Public Administration Policy Research Articles

МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНІ ПІДХОДИ ДО ОЦІНЮВАННЯ ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ПОДАТКОВИХ ПІЛЬГ ТА ПРАКТИКА ЇХ ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ

Tax benefits, considering their consequences for the economy and the budget system, are the most controversial element of any tax. Therefore, policy decisions on the introduction of new, continued use or abolition of existing tax benefits should be based on reliable information about their expected or actual effectiveness and efficiency. The purpose of this article is to define methodological approaches to assessing the use of tax benefits as a prerequisite for improving the soundness of tax policy and effectiveness of public administration of the financial system. The article, based on the analysis of Western literature sources, considers methodological approaches to assessing the use of tax benefits in the context of their effectiveness (achievement of goals and fulfillment of the conditions for granting, impact on the behavior of economic agents and results of their activity), efficiency (comparison of benefits and costs) and relative efficiency (comparison of the effectiveness of tax benefits and other policy instruments), as well as evaluation methods and tools. The practical application of these methodological approaches is considered on the example of investment and innovation incentives for corporate income tax and VAT incentives (reduced tax rate on labor-intensive services). The author notes that the assessment of consequences of the introduction of tax benefits can be provided using methods of comparative analysis of the behavior of the beneficiary company before and after the introduction of the tax incentive; survey of the company's managers on how the tax benefit affected certain aspects of their behavior (investment decisions, implementation of R&D, employment and remuneration policies, etc.); and econometric analysis. According to the results of the study, it was is concluded that ultimately the choice of an the approach to assessing the application of tax benefits, as well as methods and tools of analysis is determined by the available information base in open sources and access to non-public information. In addition, the reliability of the results of evaluation of the application of tax benefits substantially depends on compliance with the requirements and procedures during their implementation, in particular, the definition of objectives and, if necessary, the conditions of their granting, as well as the quality and the completeness of accounting of the provided benefits. The latter, as well as the availability of the necessary information and its disclosure is one of the main problems in assessing the application of tax benefits in countries with transition economy.

State transformations and welfare models: the significance of the return of public institutions in Ecuador of the Citizen Revolution (2007–2017)

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relation between estate transformations produced during the governments of the Citizen Revolution (CR) in Ecuador (2007-2017) and welfare regime transformations.Design/methodology/approachThe CR’s project registers an array of specificities that make it a relevant case study to understand it. Among them, it articulated the transformation of the development model with a comprehensive state reform: emphasized both the modernization of the state and the productive structure, and the creation of the basic pillars of a welfare state. The ambitious project materialized in an ambivalent manner, revealing accomplishments and limitations.FindingsThe recovery of resources for the state, the efficient organization of resources, decentralization and deconcentration processes, public administration transformations and policy de-corporatization processes accompanied and even propelled important achievements in the social sphere in terms of decommodification, stratification, commodification and defamiliarization. Ecuador’s starting point, as a small and impoverished country with pubic and communal goods and services dismantled through neoliberal reforms, was quite precarious. But, progress was made. Beyond the identified limitations, its accomplishments must be highlighted because they are novel in comparison to other progressive government experiences, especially in the context of Central Andean countries.Originality/valueThis article vindicates the need to link state transformation processes to welfare regime transformations, as well as the academic literature that informs both fields. The description of what took place in Ecuador in the field of social welfare during the ten years of the CR continues to confirm the theoretical potential of the concept of welfare regime with the necessary translations and appropriations that allow for the analysis of countries in the region. It enables an approach to a more theoretically and methodologically elusive object that is at the same time tremendously potent in analytical terms and in its contributions to social transformations. An object that alludes to areas gravely affected during neoliberal hegemony, linked to public institutionality, state capacity and state autonomy. This is why everything that affects the state and the management of public goods and services must be incorporated into the analysis.

Muers, Stephen (2020). Culture and Values at the Heart of Policy Making. An Insider's Guide. Bristol: Policy Press.

This book is a forceful and entertaining argument why culture and values should be taken much more seriously, both by policy makers, but also in the curricula of modern Public Policy and Public Administration programs. The author is not a fundamental sceptic of managerial politics and administration, but he shows the inherent limits, contradictions, and blind spots of this kind of policy making. He succeeds particularly well because he can draw on many years of experience as a civil servant in different British ministries, in the Cabinet Office and the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit. The book adds little to the conceptual and theoretical discussions of cultural factors in policy making, but it does provide many interesting examples of their significance and why it is dangerous to ignore them. It should be read by students in advanced public policy and public administration programs, who should find it helpful to see the technical solutions to all sorts of policy problems in a somewhat more realistic light.

