Central Policy Research Articles

Governing migration through vulnerability at Spain’s southern maritime border: a malleable concept in a securitised and marketised regime

ABSTRACT Vulnerability has emerged as a central policy concept in migration governance. Despite its growing importance, the concept remains contested and ambiguous. As multiple conceptions of vulnerability circulate, it becomes crucial to gain a better understanding of how ‘vulnerability’ might shape practices on the ground. In this article, I explore how different actors in the province of Cádiz, located at Spain and the EU’s southern maritime border, understood, and operationalised ‘vulnerability’. The aim is to advance understandings of vulnerability as a mechanism of governance in the reception of people on the move in the context of so-called ‘mixed movements’. My focus is on how vulnerability as a new classifying label overlaps with and fragments previous labels that underpin migration governance. Through the analysis, I show how the malleability of the notion of vulnerability constituted an opportunity for actors on the ground to challenge categorical and legal distinctions between migrants. However, civil society organisations’ engagement with vulnerability not only represented a ‘push-back’ of restrictive policies but was also a way to adapt and survive in a securitised and marketised regime.

How China Governs Data: Evidence Mined from the Central Government Policy Documents

ABSTRACTData governance policy is of great importance for the development of digital economy. This paper proposes a four‐dimensional policy mining framework to analyze the 1,097 central data governance policies. We depict the development trajectory, analyze the policy subjects involved into the policy‐making, trace the sources of policy, and characterize the policy tool structure based on the policy coding. We find that the core departments of data governance policy making need to strengthen the awareness of data governance; Policy‐making should source enough convincing and authoritative policies to strengthen the long‐term effectiveness and impact policies; There are imbalances and deficiencies of policy tool structure. It provides reference for other countries in data governance.

Practice patterns of hepatobiliary surgery within the military.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the trends of hepatobiliary surgeries performed at military hospitals and to discuss potential implications on resident training and military readiness. While there is data to suggest centralization of surgical specialty services leads to improved patient outcomes, the military does not currently have a specific centralization policy. Implementation of such a policy could potentially impact resident training and readiness of military surgeons. Even in the absence of such a policy, there may still be a trend toward centralization of more complex surgeries like hepatobiliary surgeries. The present study evaluates the numbers and types of hepatobiliary procedures performed at military hospitals. This study is a retrospective review of de-identified data from Military Health System Mart (M2) from 2014 to 2020. The M2 database contains patient data from all Defense Health Agency treatment facilities, encompassing all branches of the United States Military. Variables collected include number and types of hepatobiliary procedures performed and patient demographics. The primary endpoint was the number and type of surgery for each medical facility. Linear regression was used to evaluate significant trends in numbers of surgeries over time. Fifty-five military hospitals performed hepatobiliary surgeries from 2014 to 2020. A total of 1,087 hepatobiliary surgeries were performed during this time; cholecystectomies, percutaneous procedures, and endoscopic procedures were excluded. There was no significant decrease in overall case volume. The most commonly performed hepatobiliary surgery was "unlisted laparoscopic liver procedure." The military training facility with the most hepatobiliary cases was Brooke Army Medical Center. The number of hepatobiliary surgeries performed in military hospitals has not significantly decreased over the years 2014-2020, despite a national trend toward centralization. Centralization of hepatobiliary surgeries in the future may impact residency training as well as military medical readiness.

The proposal for a revised Product Liability Directive: The emperor's new clothes?

On September 28, 2022, the European Commission presented the long-awaited proposal for a revised Product Liability Directive (PLD). By adapting rules and concepts to digitalization and circular economy, the revised PLD aims to ensure that the damage that defective products caused can be remedied adequately. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the substantive and procedural harmonized rules that are reshaped in the revised PLD. The discussion shows that although the revised version makes progress, ambiguities remain about essential concepts such as ‘product’, ‘damage’, and ‘defectiveness’. Those ambiguities could generate significant legal uncertainties. In addition, it is imperative to consider whether the harmonization that results from the revised PLD strikes a balance between centralized policy goals and local preferences. Since it has been reiterated that the revised PLD will be limited to safety-related harm rather than to harm to other fundamental rights (e.g., data protection and equal treatment), it is also crucial to inquire whether harms of the latter kind can be remedied effectively by other relevant legal regimes.

