Citizen Support Research Articles

Government repression and citizen support for democratic rights in Africa

ABSTRACT Public opinion polls conducted over the past five years point to a downward trend in African citizens’ support for civil society and media freedoms. This is despite the flourishing of civil society and media actors as well as the expansion of democracy on the continent in the post-Cold War period. What explains this downward trend in public support? We use cross-national polling data from the Afrobarometer survey to examine the decline in public support for freedoms of association and media between 2011 and 2018 in the African context, a continent that has experienced decades of democratization waves and pressure. Using a multilevel statistical modelling approach, we analyse the influence of government repression of civil society and media actors on citizen support for enhanced government control over freedoms of association and the media. Our study shows that the government’s repressive actions against civil society and media actors increases the probability that citizens will support control over association and media freedoms. Concerningly, this suggests government clampdowns on democratic rights influences the African publics to support such clampdowns, potentially legitimizing them.

Who do Europeans want to govern? Exploring the multiple dimensions of citizens’ preferences for political actors in nine European countries

Many studies have tried to identify citizens’ views about which actors should govern and how. These studies have mostly looked at support for citizens or independent experts being given a greater role. Recently, Hibbing, Theiss-Morse, Hibbing and Fortunato have proposed a new battery of 21 survey items capturing the dimensions along which citizens’ preferences for who should govern are organized. Testing their survey instrument among US respondents, they identified seven dimensions. In this study, we replicate their approach across nine European democracies, namely, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Ireland and the Netherlands. The replication allows, first, to compare citizens’ preferences for political actors between the US and Europe, and within Europe. Second, it provides suggestions for how Hibbing and colleagues’ battery might be adapted and re-used in other countries, enabling further cross-national comparative research on citizens’ preferences for who should govern.

The University's "Third Mission": Exploring the Potential of University Campuses in Interaction with Urban Communities

City universities play a leading role in the formation of the educational, socio-cultural, intellectual environment of the city. At the same time, a new paradigm of interaction between universities and citizens is being formed as part of the implementation of the idea of "cities as communities of citizens", when urban communities become full-fledged subjects of city development along with city authorities. In this regard, the subject of the study was to identify the potential of the university in interaction with urban communities. Research methods: survey, focus group interview with elements of brainstorming. The study involved representatives of various urban communities of Moscow (N=170), students, teachers of the Moscow State Pedagogical University (N=358). The results of the study. The priority areas of interaction between university campuses and urban communities can be identified as: educational (counseling and support of citizens, courses, clubs, webinar programs, clubs for children and adults, lectures; popularization of topics at the request of communities; supervision and care); diagnostic; research; volunteer; sports and recreation; infrastructure; cultural and leisure; expert; development of the city's infrastructure. When building such interaction, it is important to take into account: regulatory and legal aspects of providing university infrastructure to urban communities and attracting teachers and students to implement educational programs for citizens of different ages; the financial side of interaction with urban communities; requests from urban communities; psychological and organizational aspects of interaction with urban communities; interaction with municipalities and representatives of district administrations, educational and other organizations working with the public and interested in the resources of the university.

Competencies of specialists engaged in the life management rehabilitation

BACKGROUND: The need to create qualified human resources of institutions and organizations involved in the comprehensive rehabilitation and habilitation of persons with mental disorders is relevant.
 AIMS: To study the content of available professional standards of specialists in the current modern direction of the life management and support for citizens with mental disorders to make the necessary additions and changes based on relevant competencies.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the study, data search was conducted. The content of the professional standards of social profile specialists was analyzed. Moreover, information sources regarding the target orientation of the activities of specialists who promote the life and support of citizens with mental disorders were analyzed.
 RESULTS: The lists of general professional, personal, and special competencies of specialists involved in the life management and support of citizens with mental disorders were determined. Proposals were made to adjust and introduce new formulations into the substantive parts of their professional standards based on relevant competencies of specialists.
 CONCLUSION: The above proposals will be the basis for making reasonable additions to the professional standards of specialists engaged in the life management and support of citizens with mental disorders to improve the system of their professional development and retraining.

