the elderly. Moreover, the issue of generalizing the project findings for the entire ASOS is discussed. Finally, the paper presents research results of the Innovative Social Investment: Strengthening Communities in Europe (InnoSI) project funded under the Horizon 2020 Program. (shrink)

The article examines how the perception of gender identities of tenants and owners was constructed in normalizing discourses regarding re-privatization/property restitution in Warsaw in 2004-2016. As a theoretical approach, it applies the feminist post-structuralist perspective developed by Sophie Watson (2000a). The data were collected with discourse analysis, as proposed by Judith Baxter (2008a). The article identifies two discourses pertaining to re-privatization/property restitution in Warsaw: 1) property restitution discourse, under which returning property to former owners (or their heirs) is presented as (...) a moral imperative; and 2) expropriation of tenants discourse, focusing on abuse, fraud and human misfortune stemming from the passage of municipal housing stock to the descendants of former owners. In both discourses, tenants were ascribed a feminine identity, and owners a masculine one (G. Hofstede, G.J. Hofstede, 2007). That affected the tenants' and owners' positions in the housing policy process. (shrink)

This is a review of a book by Sławomir Czech titled Od konfliktu do kooperacji. Instytucjonalizacja konfliktu interesów zbiorowych w szwedzkim modelu gospodarczym [From conflict to cooperation. Institutionalisation of the conflict of collective interests in the Swedish economic model]. The book deals with the so-called 'Swedish model' of the economy. The author claims that while the significance of trade unions is usually magnified in its construction, the role of business organisations is underestimated. He analyses pivotal conflicts between the Swedish Social (...) Democratic Party, the trade unions and the employers' organisation. In the book he puts forward a hypothesis that constructing Swedish economic institutions in concordance with the principles of cooperation and seeking a compromise between the most important pressure groups fostered solutions that were beneficial in terms of economic growth. (shrink)

The Bologna Process indicates that preparation for living as active citizens in a democratic society is one of the main purposes of higher education. Moreover, other relevant European strategies postulate that social competences development in HE graduates as well as the European Qualifications Framework should comprise the pillar of 'competences: autonomy and responsibility'. The United Nations and OECD emphasise the role of education and developing social competences, too. Higher Education Institutions' (HEIs) educational mission involves the transfer of knowledge and skills, (...) as well as shaping the social competences of students. This article aims to show good practices in the development of students' social competences by different HEIs. Based on the cases the findings were formulated that the development and assessment of social competences in HEIs is possible, however, one standardised solution cannot be developed. Diversity is crucial in the presented programmes. Our main recommendation is to create room for debates about social competences in the researched countries and in the whole EHEA. (shrink)

The dissemination of social media and the growing resources of big data create both new opportunities for urban space analysis and new challenges for contemporary policy making. Among the sources useful from this standpoint there are, inter alia, photos posted on Instagram. They can easily become the basis for behavioural analysis of the quality of urban life based on complete sampling and conducted in the method of deskresearch. The article uses photographs published on Instagram for the purpose of exploratory analysis (...) of land use on the examples of five parks located in New York. This makes it possible to determine the nature and ways of perception of selected spaces. (shrink)

The purpose of this article is to verify how museums in Poland deal with the challenge of digital transformation. The proliferation of information and communications technology (ICT) enables the digitization of museum collections and increases their availability to the public. The preservation and popularization of cultural heritage, being an important part of the cultural policy, is a priority for the European Union, resulting in increased funding of digitization initiatives. The study presented in this article is based on a survey performed (...) among a group of leading museums in Poland which are recorded in the State Register of Museums. The results show that museums accept digitization as a crucial element of their activity. 69% of the institutions present some part of their collections online and 94% intend to increase the scope of digitization. However, most institutions share less than 25% of their current collections online despite having a larger part digitized. 83% of museums share their collections exclusively on their own websites or dedicated platforms, and most institutions (62%) observe a positive connection between sharing collections online and the number of physical visits to the museum. The results also show that museums tend to prioritize heritage preservation over collection sharing. (shrink)