How do carbon emissions and eco taxation affect the equity market performance: an empirical evidence from 28 OECD economies.

This study examines the nexus between "stock returns," carbon emissions, and "environmental tax" in 28 OECD countries for the period 1994 to 2014. To this end, we employ second-generation econometric techniques that are robust to macroeconomic and financial datasets to eliminate the issues associated with heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence. The "common correlated effects mean group (CCEMG)" and "augmented mean group (AMG)" estimators are a pioneering attempt to explore the association between the cross sections. These approaches take into account the complexities of real-world data and provide a more accurate understanding of the relationship between the variables. Several studies explored the relationship between CO2 emissions and economic growth. However, the literature lacks studies examining the impact of "environmental tax" implementation on "stock returns," which is a central policy instrument to curb emissions. The results demonstrate a significant and negative relationship between CO2 emissions and "stock market index returns" and a positive and significant relationship between "environmental tax" and "stock market index returns." Furthermore, both these relationships prevail in the world's biggest financial markets and second largest CO2 emitters, the USA. The empirical findings offer various useful implications for investors, policymakers, brokers, corporations, governmental pollution abatement institutions, and other stakeholders who wish to obtain a carbon risk premium.

Integrating Fiscal Policy Mix and Environmental Policy in East Java's Circular Economy Development: A Multidimensional Approach Assessing Economic, Social, and Legal Factors

This study aims to provide a more holistic understanding of how environmental and fiscal policies can complement each other to promote a circular economy in East Java. The method used in this study is panel data regression analysis using secondary data covering the period 2001-2020. Data were collected from government agencies such as the Ministry of Finance, the East Java Central Bureau of Statistics, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and the Supreme Audit Agency. The results show that environmental and fiscal policies significantly impact the circular economy in East Java. Environmental regulations, which include central and local government policies, promote the growth of the circular economy. The Regional Original Revenue (PAD) also plays an essential role in influencing the circular economy in the region. The proposed policy recommendations include the design of incentives to encourage the adoption of circular economy principles, the optimal allocation of special environmental and circular economy funds, the adaptation of education and training to the needs of the circular economy, the promotion of research and innovation in the circular economy, and the joint implementation of environmental regulations.

Mapping Social- Legal Identity and Inequality: A Sociological Exploration of the Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Women Street Vendors in Urban Areas

Gendered development is a critical factor for inclusive development. The inclusion of women in central policies is indispensable for any country's development. India, with its vast economic and socio-cultural diversity, also faces socio-cultural inequality. Street vendors, who provide essential goods and services at affordable prices, are a marginalized and neglected group in our society. Despite their significant contribution, they remain impoverished and excluded from the mainstream. The COVID- 19 pandemic aggravated the existing social inequalities, particularly for street vendors. Lockdowns and lack of economic opportunities led to forceful migration and economic struggles for these vendors, especially women. In this background, this study focuses on two research questions: the socio-economic and legal status of women street vendors during the pandemic and an assessment of legal enactments for their protection. The study utilizes secondary sources and follows a descriptive approach. The main argument of the paper is that addressing gendered development is crucial for the progress of India. COVID- 19 Pandemic has exacerbated the challenges faced by women street vendors, emphasizing the necessity of comprehensive measures to ensure their socio economic wellbeing and legal protection. It is essential to evaluate legal frameworks in order to protect socio-legal rights

Naming and shaming as a strategy for enforcing the Paris Agreement: The role of political institutions and public concern

Enforcement is a challenge for effective international cooperation. In human rights and environmental law, along with many other domains of international cooperation, "naming and shaming" is often used as an enforcement mechanism in the absence of stronger alternatives. Naming and shaming hinges on the ability to identify countries whose efforts are inadequate and effectively shame them toward better behavior. Research on this approach has struggled to identify factors that explain when it influences state behavior in ways that lead to more cooperation. Via survey of a large (N = 910) novel sample of experienced diplomats involved in the design of the Paris Agreement, we find support for the proposition that naming and shaming is most accepted and effective in influencing the behavior of countries that have high-quality political institutions, strong internal concern about climate change, and ambitious and credible international climate commitments. Naming and shaming appears less effective in other countries, so further enforcement mechanisms will be needed for truly global cooperation. We also find that the climate diplomacy experts favor a process of naming and shaming that relies on official intergovernmental actors, in contrast with studies suggesting that NGOs, media, and other private actors are more effective at naming and shaming. We suggest that these tensions-the inability for naming and shaming to work effectively within the countries least motivated for climate action and the preference for namers and shamers that seem least likely to be effective-will become central policy debates around making cooperation on climate change more enforceable.