Equity in Public Services: A Systematic Literature Review

AbstractSince the New Administration perspective was introduced by Dwight Waldo, equity has played a key role in public administration and public policy studies. Much research has focused on employment, politics, jurisprudence, voting and many other issues, while neglecting the role of public services. As gross societal inequities in the world still abound, this article aims at mapping the structure of the knowledge on equity in public services as well as the main conceptualizations and determinants of equity. Quantitative (bibliometrix) and qualitative (narrative) analyses are combined in the analysis of 145 articles from 69 journals. The greatest concentration areas and main drivers of equity (i.e., representative bureaucracy, administrative burden, horizontal and vertical decentralization, privatization, co‐production and performance management) are identified. The review contributes to the advancement of social equity in public administration scholarship and practice by improving the conceptual clarity of the term and by mapping the various literature streams.

Le Centre Public Administration and Public Policies (CAPP) de l’Université de Lisbonne

Le Centro de Administracao e Politicas Publicas (ou The Centre for Public Administration and Public Policies) (CAPP) de l’Universite de Lisbonne, cree en 2001, est actuellement dirige par Miguel Pereira Lopes. Organise en trois groupes de recherche (Societe, communication et culture ; Pouvoir, administration et politiques publiques ; Ressources humaines et comportement organisationnel), le CAPP compte au total 157 chercheurs, dont 143 titulaires d’un doctorat. Ceux-ci appartiennent principale...

How managers and students view public service: The theoretical vs. practical divide

This paper examines existing management concepts and practices that make up three contemporary approaches to public policy and public administration. We attempt to understand whether municipal public administrators and public administration graduate students validate these perspectives in “reality” versus “ideally.” Addressing the extent to which practicing public administrators and students identify with theoretical frameworks, which one(s) they deem most prominent, and how closely their preferred frameworks correspond to what they see in practice, we offer an exploratory analysis of results from 176 respondents through descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-tests, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). We hypothesize significant differences with respect to 1) what is preferred and what is perceived in the workplace, 2) group membership (administrator, graduate student, or undergraduate student), and 3) gender (female or male). This research will help public administration educators bridge the gap between theory and practice and narrow the distance between the “is” and the “ought.”

Behavioural governance in the policy process: introduction to the special issue

ABSTRACT Research adopting an interdisciplinary, behavioural perspective on Public Policy and Public Administration is booming. Yet there has been little integration into mainstream public policy scholarship. Behavioural public administration (BPA) and behavioural public policy (BPP) have emerged largely as two disconnected subfields. We propose the overarching term ‘behavioural governance’ to refer to the cognitive and decision processes through which decision-makers, implementing actors and target populations shape and react to public policies and to each other, as well as the impacts of these processes on individual and group behaviour. To allow an integrative perspective, this introductory essay discusses how a behavioural perspective can deepen understanding of different phases of the policy process. We connect insights from a long established public policy and administration scholarship which has not always been self-defined as ‘behavioural’ with more recent studies adopting a more explicitly behavioural perspective, including those in this Special Issue from varied national contexts.

The Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Responses from Various Policy Actors in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 2020: An Introduction to a Special Issue

Hundreds of thousands of articles related to COVID-19 have been published worldwide, and many of them have focused on public administration and public policy aspects related to this pandemic. Certainly, the general lack of relevant knowledge and necessary experience for a robust governance strategy and evidence-based policy-making became a global problem in 2020. This is certainly the case for all countries of the Central and Eastern European region, including the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This gap in research perspectives needs to be filled because of the enormous public policy challenges raised due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SciPap is an international academic journal of regional importance, and this special issue aims to contribute some answers to present research shortcomings and the lack of inputs for evidence-based policy-making. More precisely, this special issue is focused on public policies and responses of various actors to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 2020.