Contemporary research exploring the Fair Trade movement does not provide a clear answer whether the overall impact of Fair Trade is positive or negative and what are the real motives of Fair Trade consumers. In the paper we investigate whether the assumptions of selected heterodox schools (feminist, ecological and humanist) fit better to the reality of the Fair Trade movement than those of the neoclassical theory. Although ‘better fitness’ does not necessarily mean ‘better explanation’, the mismatch with reality may constitute (...) an obstacle in identifying a crucial aspect of the researched phenomenon (i.e. Fair Trade), harming explanation of its existence and development. (shrink)

International migration has been a major influence on the economic and social development of nations. Nevertheless, a vast majority of the global population continues to reside in their country of birth. While income/wealth differentials between states create centrifugal forces responsible for migration, impediments to international mobility of human, financial, physical and social capital assets work in the centripetal direction. This paper reviews a large segment of the extant literature on international migration to probe economic influences on people’s international mobility and (...) immobility decisions. It aims to refine and extend the neoclassical foundations of migration theory and to outline how potentially complex decision mechanisms used by potentially mobile economic agents may be modified to simplify the complexity inherent in such choices so that immobility is often a default outcome of indecision. (shrink)

The article focuses on the issue of companies with foreign capital operating in Poland. For this purpose, it outlines the location of companies with foreign capital throughout the country and the directions of foreign capital origin as well as its distribution, export, import and investments of companies operating with it. It puts forward the attractiveness of conducting business in Poland, as compared to the other countries, and assesses the activity of companies with foreign capital.

The international cooperation in the Baltic Sea region, especially between Scandinavian countries, has a very long tradition that has impacted significantly on institutionalization of regional international relations. The current European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is the first macro-regional strategy within the EU, based on the earlier regional experience. Its main goal is strengthening cooperation in this region and promoting sustainable development in order to meet common challenges. The Strategy has brought better coordination and effectiveness of the existing (...) cooperation and turned out to be a very efficient and successful tool. Until spring 2014 the Baltic Sea Region was perceived as a model region for successful transformation, close regional cooperation, trade and inclusive security. However, it is now facing new challenges connected with changing political situation (EU-Russia relations, Brexit, migrations, etc.). The rules and forms of the governance in the Baltic Sea Region have appeared to be effective and sufficient in successfully addressing economic, social and political challenges. This is the answer to the question if there is any evidence to acknowledge the rules, forms and ways of cooperation as a model which possibly could be followed elsewhere. As a result, the EU has introduced three more macro-regional strategies. (shrink)

The rise in power has been a very important issue in geopolitics, and power politics is, moreover, a major mode of operation in geopolitics. The Author conducts a preliminary analysis on how Taiwan confronts China’s setting up of the AIIB and forming of the “One Belt One Road” strategy as well as the geopolitical strategy and strategic thinking it has represented in the region. The article gives an in-depth insight into China’s setting up of the AIIB along with its considerations (...) and discuss its implicit thinking of national interests. (shrink)

Since the 2004 enlargement the European Union has reiterated the need to deepen its relations with its eastern neighbours and work out a coherent European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) to maintain the relations with its eastern and southern neighbours. In March 2009 the European Council unanimously expressed its support for the 'ambitious Eastern Partnership project which has become a part of its ENP and covered eastern neighbourhood countries. The aims and mechanisms of the Eastern Partnership are described in the joint declaration (...) of the E. U. member states and the partner countries. The Partnership offers more to those who show greater progress in reforming their institutions to E. U. standards. According to the authors, the main benefit of this project is the progressive integration of the partner countries with the E. U. structures. The Eastern Partnership project was allocated a budget of 1.9 billion Euros for the 2010-2013 time period. That budget was approved by the European Commission and the money was committed through the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). The sum includes the funds for the programmes and initiatives of the Partnership of multilateral character as well as the funds for cooperation with particular partner countries that meet the main goals of the EP. (shrink)

The article concerns the comparison of two cases of non-confrontational asymmetry in international relations: between Taiwan and the United States and between Poland and the United States. The author explores the differences and the common elements of both situations. The outcome provides a background for comparative studies concerning not only the international situation of Taipei and Warsaw, but also an introduction to comparative approaches concerning political developments in Eastern Europe and East Asia.

