Citizen Involvement Research Articles

THE ROLE OF LAW AND GOVERNMENT IN LEGAL PRACTICE

The proposed scientific article comprehensively examines the legal analysis of the interaction of the concept of law and power, which provides for a clear application of current legislation in modern society. The need for law has a higher legal purpose fixed and secured by positive legal qualities and legal elements of law, creating a space for free behavior of all participants in public relations in accordance with the principles of freedom, humanism, spiritual wealth and material interests of man and citizen, currently being studied taking into account world legal practice. Currently, the role of law in the system of legal regulation in society represents the role of the state and law in various legal forms, implemented through law, in its imperative power activities. This legal interpretation is due to the influence and development of the legal system of norms-definitions as a legal model of the behavior of subjective rights in modern society, where the implementation of law is defined as the implementation of legal regulations, this is an improved protection of human rights under the current Constitution of modern countries, from the point of view of legal science. The need to study the interaction of the concepts of law and power as a single legal mechanism, their legal norms is widely used in modern society and is contained in legal institutions to build a rule of law state in accordance with the legislative system and legal principles, where it is provided with the positive law necessary for the legal institutions of society. When studying the concept and operation of the legal mechanism applied by state authorities in legal practice, the law itself specifically determines the needs of modern society in the law itself, and vice versa, the entry of legal institutions into the sphere of state power is necessary to maintain imperative principles in the field of law, using the broad powers of law, as a category of law in modern society.

Assembling Cities in Contemporary Discursive Practices

The article presents issues that reflect modern strategies and tactics for constructing a holistic image of a city. The so-called assembly (reassembly) is executed in response to the challenges of a scattered, fragmented, decentralized, hybrid city, but a developing city nonetheless. We reveal several types of “assembly”, depending on who the “outlook collectors” are: each time these are either those who generally approve of the policies of the powers that be, or opposition-minded bloggers, popular leaders of urban communities; or members of research groups. The authors consider the city as a dynamic system that forms many vectors of development and makes for diversity of urban discourse. The article proves that in the media three types of discourse compete in the city space: the discourse of sustainable development, critical urbanism, as well as a softer version referred to as the discourse of new urbanism. We conduct subject analysis of texts and statements made by members of social media communities (from three Siberian cities: Novosibirsk, Barnaul, Tomsk), who conduct spatial development audits and offer their own scenarios for putting together a city. The role and the importance are shown of virtual assemblies, which, if social media communities are anything to go by, can lead to creating actual assemblies and to the interaction of all city actors in the process of transforming space, to revising the modes of involvement of citizens in process of designing urban life. Discussions related to putting together a city may also slow down the process of implementing urban projects and hamper practices of further developing cities that are considered historical settlements. Moreover, citizens’ demands for an authentic urban space that can be called genuine and historic are often neglected by government officials. Each of the analyzed cities demonstrates its own unique set of institutional mechanisms and interactions of participants in decision-making arenas that are a product of a certain unique cultural, social, political and historical context.

Ensuring the functioning of society in activities of local governments under the legal regime of martial law

The scientific article is devoted to the study of the activities of local self-government bodies during the period of martial law in ensuring the functioning of society, characterization of the concept, competence and features of local self-government bodies, and types of local selfgovernment bodies. The article examines the scientific and regulatory approaches to defining the most important functions of local authorities, in particular, ensuring the constitutional rights and security of citizens. Local self-government during the period of martial law faces many challenges on a daily basis. That is why this topic is extremely relevant and requires scientific substantiation and research. The decentralization reform has laid the foundation for the activities of competent local governments. However, the unjustified military aggression has changed the usual rhythm of work of regional and district councils, as well as local authorities. The peculiarity of this legal regime is the creation of temporary state bodies, including military authorities. They operate in parallel with autonomous local governments. However, there are cases when the military administration can assume the powers of local self-government bodies if the local council does not meet on time. Local self-government in Ukraine is a right guaranteed and enforced by the state and a territorial community – a voluntary association of residents of a village, villages or several villages, cities – to address local issues within the limits determined by the current legislation, may be formed independently or subordinated to officials and self-government bodies. Local self-government is designed to strengthen the foundations of the constitutional order of Ukraine, ensure the implementation of constitutional principles, human and civil rights, create conditions for meeting the vital needs and legitimate interests of citizens, and develop local democracy. During the legal regime of martial law, military authorities exercise the powers of local state authorities and part of local self-government bodies, as defined by the current legislation. Therefore, the role of local state authorities and local self-government bodies in ensuring the quality functioning of society is very important.