Tsyfrova transformatsiia sfery hromadskoho zdorovia v Ukraini

Currently, coronavirus infection is spreading around the world. Public health professionals need to develop new tools to ensure the epidemiological safety of citizens. First of all, it concerns the implementation of public health policy and health culture at the intersectoral level. Big data analytics, smart solutions for COVID-19 vaccination and morbidity monitoring, mobile applications to monitor the movement and contact of individuals, personal smart devices, cyberphysical technologies, and smart city infrastructure help in this regard. Scientific works of researchers are devoted to the impact of the digital economy on the development of society, the application digital communications in the activities of public authorities, the peculiarities of the formation of digital culture, cybersecurity and e-democracy. NGO’s experts offer their projects of digital transformation in the country, including in the field of health care. The issue of electronic tools in the field of public health and related public policy has not yet been addressed in recent scientific publications. The purpose of the article is to find out the current state of digital transformation in public administration and politics of Ukraine and the world, to determine further effective areas of application of IT tools in the field of public health policy. The article examines domestic laws and regulations in the field of e-government. Alternative projects of digital transformation of Ukraine proposed by public organizations are analyzed. It is established that at the national level, the foundations of digital transformation in the field of health care and public health in particular have been formed. The author of the article records a private initiative of professional associations of ICT specialists, the desire and efforts of the third sector in the direction of dynamic development of digitalization of health care. Regions and local communities at the united territorial communities’ level are not sufficiently covered by digital development. The directions of digitalization of public administration and public policy are proposed. Thus, the use of digital and mobile jobs in the public sector and in local governments will bring employees closer to society; will enable them to perform quality service functions, including health care. E-government tools are one of the leading positions in public policy-making. Today, Ukraine has laid the foundations for the digital transformation of public administration and public policy. The necessary legislative and regulatory framework for the development of e-government has been developed, including in terms of morbidity prevention, monitoring and assessment of public health, promotion of healthy lifestyles, anti-epidemiological measures, formation of health culture and development of health-preserving regional and local visions. However, the problem of further development at the regional level of public health remains. There are not enough funds in local budgets and experienced staff. Further research should focus on aspects of human-centred, humanistic public health policy, especially in quarantine.

Policy Responses and Social Solidarity Imperatives to Respond the COVID-19 Pandemic Socioeconomic Crises in Ethiopia

BackgroundThe study evaluated the public administration’s policy responses and imperatives of social solidarity to reduce the havoc caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has not only posed a serious health threat but also brought economic, sociocultural and psychological crises to human beings all over the world. The study was conducted to give a clear picture of the COVID-19 pandemic socioeconomic crises in Ethiopia and policy responses given as well as the imperatives of social organizations in Ethiopia to tackle these challenges.PurposeThis article aimed to explore the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the socio-economic activities of Ethiopia and evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of the policy response given by the public administration vis-à-vis the role of social solidarity to reduce the calamity of the pandemic.MethodsQualitative research approach has been used and data were analyzed using narration, description, and exploration analysis method.ResultsThe findings of the study revealed that the policy responses given by the public administration and the solidarity of social organizations played great role in minimizing the socio-economic crises that the pandemic entailed. Policy responses had limitations and lack of appropriate institutional implementation platforms.ConclusionThe policy responses given by the public administration to alleviate the socio-economic crises caused by the pandemic have both success and limitations. Social organizations played a paramount role in alleviating the COVID-19 socio-economic crises on vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

Epidemiology, pattern and prevalence of alcohol consumption in India: need for public health action

As we enter the year 2021, health and population related data related to the pattern, prevalence and epidemiological dimensions of alcohol consumption and its harmful use in Indian sub-continent needs time bound update. A non-systematic narrative review was attempted to identify consistent scientific and gray literature on the prevalence, pattern and repercussions on the alcohol consumption status among Indian adults and children. As the nation has no unified data system on the substance use behaviour of it's residents, the review involved inclusion of the latest research articles from each state/ union territory being collected from an active search from PubMed, Google scholar and Europe PMC. Prevalence of alcohol consumption in India ranged from 10% to 60% with a predominant male predilection in agreement with previous studies. Peer pressure was perceived to be the most influential factor in promoting alcohol use with social occasions, urban background, family celebrations and ‘staying away from family’ playing additional role. Mere awareness of alcohol related complications was not assessed in most of the research items. Public health and administrative policies need to be focussed strongly reducing the free availability of alcohol among diverse geographical regions of the country. Policies and programmes are likely to be more effective if population heterogeneity is considered, and do address the wide range of modifiable risk and promoting factors at individual, community and social levels. Bringing public awareness with conventional and newer digital media will be contributive for both social and national productivity.

Teaching an economics capstone course with a policy focus

This article’s authors offer an organizational framework for an economics capstone course focused on analyzing current public economic policy issues. In this course, thesis topics often include public issues such as city planning, health care, transportation, education, law, the environment, and monetary and fiscal policies. The authors provide practical guidance on the development and organization of such a policy course, discuss course assignments and assessment tools, and offer advice on how to deal with potential challenges. They argue that a properly designed policy-oriented capstone course is well-suited for facilitating students’ achievement of most of the highest Hansen’s proficiencies in economics. It also may help students to gain a head start in a career in the related fields of public policy and public administration.