The paper aims to discuss the reasons, and the dynamics of the Sunflower Movement in Taiwan. The Author looks for answers to the questions why the students occupied the Legislative Yuan, why their actions got so many people’s support as well as what reasons can explain these developments and what kind of impact such actions would bring about, particularly the impact on the citizens’ movement.

The political events that took place at the end of 2003 in Georgia, in 2004 in Ukraine and in 2005 in Kyrgyzstan are popularly called the Rose, Orange and Tulip Revolution or collectively: the Colour Revolutions in the post-Soviet space. At first glance the term "revolution" may seem appropriate. The Colour Revolutions have resulted in the regime change in all the three states. However, from a decade-long perspective one may notice that the revolutionary changes in the political systems of Georgia, (...) Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan did not actually take place. The post-revolutionary reality: the Russian-Georgian war and criminal charges against the revolutionary Georgian President Micheil Saakashvili, the infamous ending to the political career of the revolutionary leader Victor Yushchenko just four year after the Orange Revolution and the spectacular collapse of the Victor Yanukovych regime, which led to a hybrid warfare with Russia, or Kyrgyzstan's permanent political instability following the revolutionary events of 2005 require yet another insight into what has happened in Tbilisi, Kiev, and Bishkek. Without an in-depth analysis of the events, it is impossible to understand the fundamental social and political dynamics of the ongoing and future changes in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus or Central Asia. The re-evaluation of the Colour Revolutions is not only of historical importance, though. It is also a universal lesson concerning the most important challenge that all the democratic social movements active in the authoritarian or post-authoritarian states have to face: how to manage large-scale civil disobedience protests of a disappointed society while the ruling governments do not follow democratic rules and the international community does not fully comprehend the significance of the ongoing changes. (shrink)

The paper addresses the issue of the election to the European Parliament in Poland. The authors discuss the electoral regulations and the institutional background to the election.They put the 2014 election against the historic background of the 2004 and 2009 elections to the European Parliament. The authors emphasise that the most important challenge in terms of the elections is the low turnout. The major reasons for the state of affairs are the low quality of the knowledge of the European institutions (...) and the social discontent of the Polish citizens with the economic and political situation both in Europe and Poland. (shrink)

After the Cold War, international politics and economy of the Asia-Pacific region has changed tremendously. Regional economic integration accelerates up with the rapid increase of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements between regional countries, whereas regional security is continually confronted with conflict flashpoints, including regional maritime sovereignty disputes. This article provides the recent development of regional economy and security with emphasis on maritime disputes in East China Sea and South China Sea and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (...) (RCEP) and discusses the possible challenges to Taiwan in these issues. (shrink)

The political discourse in Poland in the final years before the fall of communism in 1989, was based on a strong opposition between the authorities and the rest of society. Even then, however, support for the opposition was not unanimous, and it was even less so in previous years. Most Poles considered the communist system forced, exogenous, oppressive, unacceptable, and supported by the Soviet threat. Still, individual reactions were varied: there were different paths to be taken through communism. The authors (...) of the paper discuss how these paths contributed to differing recollections of the period. They focus on the collective memory of political parties and politicians, particularly on the controversial question of collaborating with the communist regime and the rights to veteran status among the former opposition members. It is a story of two types of memory: the one stressing reconciliation and the other pushing the distinction between former regime representatives and democratic opposition members. (shrink)