Population trends of the working age and over-the-working age in the Republic of Dagestan

BACKGROUND: To analyze the state and trends in the population, the study of age characteristics and other indicators is the basis of targeted social support programs for citizens of working age and older than working age in the Russian Federation.
 AIMS: To identify the demographic characteristics of the population in the Republic of Dagestan and determine current trends in the demographic development of the region.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population included individuals of working age and older-than-working age in the Republic of Dagestan. Official data of the territorial body of the Federal State Statistics Service for the Republic of Dagestan were used. Analytical methods, expert assessment methods, and statistical and demographic analyses were employed, which ensured the validity of the research results. A continuous longitudinal study was conducted. When analyzing the trend in the dynamics of the adult population in the Republic of Dagestan (19992020), Excel automatically calculated the R2 value, which characterizes the accuracy of the approximation: the closer the R2 value to 1, the more reliably the trend line approximated the process under study. In the study, the R2 value was 0.902.
 RESULTS: Demographic indicators of the population reflect the state of the public health, being important criteria for assessing the working capacity of the population, quality of life, and level of socioeconomic development of the society. Periods of significant growth were identified. In 2004, the visibility indicator was 122.7%, whereas in 2003, the visibility indicator was 103.7%, i.e., the population increased by 18.3%, and the growth rate in 2004 was 18.3%. In 2011, the visibility indicator was 140.65, whereas in 2003, the visibility indicator was 129.1%, with a growth rate of 8.9%.
 CONCLUSIONS: The results of the analysis of the working-age and older-thanworking-age population in the Republic of Dagestan are of practical importance for ministries and departments involved in the development of measures for social support of citizens.

What does a low-carbon fuel standard contribute to a policy mix? An interdisciplinary review of evidence and research gaps

A low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) requires fuel suppliers to decrease the carbon intensity of their fuels on a life-cycle basis. California pioneered the LCFS in 2007, and versions have since been developed in other parts of North America, with LCFS-like policies emerging in Europe and Brazil. There is still relatively little research on the contribution that an LCFS can make to a climate policy mix. In this review, we summarize evidence and research gaps using a four-category interdisciplinary framework: effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, political acceptability, and transformative signal. First, regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, several studies demonstrate that existing LCFS policies have helped to cut emission to date, while modeling studies indicate that a stronger LCFS can play an additive mitigation role in a well-designed policy mix over the long-term. Second, policy cost-effectiveness is more uncertain; some studies suggests that although an LCFS is not likely to be as efficient as a carbon price, a well-designed LCFS could be an efficient complement to a mix that includes carbon pricing. Third is political and social acceptability, where numerous studies show that the LCFS receives substantial citizen support—more so than any pricing mechanism. Fourth is transformative signal, where the LCFS is associated with increased investment in low-carbon fuels and supportive infrastructure, and a stronger version could induce even more innovation in the long-term. We conclude by identifying research gaps, including the need to better understand the impacts of biofuels on indirect land-use and other sustainability measures, as well as improved simulation of longer-term technological change under a more stringent LCFS, including policy mix interactions.

National Differentiation Experience and Citizen Support for Differentiated Integration

AbstractThis article examines the determinants of public opinion on differentiated integration (DI) in the European Union (EU). Specifically, it tests whether citizen attitudes are informed by the national experience of opt‐outs and exclusions from full participation in EU policies. The study generally finds that support for DI strongly depends on the mode of DI. Even though ‘multi‐speed DI’ is only temporary, it is evaluated more critically than durable treaty opt‐outs establishing ‘multi‐tier DI’. We suggest that citizens from opt‐out countries oppose multi‐speed DI out of concern that it would render their exemptions temporary, whereas citizens from new member states tend to be critical towards the often involuntary and discriminatory transitional arrangements that were imposed by the old member states.