Do we hear the voices of local citizens when we arrange cultural megaprojects for them? A case of the European capitals of culture

Culture-led urban regeneration projects can be an answer for tackling current depopulation challenges in specific regions due to aging and outward migration. Existing literature stresses the importance of citizen involvement in culture-led projects for successful urban regeneration. However, traditional top-down business approaches, including the dominance of external accountability, often limit our ability to hear local citizens' voices. Therefore, comprehensive reporting on practices of citizen participation may bring value to future culture-led regeneration projects. In this viewpoint paper, we investigate the case of the European Capitals of Culture and analyze their own evaluation reports understand to what extent and how citizen participation is described in evaluation reports of culture-led regeneration projects. We use an established framework to classify citizen participation by the degree of citizens' right to decide and exercise power in decision-making. We demonstrate that smaller cities that need urban regeneration tend to mobilize cultural initiatives as an arena for citizen engagement. Although we do not find evidence of citizen participation in larger ECoC cities, their participation is still essential for local value creation. We finalize our viewpoint with policy recommendations that can be relevant globally for initiatives that aim at urban regeneration.

ENGAGING CITIZENS’ PARTICIPATION STRATEGIES FOR CREATING RESPONSIVE URBAN LANDSCAPES: A CASE STUDY OF CALEB UNIVERSITY MAIN CAMPUS

Vibrant urban landscapes demand citizen participation. Co-creation, which is a collaborative design approach, empowers residents to shape their environments. This research explores co-creation, highlighting the importance of diverse perspectives for inclusive and sustainable urban landscapes. Using Caleb University as a real-world case study to explore successful co-creation strategies that leverage citizen involvement the research explores citizen experiences with campus development. Employing a qualitative research design, the research delved into the experiences, perceptions, and preferences of staff and students regarding Caleb University's campus development. Data were collected using collection involved a structured questionnaire distributed to a randomly-sampled residents, ensuring representation across all demographics. Findings reveal a generally positive attitude towards participation. The research also highlights the importance of diverse perspectives. Diverse opinions on campus aesthetics highlight the importance of inclusive design. The research emphasizes the resident's preference for green spaces reflects successful co-creation. The research also highlights the desire for multiple avenues of participation, with preferences for campus meetings, workshops, and online forums. Co-creation, free from participation barriers, empowers residents to shape responsive and inclusive urban landscapes, transforming cities into vibrant expressions of their collective vision for a sustainable future. Keywords: Co-creation, Inclusive, Sustainable, Empowerment, Responsive

Unleashing the Power of Artificial Intelligence and Automation in Public Administration

The study explores the use of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) in public administration and its potential benefits and constraints for government organizations. It discusses how automation and AI can revolutionize public administration by improving productivity, effectiveness, and service quality. The study provides an overview of automation and AI technologies, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. It identifies key areas where automation and AI can be integrated into public administration, including policymaking, service delivery, decision-making, and citizen engagement. The advantages of using automation and AI in public administration are examined, such as data-driven policy decisions, streamlined administrative procedures, and enhanced service delivery through AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants. Ethical considerations, privacy concerns, and job displacement are also addressed, proposing methods for ensuring ethical and equitable application of automation and AI. The study includes case studies from different countries that demonstrate successful applications of automation and AI, showcasing increased citizen involvement, transparency, and improved government services. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of strong leadership, collaboration between governmental organizations and technical experts, and ongoing research and development to maximize benefits and minimize risks. The study aims to provide insights and recommendations for policymakers, administrators, and researchers, contributing to the knowledge base on AI and automation in public administration.

INTERNET FRAUD AND ITS IMPACT ON ECONOMIC SECURITY IN THE MODERN WORLD

In the modem world, economic security is becoming a key aspect of ensuring stability and development. This article examines the problem of fraud as one of the main threats to economic security. The authors identify various types of fraud, discuss their characteristics and mechanisms of action. Special attention is paid to modern forms of fraud, such as online fraud, and their spread. The article also suggests a number of measures to combat fraud, including educational programs for the population of our country. The need for government intervention and the development of effective strategies to protect the economic interests of citizens and ensure economic security in general is discussed.