The article attempts to describe Taiwan's progress and a difficult position in practicing transitional justice during its democratic process. The first section reviews Taiwan's democratic progress and the impact on the implementation of transitional justice caused by a regime transition type. The second section describes Taiwan's authoritarian rule period, from February 28 Incident to the White Terror's political types of political cases. The third section analyses the reasons for Taiwan's unfinished transitional justice. The article claims that during Taiwan's political engineering (...) of transitional justice, compensation for the victims was almost the only act of it and at the same time lacking legal or moral prosecution of the inflictors and the truth discovery. Taiwan has never had an opportunity to reflect on the damage caused by the system of the authoritarian rule, so that many inflictors or cooperators of the system have continued to serve in the democratized government in key positions, which has resulted in the prevailing phenomenon of impunity. Such a handling mode to compensate the victims, not willing to investigate the inflictors and seeking the historical truth, cannot solve the crime left by the authoritarian era alone, but it can also bring about a serious crisis of democratic governance in Taiwan. (shrink)

This paper conducts an analysis of the implementation of the new electoral system (single-district, two-votes system) in practice in 2008. It is focused on the research of two aspects: first, the voter’s awareness of the new electoral system; second, the impact of the new electoral system on the political party system. In the research methods, this article combines the analysis of an individual survey data and information on the election results, trying to find an answer to the question about Taiwan’s (...) voters knowledge of the electoral system situation, the factors that affect the knowledge of the electoral system, as well as the issues of the new electoral system’s impact on the change and development of the political party system. The research has found out that: Taiwan’s voter awareness of the current electoral system is not high. The further research into the relations between the knowledge of the electoral system and the voting choice, as well as the control of other possible factors of influence, showed that the voters who have a more correct and clear understanding of the electoral system have the tendency to vote for small parties. From the results of the general information, the practice of the electoral system indeed led to the decline in pluralistic views. The number of effective parties in the parliament has significantly decreased to that one before restructuring. The new electoral system has made survival difficult for small parties, while the rate of the wasted vote in the regional constituency increased dramatically, making it more difficult to represent pluralistic views.These possible problems caused by the new electoral system, also triggered reactions and initiatives among the domestic public concerning the reform of the electoral system in 2015. (shrink)

This article aims at discussing the values and principles of the so called AGILE management (AGILE methodologies) in the context of public policy making. In particular, an effort is put into answering the question on the possibility of including the AGILE values and principles in the conduct of policy making. Known from the IT sector, AGILE methodologies have been lately drawing more attention of public policy makers in the world. This approach seems to have a big advantage over hitherto applied (...) modes of public operation, as it allows for a quicker adaptation of policies to changes of the environment. At the same time however, it seems to pose much bigger challenges on policy making bodies, as it requires a strong capacity for regulating diversity throughout the policy making processes in real time. (shrink)

Constructivism is the most dynamically evolving concept in the sociology of social problems. The research projects based on this paradigm, especially those dedicated to corruption, provide valuable insights and opportunities to formulate conclusions on the nature of this phenomenon, which would be difficult to derive from other theoretical traditions. The main purpose of this paper is to show how a constructivist approach might be used to better understand the nature of modern corruption, and why one of the most popular solutions (...) nowadays, anti-corruption agencies (ACAs), so often fail. The author’s main argument is that one of the most important reasons why the ACAs fail is strongly related to how a social problem of corruption is constructed. (shrink)

In search of the starting points of the title concept one can focus on the EU law as a broadly viewed basis encompassing the accession of the states to the European Union, thus their membership. In this context the following important question may be asked, i.e. where we obtain the knowledge of the European Union. Referring to the juridical correlation in place, we would then say that the answer lies in the respective treaty of the primary law of the EU (...) It goes without saying that this answer is not subject to doubt. However, the answer itself does not prove comprehensive when we differentiate the foundation of the European Union, then the formal membership, and its development affiliation. Generally speaking, the first two areas legitimise the above presented 'from where' in a different way from the way it is subject to legitimisation in the third area. The particle gains in importance as we still tend to (ultimately) explain the development of the European Union through the European legislation. One can apply this approach, yet one should also bear in mind that such action proves, above all, one-sided. The action primarily proves anti-developmental as it finds itself unable to shed light on the EU in the numerous aspects of its functioning. For the reasons given above, the main thesis of the paper is that, in the methodological ways of examining the thought, the European Union should be subject to examination through the EU as a community, i.e. the EU within the EU To help exemplify the reasoning, I applied the familiar inter, which is broadly applied in the methodologies of science. I ascribe the generation of new concepts to it, the ones that allow to examine the complex structures of the EU, and through the examination it is hoped to coin new postulates that concern the steering of the EU as a way of practice. Undoubtedly, the inter is reconstructed on grounds of the up-to-date knowledge of itself. Only then do we conceptualise it, and arising out of this conceptualisation, we would reconstruct the postulates aimed at the EU, yet not in the narrow-juridical categories as the EU law does not exhibit a separately differentiated theory. (shrink)