The concept of creating and developing the regional interdepartmental system of informational and educational support for senior citizens

The article deals with the problems of organizing informational and educational support in the framework of providing comprehensive medical and social assistance to citizens of the older generation. The results of the activities of the relevant departments of the Government of St. Petersburg on informing, conducting educational and educational programs and events for the elderly, as well as organizing additional professional training for personnel of state institutions and persons involved in the provision of comprehensive medical and social assistance are presented. On the basis of the structural and system analysis of the situation, recommendations for the formation in the region of a unified interdepartmental system of information and educational support for older citizens are developed. The parameters and conditions for the functioning of such a system and its main structure - the regional scientific and methodological information and educational center based on a federal pedagogical university - the Institute for the development of informational and educational technologies in the field of gerontology are determined. The priority areas of the Institute's activities in relation to the described negative trends are identified.

ОЦЕНКА ВЛИЯНИЯ ОСНОВНЫХ КОМПЛЕКСОВ МЕР СОЦИАЛЬНОЙ ПОДДЕРЖКИ НА МАЛОИМУЩИЕ ДОМОХОЗЯЙСТВА

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that poverty and social inequality entail high risks of social tension. In this regard, it is necessary to implement a social policy aimed at reducing poverty and increasing the welfare of the population. To achieve this task, measures should have a high degree of effectiveness, which makes the issue of identifying the most promising measures from the point of view of reducing poverty very relevant. The purpose of the study is to determine such sets of social support measures based on sample observation data of population income and participation in social programs for 2022. In this regard, the object of the study was social support for low-income citizens. The subject of the paper is measures of state social support for citizens living in low-income households in the Russian Federation and their comparative effectiveness. In the course of the study, methods of analysis, calculation methods, comparison, and abstraction were used. Thus, the prevalence of state social support measures and their complexes among the poor population, their impact on the welfare of low-income households, and the reduction of their monetary income deficit were determined. In addition, households were grouped according to their income level relative to the poverty line. Based on the results of the analysis, conclusions were drawn about further possible ways of developing state social support measures. The research results and proposals presented in the article can be used in assessing the effectiveness of social support measures by government agencies and in developing new social support measures.

Current state and prospects of land circulation in Ukraine

The current state of agricultural land is considered destination in Ukraine after the official opening of land circulation and formed promising directions of its effective development. Generalization of factors influencing and developing land relations. The data of the State Service of Ukraine on geodesy, cartography and cadastre regarding the number of concluded deeds, as well as the area of land for which agreements were concluded by region were analyzed. The dynamics of changes in the average value of 1 ha of alienated land plots in the regions of Ukraine were monitored. The leading regions in terms of the number of alienated territories and the average cost of 1 hectare of land for commercial agricultural production were determined, and the main reasons for such variations were also clarified. Prospective ways have been formed improvement and development of market circulation of agricultural lands purposes that include: improving the integrity, accessibility and interoperability of data; optimization and improvement of assessment methods land as one of the most important steps of the State Property Fund of Ukraine; ensuring monitoring of the circulation of land plots and rights to them; magnification legal literacy and provision of legal support for citizens; adaptation and improvement of land legislation for the future functioning and development of land circulation during the period of martial law. After all, growth will depend on the efficiency of market circulation of land capacity of the population and territorial communities, as well as creation favorable conditions for the development of agrarian business in the countryside.

THE ROLE OF BUDGET EXPENDITURES IN FINANCING TODAY'S SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEEDS

Task statement. At the current stage of development of financial relations, it is important to improve the mechanism of managing budget expenditures in order to improve the quality of public services, efficient use of resources and enhance the impact of budget policy on socio-economic progress. Optimal management of budget expenditures requires solving several key tasks, including cost optimization, program prioritization, transparency, support for innovation, sustainability of financial resources, etc. Thus, scientific research in this area is an important source for the successful implementation of budget policy and achievement of positive results in the country's socio-economic progress. Research results. An analysis of Ukraine's budget in recent years has shown that a significant increase in defense spending (from 8.56% to 42.24%) indicates increased attention to strengthening the country's national security and defense capabilities, which is related to Russia's full-scale invasion. There is an increase in spending on social protection and social security (from 22.77% to 15.75%). This is due to support for citizens affected by the war. Changes in other categories of expenditures are less noticeable. For example, environmental protection and housing and communal services remained at a low level, while others, such as economic activity and education, have moderate growth. Overall growth of expenditures. The total central fiscal expenditures increased from UAH 1,490,258.9 million to UAH 2,705,423.3 million. This indicates a general increase in the state's financial expenditures, which is due to the growing need for financing as a result of economic, social and geopolitical challenges. Budget deficit. The planned budget balance (deficit) in 2022 amounted to UAH -1,296,536.2 million, which indicates a lack of budget funds to cover all planned expenditures. This indicates the need to find additional sources of funding and optimize expenditures. Conclusions. Based on the analysis of changes in the structure of expenditures of the state budget of Ukraine, the following recommendations can be offered to optimize the financing of socio-economic development needs: balance between defense and social security, optimization of expenditures, diversification of funding sources, creation of reserves, efficient use, priority of social development, etc.