Research on the Measurement of Central Bank Communication Index and its Impact on the Macroeconomy

With the increasing size of financial assets and the complexity of monetary patterns, countries around the world are gradually becoming more transparent in their monetary policies, using central bank monetary policy communication as a new type of monetary policy instrument. To measure central bank communication more accurately, this paper proposes a dynamic topic model, LDA-BP, based on branching processes, to construct the central bank communication index. At the same time, this paper does four things: it uses the constructed communication index as a proxy variable for the new monetary policy instrument; it builds a TVP-FAVAR model that can extract potential macroeconomic information from many variables, and its time-varying nature can better reflect the dynamic regulatory effect of monetary policy; it constructs a three-dimensional impulse response diagram; and it conducts a systematic analysis of macroeconomic impact. The experimental results of demonstrate its effectiveness on central bank monetary policy communication, as it captures timely information about conventional monetary policy instruments and immediately responds to changes in interest rates and money supply. All three monetary policy instruments are effective in smoothing output volatility, with monetary policy communication having a longer-term impact on the macroeconomy.

How does financial decentralization synergies carbon reduction and pollution control in China?

This study looks at how carbon reduction, pollution management, and monetary decentralization in China all work together for a win-win situation. Since China is the most significant contributor to global warming, the country must implement policies to cut carbon emissions and curb pollution. One possible answer is financial decentralization, delegating federal financial responsibilities, and decisions to state and regional governments. The study used the weighted matrix analysis technique, LM matrix analysis technique, and ARDL short-run and long-run analysis estimates. However, the degree to which it will help China reduce carbon emissions and regulate pollution is unclear. This study takes a multifaceted approach to the investigation of this problem. Determining the efficacy of financial decentralization in addressing environmental concerns and drawing policy implications for China's environmental governance framework requires investigating the drivers of this trend and the mechanisms through which it operates. We perform a comprehensive empirical analysis to examine the results of using Chinese data from 1999 to 2019. This study's results provide new information to the literature by showcasing the power of fiscal decentralization in propelling environmentally sound policies in China. Central policy takeaways from the report include decentralizing financial authority to local governments, encouraging cooperation across multiple tiers of government, and setting up effective systems for monitoring and enforcing compliance. These policy suggestions can help China decrease carbon emissions and regulate pollution more efficiently, paving the way to better environmental results and a more sustainable future.

Formation of Libraries in Uzbekistan as a Part of the USSR Library System

Being a traditional institution of culture, knowledge preservation and transfer, a relatively stable form of organizing social life, ensuring strength of ties and relationships within a society, in the context of its systemic transformations, developing digitalization of resources and communications, the library has the potential, the implementation of which can determine new models of action. In this regard, it becomes important to develop a model for adapting the activities of libraries in the region to the modern system of communications. For to elaborate a specific strategy, it is important to comprehend the development of library and information systems in the context of the historical and cultural development.The libraries of Uzbekistan served as the research object of the paper. The process of their systematic formation in this region started in 1918. The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, which entered the USSR, was created in October 24, 1924. Since that time, there began active creation of mass, special scientific, university and scientific technological libraries. The policy of mass library centralization carried out in the USSR in the 1970s–1980s contributed to the centralized collection acquisition, improvement of library services for different population segments, and raising the library personnel qualification. The library system was formed in the republic, which was systematically supported by the state.The article object is, basing on previously published and new information obtained from statistical collections and documents of state archives, which were not examined by specialists, to concretize concepts about forming and developing libraries in Uzbekistan as a part of the USSR library system for to determine future regularities and trends in the republican library and information system development.