The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of the existing studies concerning the phenomenon of public trust in government. Low trust in government has been frequently defined as a key problem influencing the policy process in many countries. The economic crises reinforced the importance of trust and triggered public debates on the necessary reforms of the public sector. The paper examines the key theories and research conducted by social scientists with a particular emphasis on the role of (...) trust in risk societies. The review of the existing literature concentrates on the drivers of trust, showing the importance of two interlinked logics: the logic of consequences (the performance approach) and the logic of appropriateness (the process approach). The first one explains trust as a result of outputs and outcomes of government policies and services. The logic of appropriateness claims that trust is built on values and identity and depends on the adoption by governments the rules of integrity, openness, responsiveness and transparency. Trust in government is also deeply rooted in a broader system of rules, norms and values known as the trust culture. The last part of the paper is an attempt to trace an impact of an economic crisis on public trust. Studies of public opinion do not fully confirm the opinions on low trust and a decline in trust in government and trust in public administration in times of crisis. Some studies reveal considerable fluctuations of public trust in selected countries. In other countries, the public evaluation of government and public administration is high and there are only slight modifications in citizens' perception of the government. (shrink)

At the beginning of Poland's post-socialist economic and political transformation, the then President of Poland and icon of Poland's struggle for democracy, Lech Wałęsa, declared, referring to Poland's economy, that we should build "a second Japan". The statement has since been ridiculed on a number of occasions, as Japan represented a great economic success, but nevertheless achieved in an entirely different historical, systemic and, most importantly, cultural environment. The Poles looked West at a narrow range of systemic arrangements and policies (...) as the solutions to their post-socialist underdevelopment and never really considered other options. (shrink)

The article is about the selected and current problems of the Central and Eastern European foreign policy of the Slovak Republic. This state, like other small in terms of territory Central European countries, due to the actual position held as a player in international relations, it cannot influence the decisions of the other states, i.e. more powerful participants. In this respect, it seems interesting which analysed activities of the Slovak foreign policy are now a priority. The content analysis of the (...) source documents and the results of operations of the Slovak government allows us to make a distinction between 'declared priorities "and" real priorities". The first shall be adopted officially, among others, by virtue of the Slovak Republic's membership in the Euro-Atlantic structures, and the latter are the result of an independent assessment of international affairs and strive to highlight the important role of the Slovak Republic in this area. In the case of the first group of priorities a very clear duality of attitudes can also be seen, which makes you think about the real objectives, especially in the Eastern European dimension of the foreign policy that the current government of the Slovak Republic aims to meet. (shrink)

According to the predictions, the scale and rate of economic processes that are about to come in the next decades of the 21st century will be substantial. A further growth of Australia's importance is to be expected in the long term. The whole region of Asia, including Australia, has become interesting for politicians, entrepreneurs and researchers. In the 21st century, Australia has grown to be a significant player in the global economic policy. It seems that the economic future of the (...) world will depend on the development of the countries in Asia. The economic situation in Australia will arguably change as some countries in that region have reached a satisfactory level of production and share in their developed economy. Economic presumptions delineate an optimistic view of the income’s growth in the next decade in Australia. The statistics published by reliable both national and international institutions are helpful in unraveling economic issues, which allow to portray the bright future of Australia until 2025. It seems that the regional economic development will lead to a significant economic revival. The following issues concerning the economic policy and its results have been chosen in order to conduct an analysis: GDP per capita, economic growth, demography, the input of nations and regions in the world’s production and the contribution of Australia in the world’s trade. The substantial number of inhabitants (over a half of the globe’s population) in this region is at the same time a serious proportion of consumers. The ongoing transformation in the life of those countries is the effect of education, communication and technology development. Thereupon, due to the economic and social development of the region, Australia will become its beneficiary and solidify its economic position. (shrink)