A Plan and Strategy on Garden Creation for National Garden Designation: Focused on Worasan Garden in Jinju, South Korea

Background and objective: This study was conducted to establish a plan and promotion strategies for designating Worasan Garden in Jinju as a national garden.Methods: First, we examined the legal designation requirements and related regulations of national gardens through literature reviews, field investigations, and interviews regarding Suncheonman National Garden and Taehwagang National Garden, which were designated. We also conducted case studies on the organizational structure for national garden designation in terms of administration; spatial composition, major plant materials, and facilities in terms of garden planning; operating hours, management/operation organizations, and other garden characteristics in terms of operation.Results: The concept and designation requirements of national gardens are set by law. Worasan Garden is located in the gentle mountain area of Worasan, where forests damaged by forest fires in the past were restored by the voluntary effort of citizens, and is connected to four villages with the rural landscape. By converging the climate and vegetation of the southern region with the mountain topography, rural culture, and historical resources, Worasan Garden can be planned as a national garden with differentiation and identity. To effectively promote national garden designation, it is first necessary to hold garden expansion campaigns such as citizen publicity and garden education to obtain citizens' positive awareness, support, and participation. The garden hinterland must be designated as a green district to prevent sprawl. Cooperation with local residents, experts, and related organizations, as well as training in human resources, are also needed. Events such as a garden expo are required to improve the image. There must also be garden publicity and marketing as well as regional tourism. It is also necessary to establish garden-related ordinances and integrated plans.Conclusion: The Jinju government must first register Worasan Garden as a local garden. It is necessary to establish a creation plan and implementation strategies to meet the requirements for national garden designation from the point where preparations are made for a local garden. The garden must be planned and designed so that it has an identity as a national garden and is differentiated from others by combining the symbol of forest restoration in Worasan Mountain, the characteristics of the forest landscape in the southern region, and the image of urban countryside villages that represent the historical and cultural resources of Jinju. The implementation strategies require a bottom-up resident participation plan by obtaining positive awareness, support, and participation of citizens for national gardens, establishing laws and systems, and performing administrative or financial tasks.

Citizen support for agri-environmental measures motivated by environmental consciousness

Citizens are indispensable stakeholders in rural social-ecological systems and public policies that affect them. For example, the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) promotes agri-environmental measures (AEMs) to reduce agricultural externalities and enhance supply of ecosystem services to benefit society, compensating farmers for incurred costs and income foregone with public money. However, studies on citizen support for AEMs are rather rare. This study assesses citizen preferences for specific AEMs with a discrete choice experiment in a rural area in Flanders, which stands as an example for densely populated, intensive agricultural landscapes. Hybrid choice modelling based on the multidimensional environmental consciousness framework revealed support and significant willingness to pay for all AEMs, although with substantial heterogeneity. Mechanical weeding and increasing nesting opportunities for bees and birds were particularly favored. The affective dimension of environmental consciousness, i.e., environmental attitude, only plays a limited role in shaping the observed preferences. The cognitive dimension is even less relevant for specific preferences. This should be considered if one aims to realize community supported policies. The study presents the applicability of hybrid choice modelling in the field of environmental economics and highlights some methodological issues.