FUNCTIONALITY OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT MAP IN THE CONTEXT OF PARTICIPATORY SECURITY MANAGEMENT

The National Security Threat Map is a technological tool that enables citizens to become active inthe identification of contemporary threats. The functionality of this tool allows implementing theassumptions of participatory management related to the participation of the entire society in thesecurity management process.The research carried in the period of 2020–2022 was aimed at obtaining public opinion on thefunctionality of the National Security Threat Map in order to propose areas for modification on thisbasis. The study was conducted using the diagnostic survey method in a group of 206 respondents.An electronic questionnaire was used for this purpose, which was sent to the respondents viasocial networking sites. The document analysing method, including available literature, normativeacts and statistical data, on the basis of which the National Security Threat Map is functioning, wasalso of key importance in the preparation of research tools.Thanks to the conducted research, it was possible to answer the adopted research questions. Ananalysis of the obtained data allowed for formulating conclusions that may contribute to a broaderconsideration of the assumptions of participatory safety management during the application of theNational Security Threat, and, consequently to the design of more effective actions in the field ofsafety prevention.A participatory approach to security management allows increased activity and involvement ofcitizens in implementing set goals. Through social activism, existing technologies can be improvedto make them more efficient. Taking into account the assumptions of participatory managementthrough the National Security Threat Map allows increasing the motivation of the society to takeactions aimed at the own safety of other people.

E-PARTICIPATION IN THE TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES OF UKRAINE IN THE TIME OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROCESSES: ELECTRONIC PETITIONS

The article examines the processes of implementation and effectiveness of electronic petitions in the context of public participation in Ukraine in recent years. The issue of introducing democratic innovations and e-participation in communities is considered, on the one hand, inextricably linked to the ongoing processes of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, and, on the other hand, taking into account the challenges and limitations caused by the Russian full-scale war and the introduction of martial law in Ukraine. Electronic petitions are identified as an effective additional mechanism that can serve as a “public voice” at critical moments in the implementation of democratic reforms, recovery and reconstruction processes. Today in Ukraine, petitions are more common at the national level than at the local level. To analyze the state of use of the tool, we collected data from open sources, namely the EDEM digital platform (15 communities), local government websites (7 communities), and an earlier analytical study by the NGO “Chesno Movement”. The study focuses on the key factors that can affect the effectiveness of local governments in directly generating quality policies and implementing such participatory forms on the ground. These factors include security criteria; legislative conflicts caused by the introduction of martial law; physical and psychological exhaustion of employees, which affects the efficiency of service delivery and information; and technical problems. The conclusions note that in the process of effective use of electronic petitions, the key issue is the clear regulation of the procedure for applying the tool in the community charter, as well as the institutional capacity of the local self-government body to ensure a communication campaign on the availability of such a tool and further consideration of the received petitions in accordance with the procedure set out in the charter. Recommendations are made to improve the effectiveness of implementation of participation tools and involvement of citizens in these processes at the local level in general and in the case of electronic petitions in particular.

Marine environmental governance for nuclear pollution: From the perspective of China's response to Japan's Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge

The global discourse surrounding the Japanese government's decision to release wastewater resulting from one of the most catastrophic nuclear crises in human history into the ocean has sparked intense deliberation within the international community. It is thus observed that the release of Fukushima nuclear wastewater has triggered a series of legal disputes, particularly in China, which has taken a firm stance against this action. Within China's legal circles, there has been a spirited dialogue on strategies from both international and domestic aspects to protect marine governance outcomes and safeguard the interests of Chinese citizens and enterprises in response to this matter. Accordingly, this article examines various international directives governing nuclear wastewater discharge. It asserts that, given the anticipated legal conflicts related to marine governance, exclusive reliance on the international legal framework may prove inadequate for China's response. Consequently, in response to the adverse impact of Japan's nuclear wastewater discharge into the ocean by 2023, this article posits an alternative approach rooted in China's domestic legal system and the perspective of judicial proceedings. This approach underscores the importance of precisely and adaptively applying specific legal provisions governing nuclear wastewater discharge and compensation claims, both domestically and internationally. To this end, China's endeavors should prioritize the enhancement of regulations pertaining to nuclear wastewater discharge, along with the establishment of systems such as a public welfare fund and subrogation mechanisms. Moreover, it is advisable that China augments its judicial authentication system and public interest litigation system to ensure the effective implementation of these measures.

Трансформация демократии в России: от представительных форм к делиберативным (правовая экспликация)

Democracy, being the basis of the constitutional system, is undergoing transformation along with other legal principles enshrined in the Basic Law. Although forms of representative democracy are currently prevalent, the author comes to the conclusion that the current technical, informational and organizational conditions contribute to the development of deliberative forms of democracy and the involvement of citizens in the process of discussing of socially significant bills.