The author describes the specific features of public policy process at the European Union level and its differences related to policy-making at national level. He underlines, among other things that the policy agenda in the European Union is being shaped differently. At the national level the agenda is under greater influence of politicians who are closely interconnected with voters. At the European Union level the technocratic (not directly elected) European Commission has a monopoly of legislative initiative. Furthermore, at the European (...) level feasibility studies - as an element of the pre-decision stage in public policy-making - tend to be ignored. In nation-states we can see such analyses as a result of competition taking place between those who rule and their political opposition. At the European Union level it is not the case. The author points out that these mechanisms would have been beneficial for the EU member states. They would have halted the implementation of decisions which ran the excessive risk. He has also in mind the decision related to the introduction of the monetary union. In his opinion, this decision was made without a proper feasibility analysis (costs and profits). Basically, the decision on a common currency was made on political rather than substantive grounds. A large number of experts were against the idea as they perceived serious risks involved in it. The supporters of greater European integration ignored the fact that the monetary union deprived nation-states of many factors that affected the economic development in a positive way. The point is that they were under influence of "total optimism" expecting only good results of the monetary union. The mechanisms of crisis management, including exit scenario from the monetary union, or methods of supporting those members who need financial aid, have not been even created. Furthermore, the evaluation of the monetary union was not properly carried out as it was based on the assessment of the process (for example, smooth introduction of euro notes and coins or phasing out of the national currencies in 2002) and not of its results. (shrink)

Political systems of various states are currently described as the rule of law states, lawabiding states, democratic states ruled by law, lawful states, or law-governed states? Mostly, it is noticed that the states ruled by law are characterized by the fact that the power is exercised by the set of abstract principles which govern the conduct of all people (a general norm) by equal rules, in opposition to the state governed by people (the order of an individual or group of (...) individuals). Such a state acts on the basis of law and within its limits. The above statement corresponds with the apprehension of the law-abiding state. The law observing state is formally characterized by functioning on the basis of, and within the limits of law whereas its substantial dimension means that the law is equal (equal for everyone). This description is not sufficient to characterize the rule of the law state. It is only a fragment of even broader concept of the democratic state ruled by law. (shrink)

The institution of the president exists in the majority of the countries of the western world. Depending on the prerogatives granted by the constitution, the president may perform either a representative function or have the real power. No matter what the role of the president is, the position is deeply embedded in the political system, and the constitutional law as well as political practice specify its scope of competencies and capabilities. When we go beyond the Euro-Atlantic area, we can also (...) find the states where an office of president is run. While its formation, Asian, African and South American societies, consciously or not, usually emulated the Euro-Atlantic experiences. In general, historical background of the non-European states, however, makes the history of the presidential office shorter, and the introduction of this position was often a result of violent sociopolitical changes. What often distinguishes the presidencies of the African and Asian countries from the Euro-Atlantic ones is their instability - in running this office a lot depends on the personality traits of the person holding it as well as on the tradition (or lack thereof) of strong central governance. On that premise, the presidency history of a non-European state, i.e. Afghanistan can be presented. This is an interesting case since the above mentioned factors are clearly visible in here, and the state's internal political situation is unstable. In addition, as the international forces are supposed to be withdrawn from the country until the end of 2014, the president may then become the main body formulating public policy and, thus, shaping the future of Afghanistan. (shrink)

The aim of the paper is to evaluate the changes that have taken place in the Polish banking sector over the last 25 years as well as to find the answers to the two following questions, i.e. whether the Polish banking sector has managed to withstand competition since Poland's accession to the European Union and how it has managed to weather the storm of the recent global financial crisis. The examination of the aforementioned topics along with the analysis of the (...) present condition of the Polish banking sector enable to identify the most significant challenges faced by the banks operating in Poland. One of the challenges will undoubtedly be Poland's accession to the euro area, which will largely change the functioning of the Polish banking system as well as its institutional structure. (shrink)