Guidelines to Improve Public Service Administration for Thailand Reform: Reflections from the Northeast

This research is based on a synthesis from a reconciliation forum for the country’s reform in Khon Kaen province, northeast Thailand. The purpose of the study is to identify conflicts and development issues in the area; investigate the need for reform in various sectors at both local and national levels, and explore alternatives or guidelines to improve public service administration for the country's reform. Data was collected using qualitative research tools including focus group, dialogue, and open-ended questionnaires. The target groups consisting of 3,200 people who is living in Khon Kaen province and other 204 professionals consisting of 61 representatives from the government sector, 39 from the private sector, 33 from education sector, 22 from in the political sector and 49 from civil society sector. The results revealed that in order to diminish conflicts, reconciliation must occur at both the community and the national level. In addition, many aspects of public service administration and public policy must also be reformed; especially those involved in politics and political institutions, ethical standards of politicians and government officials, Criminal Justice System and administration, systematic corruption, education system, economic structure and income distribution; information and data management, as well as other issues stem from inequality in the society.

AN OVERVIEW OF PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS MASTERS PROGRAMS

The paper presents research on the content of postgraduate programs in the field of public policy at leading European universities. Based on previous research, more than 80 courses are classified in four areas: economic analysis, research methods, public administration, and public policy, in order to obtain a typical master program in public policy analysis. The programs mostly emphasize research methods and public policy theory and application with somewhat lower presence of economic analysis and public management. The results of the research can be used for the purpose of formulating new postgraduate programs at universities in Serbia.

MPA/MPP programmes and the future of work: Does MPA curriculum align with civil service requirements

In recent decades civil services worldwide have experienced exogenous forces that are transforming their work and workplace. In turn, these changes are altering the skills set associated with civil service employment. As professional degrees oriented towards careers in civil service these changes can have important ramifications on the curriculum. Focusing on member schools of the Canadian Association of Programmes in Public Administration (CAPPA) our research explores whether and how the postgraduate public administration and public policy programmes (MPA and MPP) curriculum has adapted to changes in the natural labour market for their graduates. Our threefold findings are that: A lack of alignment exists between the MPA/MPP currently taught and the requirements of civil services; a recognition by programme heads that some degree of curriculum alignment is indeed necessary; and that engagement between schools and civils services exists, but is typically informal and conducted through intermediary bodies. Our findings further highlight the necessity for civil services to engage with MPA and MPP programmes to ensure that future civil servants possess the skills relevant at a time of significant change in the nature of work.

THE CONCEPT OF THE DIGITAL STATE: DEFINITION, NATURE, STRUCTURE, AND ONTOLOGY

The article studies the phenomenon and concept of the digital state. The author reveals the general concept and importance of digitalization in public administration. The article explains the problems of relevant interpretation and the limits of applicability of the concept to the system of public administration. The author considers methods, approaches, and prospects for improving the efficiency of public administration in the context of the digitalization of society and puts forward his concept for the term “digital government”. Using methods of analysis and synthesis, induction, deduction and abduction, classification, and formalization, the work reveals the essential descriptive characteristics of the phenomenon and concept of the digital state. After the data analysis, it is proposed to consider the concept of digital state in four interpretative definitions: as an ecosystem of multiservice and proactive state digital services; as an integrated computer and software meta-platform; as an organizational and technological approach and corresponding paradigm; and as a digital ontology of state-building and functioning, public administration and public policy. According to the author’s interpretation, the concept of the “digital state” includes: “digital government”, “digital democracy”, “digital justice”, “digital electoral technologies”, “digital public control of public administration”.

ISSUES OF DIGITALIZATION OF CIVIC PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: "GOVERNMENT AS A PLATFORM" IN LATIN AMERICA

This article examines "government as a platform" as based on civic participation in the context of digitalization of public administration in developing countries, concretely for the example of Latin American countries. The main thesis of the study is the following: the institution of participation is the basis for constructing "government as a platform" due to deep foundations of Web 3.0 technology, which encourage participation and have a collaborative nature. The author focuses on factors for classifying countries “developing.” These factors are both positive and negative: level of urbanization, Internet penetration, and globalization are positive factors, while the economic factor, political factor, level of corruption, and existing political culture are negative. Latin American countrieswere selected as empirical cases as falling under the criteria as developing countries, and as a region in which one can find both highly developed countries in terms of digitalization and lagging behind in terms of applying digital technologies to public administration and public policy. The author concludes that “government as a platform,” the design of which is based on civic participation, is attractive for developing countries of Latin America because it can help overcome such problems as corruption and social and political exclusion, can increase the level of democratization, and can make political culture more civil and proactive.