Electricity sector reforms and cost efficiency: The case of small electricity systems in Sub-Sahara Africa

The financial viability of Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) electricity sectors has become a central energy policy issue in recent years. This follows persistent under-recovery of costs which are amongst some of the highest in the world. Discussions, however, focus on tariff and utility reforms and inadequately on costs efficiency and the role of broader sector reforms in persistently high costs. Through a synthesis of reform theories and case studies and using small electricity systems as a surrogate for liberalized electricity sectors without competitive markets, this paper examines the connection between sector reforms and costs. It brings an economic perspective to the discussion on utility financial performance in SSA electricity systems and the need for a holistic policy approach for sustainable cost-recovery. In this, we recommend the promotion of mobile power plants to facilitate contestability in generation and need for non-island small systems to participate in regional power markets to neutralize the scale limitations of their autarkic demand. Utilities and regulatory agencies should form platforms to share information on cost opportunities and possibilities to inform procurement designs and regulatory benchmarks. Regional markets could partner with national governments to develop subsidy schemes such as Contracts for Differences to remove rigidities imposed by national power purchasing contracts to promote deeper participation of small systems in regional power markets. Yardstick competition in the distribution segment remains viable in many small electricity systems and should be pursued at the regional level in the short run to medium term and at the national levels in the long term following deconcentration and the introduction of private sector participation.

Toward an Integrated Model for Public Technology Policy Analysis - a Taxonomy Useful for Determining Scope and Type of Analysis

How might the analysis of public technology policy be further systematised and made more objective so that important factors such as conscious subjects, interests, infl and prioritisation could better be taken into account by policy analysts and decision-makers? An integrated model designed to guide and structure the analysis process might comprise a solution to this problem. An adequately sophisticated yet concise and systematic framework of this sort would necessarily take into account the referential point of departure and alternative types of policy analysis as well as the nature, interests and priorities of those entities actually shaping public technology policy. The segment of the proposed integrated model and which is concerned with built-in assumptions about the nature of technological development has been covered in a previous article [1]. The purpose of the current article is to develop and present one further part or segment of an integrated model for public technology policy analysis (IMTPA) and to demonstrate its methodological and analytical utility with central policy analysis documents from Canada during the period 1990-2005. This article shall limit itself to a part of the IMTPA concerned with the type and scope of public technology policy analysis to be undertaken - a methodology which might better guide and make more transparent both the policies being examined as well as the policy analysis process itself.

European emergency managers on social media: institutional arrangements and guidelines

PurposeThis paper offers an empirical overview of European emergency managers' institutional arrangements and guidelines for using social media in risk and crisis communication.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected and analysed material including publicly accessible relevant legal acts, policy documents, official guidelines, and press reports in eight European countries – Germany, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Hungary, Finland, Norway, and Estonia. Additionally, the authors carried out 95 interviews with emergency managers in the eight countries between September 2019 and February 2020.FindingsThe authors found that emergency management institutions' social media usage is rarely centrally controlled and social media crisis communication was regulated with the same guidelines as crisis communication on traditional media. Considering this study's findings against the backdrop of existing research and practice, the authors find support for a “mixed arrangement” model by which centralised policies work in tandem with decentralised practices on an ad hoc basis.Practical implicationsComparative insights about institutional arrangements and procedural guidelines on social media crisis communication in the studied countries could inform the future policies concerning social media use in other emergency management systems.Originality/valueThis study includes novel, cross-national comparative data on the institutional arrangements and guidelines for using social media in emergency management in the context of Europe.

Koneksi Antar Destinasi bagi Peningkatan Pendapatan Asli Daerah di Kabupaten Sambas

One source of regional income that has the potential to be developed is the tourism sector. Currently, the central government is also focusing on promoting tourism as a potential source of economic growth. When the regions do this, it will become a synergy with central policy. National and regional economic development through tourism is believed to contribute to income. This research uses a descriptive qualitative research method with three main studies namely library research, field studies and documentation research with 5 (five) informants, namely sub-district heads, village heads, traditional leaders and administrators, business actors, and The community at the destination. The Results where the destination has no significant impact on regional revenue from this sector. As if it read only hotels and restaurants contribute to local revenue. Therefore, this conclusion is unfair. Therefore, each region is required to be able to explore and manage its tourism potential as a source of income to finance regional expenditures. Sambas Regency as one of the regencies in West Kalimantan Province; has potential tourism resources that are known not only for the beauty and uniqueness of nature, but also for fame as a beautiful area at the end of the country. The conclusion isThe local government of Sambas Regency is still unable to catch them opportunities to attract PAD from tourist activities because until recently, these opportunities were missed never realized.

