Comparative Policy Analysis Research Articles

Comparative assessment and policy analysis of forecasting quarterly renewable energy demand: Fresh evidence from an innovative seasonal approach with superior matching algorithms

In the pursuit of sustainable development, accurate renewable energy demand forecasting holds great significance for climate change mitigation and promoting sustainability. However, renewable energy forecasting has been consistently challenged by seasonality and nonlinearity. Identifying the periodic and nonlinear characteristics concealed within renewable energy sources accurately is still an unexplored problem. Consequently, an innovative nonlinear discrete seasonal grey model is proposed for renewable energy forecasting, which incorporates seasonal dummy variables and a power exponent term for handling the seasonality and nonlinear patterns in time series. Furthermore, an intelligent algorithm matching framework is proposed to augment the flexibility of the newly developed model. For practical purposes, the new methodology is contrasted against a range of benchmarks encompassing statistical, machine-learning, and traditional grey models in forecasting the quarterly total renewable energy consumption in the United States. The proposed model exhibits over 27% improvement rates over its counterparts, achieving the most superior predictive accuracies of 1.45%, 39.27, and 0.79 in MAPEP, RMSEP, and MASEP metrics, respectively. Furthermore, the probability density and sample size analyses are conducted to validate the robustness of the new model, confirming its adaptability and stability towards algorithm randomness and historical information volume. Consequently, the novel model is employed to forecast the short-to-long-terms renewable energy consumption in the U.S., showcasing an upward trend and seasonal fluctuations of the consumption for the forthcoming 24 quarters from 2023Q4 to 2029Q3. These insights can offer valuable implications to the stakeholders such as energy suppliers, utility managers, and policy advocates, highlighting actionable strategies for optimizing renewable energy consumption forecasting and aiding sustainable development initiatives.

Comparative analysis of residential building decarbonization policies in major economies: insights from the EU, China, and India

The global building sector, responsible for over 30% of CO2 emissions, necessitates urgent decarbonization efforts. This paper examines residential building decarbonization policies in three major economies—the European Union (EU), China, and India. It provides an overview of diverse policies through policy landscape analysis and delves into the design specifics with a detailed policy intensity analysis of building energy codes, information disclosure, and financial incentives in each region. Our findings reveal a diverse mix of policies targeting residential building decarbonization in all three regions. While the EU and China have long-established diverse policy instruments, India's building energy efficiency policies are relatively recent and limited. Detailed analyses of building energy codes, information disclosure, and financial incentives expose variations in ambition, scope, and implementation, even with shared policy instruments. Significant advancements in building energy codes, particularly in stringency and compliance checks, are evident in the EU and China. Conversely, India faces a notable obstacle with limited adoption of residential building energy codes, impacting its journey towards net-zero. The EU leads in building energy labelling policies, while China and India encounter various challenges hindering widespread implementation. Financial incentives across the three regions predominantly take the form of subsidies, potentially straining public budgets. The study concludes with reflections on the pressing need for future research extending beyond the operational phase of buildings.

Federalism and Health Care: A Comparative Policy Analysis of Canada and Italy

Canada and Italy do not share many of the features associated with modern welfare state development, yet both countries have experienced changes in the way health care programs are administered and funded, and in the shift in fiscal responsibility between center and sub-national governments. This article explores the relationship between federalism, decentralization and health reform in Canada and Italy. It investigates how the two countries – one federal, the other “regionalized” – have designed and adapted their health care systems to respond to similar issues of equity, cost containment and organization.

WOMEN'S ISSUE IN UZBEKISTAN (USING THE EXAMPLE OF THE SOVIET PERIOD AND THE YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE)

This article provides a comparative analysis of the state policy towards women in Uzbekistan during the years of independence and the example of the Soviet period. The state policy on the treatment of women in the years of independence was comparatively analyzed on the basis of the legal and regulatory documents adopted in this direction.