Правовые особенности реализации принципов уголовного процесса, обеспечивающих конфиденциальность и неприкосновенность частной жизни его участников

Elena A. Lavrushko, Applicant for the Degree of PhD (Law) of the Orenburg State University, LL.M. The article discusses the features of the implementation of the principles and norms of criminal procedure legislation regulating the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens through the protection of confidential information: personal, professional, commercial, official, etc. The relevance of the research topic is due to the contradiction between the proven mechanism for protecting confidential information in criminal proceedings in practice and the lack of norms in criminal procedure legislation specifying the form, content and tools that help protect confidential information from dissemination to third parties. The topic of the study has become most relevant recently in connection with the transition to electronic criminal proceedings, both in the Russian Federation and in many other post-Soviet states. The development of an effective mechanism for the implementation of principles establishing the inviolability of private life, the secrecy of correspondence, negotiations is important for the protection of personal data of participants in criminal proceedings.

The urge to search: cognitive and affective drivers of citizen searches in missing person cases

ABSTRACT In missing persons cases, police often face citizen initiated searches. Though possibly beneficial (e.g., capacity), citizen involvement also carries risks (e.g., destroying evidence). It is important to manage searches, but often the police have no formal basis for cooperation and no legal means to impose restrictions. The police can only manage searches by exerting their influence at the behavioral level. Before behavioral interventions can be developed, it is necessary to understand the psychological drivers underlying citizen searches. Through a questionnaire (N = 627) based on Community Engagement Theory, Theory of Planned Behavior, and affective measures, we investigated what factors influence citizens’ intent to search. Intention related positively to affect, and beliefs about efficacy and usefulness. The only negative relationship found was for perceived authority. The results suggest that affect is a strong predictor of citizen involvement, and that strengthening perceived police authority offers opportunities to limit or redirect citizen searches where necessary.

State customs services quality: marketing model and assessment methodology transformation

The article studies the sphere of public services provided by customs authorities. The purpose of the study is to analyze the marketing model of customs services marketing model transformation under the conditions of the customer-centricity principles implementation and the customs administration system digital transformation. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the necessity to elaborate the rendering services mechanism in order to improve their quality and satisfaction of the final consumer (interested citizens, participants of foreign economic activity) with the result of receiving the service. The main tasks of the study are to identify problematic factors of the rendering state customs services mechanism, to determine their essence, and to structure their sphere. The article used both theoretical (current normative-legal acts and modern researchers’ scientific works analysis) and empirical (practical substantiation of ways to improve the customs control efficiency and the state customs services quality) research methods. Based on the analysis of the customs value definition as a state customs unformalized service, the problematic aspects that reduce the service quality and the level of participants’ satisfaction in foreign economic activity have been identified. The study proposes possible options for solving the identified problematic aspects on the basis of the developed marketing model and methodology for assessing the customs services quality. Its fragment has been presented by the author on the example of goods customs value control and confirmation.

The evolution of digital legal proceedings in African countries: Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa in the focus

The adoption the Digital Transformation Strategy for 2020-2030 by the African Union stands out as a significant milestone in advancing digital agendas and programs across African countries. The integration of digital technologies into the society and economy is acknowledged as a catalyst for fostering innovative, inclusive and sustainable growth. Formulated upon existing ICT initiatives in Africa, this strategy not only holds socio-economic importance for the continent’s development by also play a pivotal role in ensuring digital governance. African countries grapple with challenges such as unemployment, poverty, and digital divide, making the coordinated policy of all states critical for the successful realisization of the digital strategy. Essential components include adequate financing, regional integration, international cooperation and harmonization. The digital transformation of justice holds the potential to address various issues concerning accessibility and efficiency of the judicial method of safeguarding the rights and legitimate interests of citizens and business entities. A notable concern is the lack of trust in the judicial system by over 53% of Africans, emphasizing the need for improvements in legal systems to combat delays, corruption, and hight litigation costs. Moreover, the digital gender gap poses a particular challenge, with only 24% of women in Africa having access to the Internet. Rural women, facing additional societal barriers, encounter difficulties in accessing legal aid, property and economic opportunities. Leveraging digital technologies to enhance justice systems, including through remote court participation and electronic case management, can mitigate these challenges. By facilitating gender-inclusive access to justice, reducing costs and processing time, and enhancing overall judicial efficiency, digital transformation in the realm of justice may pave the way for more equitable legal processes. The theoretical and methodological foundation of the study is rooted in a dialectical approach to understanding social processes and legal phenomena. The objectives of this study also necessitate application of a number of general scientific methods. Methods of analysis and synthesis are employed to examine legal trends in the progression of electronic justice, as well as to compare the evolution of digital justice in Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa. The unique characteristics of the study’s object - civil legal relations emerging during the exrercise of the right to judicial protection in electronic format - also require the use of private law methods.