Arising with a higher frequency economic crises over the last decades coupled with the deteriorating situation in the public finances have not always been caused by wrong decisions taken by the public authorities or their mismanagement. The crises of confidence in financial institutions in numerous countries combined with crises of confidence in the state spur to look for new solutions in the public institutions management and their relationship with the national and international environment. The concept of open government (OGP) fits (...) into this trend. It is, in a sense, a new, although for some countries only a modernized way of organizing activities and institutions in a state that uses digital technology and communication tools in order to increase the participation of citizens in governance at all levels and decision-making. In addition, it is assumed that the knowledge and involvement of citizens can be used to effectively solve problems both at central and local levels. In the article the author tries to explicitly point out that while the Open Government Partnership initiative should be assessed positively, it cannot be regarded as a panacea for contemporary problems in management of the state and communication with the public. The mere membership does not guarantee to streamline the procedures, mechanisms, institutions and society involvement in public life. These specific actions aimed at increasing transparency, efficiency and cooperation as well as participation of citizens are an indicator of change. And these can be undertaken within the framework of the Partnership, as well as outside of it. (shrink)

In the times of discrediting neo-liberalism as the preferred guiding doctrine in economic policy and systemic arrangements, the industrial policy, understood as a set of state interventions to supervise the process of developmental advancements, may come back to the fore as a favoured instrument. It is the East Asian industrial policy which brought by far the most spectacular developmental results in the second half of the twentieth century. In the scholarly literature on the so-called East Asian miracle, this success is (...) explained by the concept of the developmental state. This paper examines the main threads of the East Asian industrial policy and tackles the issue of its contemporary applicability. It starts with the explanation as to why industrial policy as such is becoming more popular. It then examines the history of the formation of the concept of the developmental state. It analyses its most important elements, mainly, the strategy of imitating and innovating, the targeting of industrial sectors for development, the trade policy and the utilisation of subsidies. In conclusion, it is claimed that the provisions of the East Asian industrial policy may well be employed contemporarily, despite the fact that the concept of developmental state is primarily seen as a historical phenomenon. (shrink)

This paper discusses the demographic potential of France in the late 20th and early 21st century. The research question concerning its demographic situation is answered through the in-depth description, analysis and assessment of the country's demographic resources in the period between 1991 and 2013, with respect to France excluding Mayotte or to metropolitan France. Due to the extensive and complex nature of the subject matter, the aspects of the demographic situation in France analysed in this paper have been chosen based (...) on their relevance. Therefore, the paper consists of three main parts: population statistics and fluctuations in country's demographic structure, vital statistics (natality, fertility and mortality, excluding the question of marriages and divorces), as well as international migrations with a strong focus on the immigration to France. To sum up, the demographic situation in France is relatively optimistic when compared to other European countries (as exemplified by the rising total population figure, being the second most populated state in the EU, having positive natural increase rate and migration rate, approaching the threshold of generation renewal). The ageing of the population is one of the major demographic challenges for France; yet it is progressing at a slower pace than in the rest of Europe. Given its demographic situation, France actively seeks to define Europe-wide policy, for instance with respect to regulating international migrations. (shrink)

European nations may expect years of positive transformation in the next half of the second decade of the 21st century, just after decades of economic and social instability. Such transformation would involve social, political and structural changes stimulated by societies’ deep motivation and well defined expectations with regard to social and health issues. In this new (and soon to come) era of transformation, fulfilment of superior goals should serve the unity of the EU as well as joint internal and external (...) safety. While using the cohesion policy as a tool to achieve those goals, policymakers must take all those new conditions into consideration. Effective support by means of detailed and complementary regional programs/ projects is surely required. Based on the above, we have to once more interpret the definition of regionalization. We must also demonstrate new dimensions of regionalization in relation to the cohesion policy. (shrink)