Children’s Rights to and in Sport: A Comparative Analysis of Organizational Policies in the Scandinavian Countries

Children’s Rights to and in Sport: A Comparative Analysis of Organizational Policies in the Scandinavian Countries

Achieving the 2030 Agenda: Mapping the Landscape of Corporate Sustainability Goals and Policies in the European Union

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) were introduced in 2015 to advance the 2030 Agenda of sustainable development in all supporting countries. The SDGs are applicable to countries, non-governmental organizations, industries, and companies. In this article, we focus on the contribution of listed companies headquartered in the European Union (EU) to the SDGs. The EU intends to be the front-runner in the race for sustainable development and has adopted comprehensive strategies that mirror the UN SDGs. For this reason, we collected relevant data points from the Refinitiv Eikon database for 1156 companies headquartered in EU countries for the financial year 2022. The data collected refer to contributions to each SDG and the adoption of corporate sustainability policies. Data were statistically analyzed per country and sector to generate a comprehensive image of industry contributions to the SDGs in the EU. By applying a comparative analysis of country-level achievements and policies, the results point to four EU countries that are significant contributors to the SDGs through their economic activities. At the same time, other EU countries are still facing significant challenges in this domain. The socioeconomic considerations for these cases are laid out in the Discussion section. The present article offers a snapshot of corporate contributions to the SDGs as climate and geopolitical challenges become more prominent.

Comparative analysis of epidemic public opinion and policies in two regions of China based on big data

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019), the Chinese government has taken strict measures to prevent and control the epidemic. Although the spread of the virus has been controlled, people’s daily life and work have been affected and restricted to varying degrees. Thus people have different sentiments, these may affect people’s implementation and compliance with the policies, thus affecting the effectiveness of epidemic prevention and control. At present, few pieces of literature have analyzed the relationships between people’s feelings, policies, and epidemic trends. The object of this paper is to analyze the text content on social media, to find out the impact of the epidemic blockade policy on the public mood and the concerns expressed by the public about policies changes, and the interaction between policies and epidemic states at different stages of the epidemic. In this paper, we collected the posts of two cities where the epidemic occurred at the same time for analysis and comparative study. On the one hand, we revealed the changes in public attention and attitudes in the two regions during the epidemic, the other hand, it also reflects the differences in public sentiment between the two regions, as well as the correlation between emotions and policies and epidemic trends when different policies are adopted under different circumstances. The obtained results have a certain guiding significance for public health departments to formulate reasonable epidemic prevention policies.

Assessing the Role of Carbon Taxes in Driving Low-Carbon Transformations: A Comparative Analysis of Implementation Policies

Assessing the Role of Carbon Taxes in Driving Low-Carbon Transformations: A Comparative Analysis of Implementation Policies

DIGITAL BANKING AND FINANCIAL INCLUSION: A REVIEW OF PRACTICES IN THE USA AND NIGERIA

This paper examines the role of digital banking in advancing financial inclusion in the United States and Nigeria, aiming to identify and compare practices and outcomes in these two distinct economic contexts. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature and analysis of case studies, the study explores how digital banking platforms and services have been implemented and their impact on underserved populations. The research methodology includes a comparative analysis of secondary data, policy documents, and interviews with key stakeholders in the banking sector of both countries.
 Key findings reveal that digital banking has significantly contributed to financial inclusion by providing accessible, affordable, and convenient financial services. In the USA, technological advancements and a robust regulatory framework have fostered a competitive digital banking environment, leading to innovative solutions for reducing barriers to financial access. Conversely, in Nigeria, despite facing infrastructural and regulatory challenges, mobile banking and digital payment services have seen rapid growth, driven by the necessity to reach unbanked populations in remote areas.
 The paper concludes that while both countries have made strides in leveraging digital banking for financial inclusion, the success and scale of implementation vary due to differences in economic development, regulatory environments, and technological infrastructure. It suggests that cross-country learning and adaptation of best practices could further enhance the effectiveness of digital banking in promoting financial inclusion globally. This study contributes to the understanding of digital banking's potential in bridging the financial inclusion gap and offers recommendations for policymakers and financial institutions in both developed and developing countries.
 Keywords: Digital Banking, Financial Inclusion, Regulatory Frameworks, Policy Initiatives, Mobile Money, Digital Payment Systems, Regulatory Sandboxes, National Financial Inclusion Strategies, Consumer Protection, Financial Stability, Cybersecurity, Digital Literacy, Fintech Innovation.