Climate proofing of the urban environment between process and design: a holistic and participatory methodology

Defining procedural processes to support the involvement and empowerment of citizens, the main target of climate change, in order to integrate them into the holistic process of adaptation to extreme events is nowadays an extremely topical issue. Research is working towards the progressive standardisation of this process. The paper focuses on the outcomes of research on integrating the participatory approach into a methodology for climate proofing of the urban environment. The research results are include directions for increasing resilience through a cyclic step-by-step process for planning, prevention and management of the effects of disasters, centred on the involvement of different stakeholders, as well as the outcomes of the experimentation of such a process on three public housing (ERP) neighbourhoods in Rome.

Investigating the relation between emotional and cultural mapping by considering collective memory in Urban design from perspective of citizens (case study: Tehran, Iran)

Perception of Citizens about a city is an essential issue in urban planning. Hence, having an understanding of the people’s perception can help designers improve city planning. This study aimed to discover the emotional and cultural parameters of urban places by considering the collective memory of citizens. The main gap in the studied subjects was the lack of a combination of cultural and emotional mapping from the perspective of citizens. To fill the mentioned gap, the findings of this study emphasize the importance of engendering emotions and cultural mapping in the citizens in urban spaces. Respectively, a quantitative method was conducted through a comprehensive case study in the form of a questionnaire. Results indicated that emotional mapping is more important than cultural mapping for collective memory. Moreover, emotional parameters were substantial to female participants as cultural factors were for male respondents. Same as gender, Level of education, and age were two factors that affect cultural mapping or emotional mapping choices. Besides, pride, a sense of power, pleasure, excitement, peace, compassion, vitality, and happiness were found important emotions in this study. Our findings revealed that designing urban places based on the culture of each society has a significant role in engendering emotions and drawing the interest of citizens.

Intensity and fragility of Czech participatory budgeting during the Covid 19 crisis

IMPACT Participatory budgeting (PB) is widely understood to enhance citizen engagement in civic participation. The Covid 19 pandemic led to shifts in spending priorities for numerous municipalities, necessitating swift responses to rapidly changing conditions. This article investigates how these changes affected the PB decisions of Czech municipalities. Two key groups—citizens and politicians—were examined. The authors investigated voting turnout, the number of submitted proposals and the budget allocated for PB. The investigation revealed that while there was a slight decrease in the number of project proposal submissions, there was a simultaneous increase in the participation of citizens during the voting phase of PB. This suggests that PB can serve as an integral element of participatory democracy, capable of sustaining citizen interest in public matters, even during crises.

Negotiating participation: investigation of an informal art and urban development initiative in Norway

ABSTRACT Based on in-depth ethnography, this article examines approaches to participation in arts and urban development, using the informal, non-institutional arts and urban development initiative, Byverksted, as a case. Byverksted aspires to be democratically radical and is dedicated to re-thinking urban development through increased citizen involvement, knowledge sharing, and participation. The modes of participation that surface through Byverksted are discussed with reference to existing literature on degrees, levels, forms, models and modes of participation. The article highlights the ways in which participation is negotiated in the absence of guidance. From the data, I identify five unspoken values that guide participation in Byverksted: criticality, horizontality, locality, collectivity, and activity. Both the re-thinking of modes of participation, and the inductive identification of ideals guiding participation, affect research on participation.

IA Generativa nel welfare: un approccio basato sulla Sociologia Pubblica per una governance consapevole

This article explores the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on welfare policies, focusing on the unconventional case study of the Govern-AI project in Italy. Using the Extended Case Method, the study analyses the evolution of AI applications in public administration and their societal implications. The sociological reflection on AI emphasizes its transformative role in shaping social structures, considering both optimistic views on social rights enhancement and critical concerns such as privacy violations. The research advocates for a sociological understanding of AI as a non-human social actor, focusing on social practices and human-machine interactions. Additionally, the article introduces the concept of Public Policy Sociology for evaluating AI-related public policies, emphasizing transparency and citizen involvement.