ПРОБЛЕМИ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ ДЕРЖАВНОЇ ПОДАТКОВОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ УКРАЇНИ

The article examines the influence of public administration and state tax policy on the development of the national tax system. Most countries opt for a moderate taxation policy. Carrying out such a tax policy is aimed at achieving stable economic growth of the country, a favorable tax climate that stimulates the development of economic activity and allows you to effectively solve social problems in the state. The state, through the establishment of tax rates and their types, influences the development of certain sectors or spheres of the economy, thereby increasing the efficiency of economic development. The goal of tax policy is, on the one hand, to establish optimal taxes that do not hinder the development of entrepreneurship, and on the other, to ensure that the budget receives sufficient funds to meet state and local needs. Established in the early 90s, immediately after the proclamation of an independent state in 1991, the tax system of Ukraine was constantly changing in the direction of finding an optimal structure, which allows mobilizing funds at the disposal of the state, distributing and redistributing them for the purposes of economic and social development. The Tax Code of Ukraine establishes the basic principles for determining the subjects of legal relations, their rights and obligations, a list of taxes, fees and mandatory payments that make up the taxation system, objects and tax base, the size of tax rates. In connection with the development of digital technologies, qualitative changes are taking place in the tax administration system. The payer’s electronic cabinet greatly simplifies the technology of relations between taxpayers and regulatory authorities, while eliminating the subjective factor and allows reducing transaction, time, and labor costs. The unfavorable economic situation in Ukraine led to a slowdown in GDP growth and, as a consequence, a decrease in tax revenues. It is possible to increase revenues to the relevant budget due to fair taxation, reduction of the tax burden on tax payers, as well as optimization of the system of control and tax levers of government influence on the economy in order to legalize the income of legal entities and individuals.

ПОЛІТИЧНА СТАБІЛЬНІСТЬ: ДО ПРОБЛЕМИ ОСМИСЛЕННЯ НАУКОВОГО РОЗУМІННЯ ТА ПРАКТИЧНОЇ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ

Theoretical and practical aspects of political stability are considered. Conceptual approaches to its understanding since the second half of the twentieth century are analyzed. The scientific approaches of Western, Russian and Ukrainian scientists on the factors and models of stabilization of state and social development are compared. A comparative analysis of relative stability in the conditions of authoritarian and democratic rule is carried out. Based on the approach according to which the more stable the political system of society, the higher the probability of forming the same type of attitudes in citizens, the importance of studying the factors of political stability not only in theoretical but also in practical sense. Understanding political stability in a practical sense is associated with the ability of a particular political system, government to respond adequately to external and internal threats to their existence. Accordingly, the position is substantiated, according to which the ability of public policy to respond to information threats and create their own information mechanisms in the form of proper information security, which plays a key role in ensuring the vital interests of the state and society. It was found that ensuring political stability in modern conditions involves: establishing a system of effective relations between different political actors, taking into account their interests; implementation of constructive, consistent policy based on the adoption and implementation of balanced public policy and public administration decisions; avoidance of the use of force against the opposition, tolerance of alternative approaches to the implementation of overdue reforms; reconciling social change with the values and traditions of a particular society.

The Menghidupkan Kembali Spirit Politik Ilmu Pemerintahan

Ilmu pemerintahan pada dasarnya adalah ilmu yang mempelajari ilmu politik, dimana dalam seberapa aspek dari ilmu pemerintahan seperti teori, metode dan metodologi tidak jauh berbeda dengan ilmu politik. Tulisan ini mencoba menjelaskan dan menjabarkan hubungan antara ilmu pemerintahan dengan ilmu politik. Sejauh ini ilmu pemerintahan hanya mempelajari birokrasi, administrasi publik, manajemen dan kebijakan publik. Dengan hanya dipamahi sebagai ilmu administrasi membuat ilmu pemerintahan hanya menjadi seperti ilmu perkantoran. Hal tersebut dikarenakan adanya warisan kolonial dan suburnya neoliberalisme. Untuk itu tulisan ini akan mencoba menghidupkan kembali roh ilmu politik ke dalam ilmu pemerintahan yang akan menjelaskan bahwasannya pada realitasnya aspek pemerintahan sangat dipengaruhi oleh aspek politik. Dan memberikan sebuah alternatif baru terhadap eksistensi ilmu pemerintahan yang berbasis untuk memuliakan rakyat.