Morbidity and mortality during wars and armed conflicts: trends and patterns

Wars cause an increase in morbidity that occurs not only during but also after war due to damage to medical infrastructure, water and food systems, transportation infrastructure, and power grids. It is known that the incidence of coronary heart disease, arterial hypertension, cerebrovascular and endocrine diseases, mental disorders increases during armed conflicts. Unhealthy lifestyle, as well as lack of physical activity and anxiety-depressive disorders contribute to increased cardiovascular risk in wartime. A separate problem is the health of internally displaced persons, who have higher rates of morbidity and mortality compared to the national average. Accurate data on morbidity and mortality in Ukraine are currently unavailable. A significant part of the morbidity and mortality of Ukrainian civilians during the war is caused by the forced displacement of the population, the unavailability of medical care, and the lack of adequate supply of water and food, the deterioration of the material and financial support of most citizens. These same reasons, combined with the increase in population density, the deterioration of hygienic measures and the violation of immunization campaigns, contribute to the spread of infectious diseases, primarily diarrheal (cholera) and respiratory (measles, COVID-19, tuberculosis). The impact of the war in Ukraine on the health of the population is being actively studied, which will allow to determine the leading trends of this impact and create a plan for the restoration of full-fledged medical care.

Review of Smart City Energy Modeling in Southeast Asia

The Southeast Asian region has been eagerly exploring the concepts of smart city initiatives in recent years due to the enormous opportunities and potential. The initiatives are in line with their plan to promote energy efficiency, phase down/out fossil fuel-based generation, and reduce greenhouse gas emission intensity and electrification of various sectors in addition to renewable energy targets and policies to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 or 2060. However, the major challenges for these countries are related to leadership, governance, citizen support, investment, human capacity, smart device heterogeneity, and efficient modeling and management of resources, especially the energy systems. An intelligent energy system is one of the most significant components for any functional smart city, where artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), and big data are expected to tackle various existing and evolving challenges. This article starts with a brief discussion of smart city concepts and implementation challenges. Then, it identifies different types of smart city initiatives in Southeast Asian countries focusing on energy systems. In addition, the article investigates the status of smart systems in energy generation and storage, infrastructure, and model development. It identifies the unique challenges of these countries in implementing smart energy systems. It critically reviews many available energy modeling approaches and addresses their limitations and strengths, focusing on the region. Moreover, it also provides a preliminary framework for a successful energy system that exploits AI, IoT, and big data. Finally, the roadmap for a successful energy system requires appropriate policy development, innovative technological solutions, human capacity building, and enhancement of the effectiveness of current energy systems.

Relevance of Social Security Allowance in Nepal

This study aims at assessing the relevance of social security allowance in Nepal among the beneficiaries of Kirtipur Municipality, Kathmandu district. With purposive selection of Kirtipur Municipality, a community based cross sectional study was carried out among old age allowance beneficiaries of Kirtipur Municipality. Most of the target people (86.1% male and 85.6% female) of social security allowance have been primarily using allowance money for basic personal needs for buying food/clothes/vegetables and though the government's initiatives have had the direct bearing on the reduction of the household economic poverty and vulnerability of the beneficiaries, it seems insufficient enough to maintain the target people’s life as majority of them (80.4%) reported the inadequacy of the allowance distributed. This was evidenced by chi-square test also. The study revealed that there is needed to make the institutional efforts within the legal framework to make members of the families responsible for the support of senior citizens in their ripe old age. The government needs to design and implement livelihoods programs for physically capable senior citizens living below poverty line which would also use their skill and knowledge and contribute to reduce household poverty.