191: A comparison of ECMO center policies and protocols across the United States

191: A comparison of ECMO center policies and protocols across the United States

Environmental taxes, eco-innovation, and environmental sustainability in EU member countries.

Environmental taxes and renewable energy consumption are becoming central policy instruments in countries especially in European Union (EU) countries to enhance environmental sustainability; however, no attention has been given to eco-innovations in the nexus between environmental taxes and carbon dioxide emission. This study investigates the effect of environmental taxes, innovations, and renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions in 26 EU countries from 2000 to 2020. Panel quantile regression was employed for analysis where the results show that environmental taxes have both positive and negative influence on CO2 emissions across quantiles in different models, whereas renewable energy consumption considerably reduces carbon emissions. Economic growth causes an increase in CO2 emissions; however, the financial progress greatly reduces CO2 emissions. Eco-innovations and its square term have a negative influence on carbon emissions which shows that eco-innovations significantly reduce carbon dioxide emission. The findings have significant implications for public policy in the sample countries, notably in terms of promoting renewable energy sources and transitioning to green growth through eco-innovations in order to achieve environmental sustainability.

Water Governance and Regional Development in Xi's China

AbstractThe governance of China under Xi Jinping functions mainly through leading groups. Using the case of water governance, this article examines the interaction between these groups at three levels: the top-level design group, the riverine macroregion groups and the implementation groups. This governance model is designed to avoid nomenklatura failure, restrict fiscal federalism and reduce the agency problem between the centre and local leaders. For the purpose of water governance, China has been divided into five blocs based on river basins, which we call riverine macroregions. Using this approach, the Chinese Communist Party is combining water governance with regional development and enhancing local governments’ collective implementation of central policy.

STATE NATIONAL POLICY IN THE REPUBLIC OF KARELIA: FEATURES OF INSTITUTIONAL DESIGN

This article is devoted to the national state policy of the Federal center of the Russian Federation in relation to the Republic of Karelia. The paper examines the features of the evolution of the socio-cultural space of Karelia in the context of its existence within the borders of the modern Russian state. This article analyzes the methods and forms of the state national policy of the federal center in the Russian regions on the example of the Republic of Karelia. As a result of the work done, the paradigms of transformation of the political institutions of the Republic of Karelia, aspirations and attitudes of the population and the political elite, the impact of changes in electoral processes on the political system of the region, potential growth points, etc. are revealed.

Commercial Banks and Real Sector Credit: A Comparative Study of Pre and Post Consolidation Reforms in Nigeria

This study examined the effect of banking sector reforms on real sector credit in Nigeria. Panel data were sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin and financial statement of the commercial banks in the pre consolidation and post consolidation reforms. Multiple regression models were formulated to examined and compare the effect of post consolidation reforms on demand side financial intermediation. Nine commercial banks that bear the same name in the pre and post consolidation reforms were used as sample size. Real sector credit was proxies for dependent variables while capital reforms, interest rate reforms, Central bank policy reforms, bank competition, management quality, assets quality, market risk and liquidity reforms were proxies for independent variables. The study employed panel data regression models of pooled effect, fixed effect and random effect models. After cross examination of the models using the Hausman test, the fixed effect models were used. The study found that 53.4 percent of the systematic variation in the real sector credit in the pre consolidation reforms and market risk has positive and significant effect on real sector credit while management quality, bank liquidity reforms and assets quality have negative effect on real sector credit in the pre consolidation reforms. The estimated model found that 78.1 percent of the systematic variation in the real sector credit in the post consolidation reforms while bank liquidity have negative and no significant effect on real sector credit while management quality, market risk and assets quality have positive effect on real sector credit in the post consolidation reforms. The study concludes that post consolidation reforms have significant effect on real sector credit. The study recommended that the Central Bank of Nigeria should continue with its banking sector reforms such as increase capital base as this can encourage substantial credit allocation to the prior