Trust in Institutions and Tax Compliance. A Multilevel Analysis of the Regions of Spain

The purpose of the article/hypothesis: The aim of this work is to delve into the significance of trust in the phenomenon of tax compliance. Specifically, the relationship between taxpayers’ trust in the Government, administrations and institutions and their reported disposition towards tax compliance is explored based on the case of Spain and at regional level (NUTS2). Methodology: Using 2017 data collected by the European Values Study (EVS) and the Quality of Government Institute at the University of Gothenburg (QoG), a multilevel linear model is proposed where we assess the impact of citizen support for the Government and institutions on the disposition towards tax compliance. This model allows to simultaneously capture the relationships at taxpayer level and the effects of regional factors in the same equation. Results of the research: The results of the multilevel estimation allow the authors to reject the null hypothesis and accept, at least provisionally, the existence of a direct effect of trust in the institutions on tax compliance at regional level. Additionally, the low significance observed in the regional level variables suggests that citizens have non-decentralized perception of tax obligations. Furthermore, given that the effects are measured in terms of the quality of the institutions and government, the implications for regional policy and the actions of regional governments are of significant interest for the study of tax behavior and compliance.

Ensuring the right of social protection in the conditions of covid-19

Since 2020, numerous measures have been taken by governments to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, which have certainly had and continue to have a huge impact on economic and social life. This has significant implications for various socio-political spheres and has a significant impact on the health care system, the labor market, the economy, and so on. For social protection systems, the pandemic has become a challenge. In times of crisis, countries have had to find a balance for successful and effective governance, where on the one hand there is a threat to the life and health of the population, and on the other – the risk of negative social consequences caused by anti-epidemiological measures. One of the main response measures was the reorien-tation of the health care system to combat the epidemic, while the main risks were rising poverty, declining employment and income.
 The article is devoted to the study of social policy in Ukraine during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is noted that an important aspect is the implementation of social policy based on distributivity, ie the conduct of their activities by the competent authorities on the basis of redistributive processes aimed at overcoming socio-economic inequality among different segments of the population.
 The official appeal of the Statement on COVID-19 and social rights regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the social rights of the European Committee of Social Rights has been considered. The main directions of social policy implementation are outlined. A number of normative-legal acts on regulation of this issue have been researched and analyzed. Three forms of realization of social support in Ukraine and their realization are considered. Emphasis is placed on the introduction of a remote form of employee performance of their duties, which has led to the emergence of a new type of employment relationship, which differs in its implementation from the usual. The growing level of digitalization of public services, which was a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, is justified. The introduction of a set of measures to support the population and business in Ukraine since 2020 has been studied. It is proposed to consider social support of citizens in this period from two aspects, as direct and indirect

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ITALY 2022: LEADERS AND IDEAS

The paper attempts to give an idea of the Italian political scene on the eve and after the extraordinary parliamentary elections in September 2022. The causes of the political crisis are analyzed and it is pointed out that by the level of political tension and intensity the elections in 2022 can be compared with the first parliamentary elections in the country in 1948. In the course of the election campaign political opponents of the centre-right coalition used the tools of labeling, the main of which were «friends of Putin», «populist», «neofascist». The article analyses these discursive techniques, and concludes that the left-wing forces in modern Italy, first of all the Democratic Party, are in a crisis, both in terms of ideology and leadership. The programme of the centre-right coalition and its ideas are considered separately; it is pointed out that the document contains a lot of «left» proposals related to the social support of citizens. The author analyses the reasons for the victory of the centre-right coalition and, in particular, of G. Meloni, highlighting the high social demand for change as the main factor behind the victory of the «Brothers of Italy».

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ITALY 2022: LEADERS AND IDEAS

The paper attempts to give an idea of the Italian political scene on the eve and after the extraordinary parliamentary elections in September 2022. The causes of the political crisis are analyzed and it is pointed out that by the level of political tension and intensity the elections in 2022 can be compared with the first parliamentary elections in the country in 1948. In the course of the election campaign political opponents of the centre-right coalition used the tools of labeling, the main of which were «friends of Putin», «populist», «neofascist». The article analyses these discursive techniques, and concludes that the left-wing forces in modern Italy, first of all the Democratic Party, are in a crisis, both in terms of ideology and leadership. The programme of the centre-right coalition and its ideas are considered separately; it is pointed out that the document contains a lot of «left» proposals related to the social support of citizens. The author analyses the reasons for the victory of the centre-right coalition and, in particular, of G. Meloni, highlighting the high social demand for change as the main factor behind the victory of the «Brothers of Italy».