Integrating genomics into Canadian oncology nursing policy: Insights from a comparative policy analysis.

To learn from two jurisdictions with mature genomics-informed nursing policy infrastructure-the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK)-to inform policy development for genomics-informed oncology nursing practice and education in Canada. Comparative document and policy analysis drawing on the 3i + E framework. We drew on the principles of a rapid review and identified academic literature, grey literature and nursing policy documents through a systematic search of two databases, a website search of national genomics nursing and oncology nursing organizations in the US and UK, and recommendations from subject matter experts on an international advisory committee. A total of 94 documents informed our analysis. We found several types of policy documents guiding genomics-informed nursing practice and education in the US and UK. These included position statements, policy advocacy briefs, competencies, scope and standards of practice and education and curriculum frameworks. Examples of drivers that influenced policy development included nurses' values in aligning with evidence and meeting public expectations, strong nurse leaders, policy networks and shifting healthcare and policy landscapes. Our analysis of nursing policy infrastructure in the US and UK provides a framework to guide policy recommendations to accelerate the integration of genomics into Canadian oncology nursing practice and education. Findings can assist Canadian oncology nurses in developing nursing policy infrastructure that supports full participation in safe and equitable genomics-informed oncology nursing practice and education within an interprofessional context. This study informs Canadian policy development for genomics-informed oncology nursing education and practice. The experiences of other countries demonstrate that change is incremental, and investment from strong advocates and collaborators can accelerate the integration of genomics into nursing. Though this research focuses on oncology nursing, it may also inform other nursing practice contexts influenced by genomics.

Model of legal regulation of clusters in the Russian Federation

Objective: to create a model of legal regulation of clusters in the Russian Federation.Methods: historical method, formal-legal analysis, statistical and sociological methods, systematization, comparative-legal method, methods of legal modeling and forecasting.Results: based on the analysis of scientific literature, Russian and foreign legislation and legal practice, the paper formulates the definition of a “cluster” concept (a group of business entities (suppliers, manufacturers, etc.) located on the territory of a special economic zone, operating in a certain sphere, producing and/or carrying out complementary goods, works, services), defines its features and types, and identifies the models of incentive legal regimes: (a) “model of derogations” – EPR model; b) “model of guarantees” – model of a legal regime stimulating entrepreneurial activity in the field of digital innovations and technologies in the PPP (MPP) framework; c) “model of support” – model of a legal regime stimulating entrepreneurial activity of SMEs in the field of digital innovations and technologies; d) “model of preferences” – model of a legal regime stimulating entrepreneurial activity within the boundaries of territories and entities with high innovation potential. The author proposes to create a unified legal regime of cluster and cluster activity in the Russian Federation by developing and adopting a relevant federal law and amending the legislation on special economic zones.Scientific novelty: the article is the first to carry out a comprehensive comparative legal analysis of clusters and cluster policy, their legal regulation in Russia and foreign countries.Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in scientific, pedagogical and law enforcement activities when considering issues related to the legal regulation of clusters and cluster policy in Russia and foreign countries, as well as legal regimes stimulating entrepreneurial activity in the field of digital innovation and technology.

Tanzania's and Germany's Digital Health Strategies and Their Consistency With the World Health Organization's Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025: Comparative Policy Analysis.

In recent years, the fast-paced adoption of digital health (DH) technologies has transformed health care delivery. However, this rapid evolution has also led to challenges such as uncoordinated development and information silos, impeding effective health care integration. Recognizing these challenges, nations have developed digital health strategies (DHSs), aligning with their national health priorities and guidance from global frameworks. The World Health Organization (WHO)'s Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025 (GSDH) guides national DHSs. This study analyzes the DHSs of Tanzania and Germany as case studies and assesses their alignment with the GSDH and identifies strengths, shortcomings, and areas for improvement. A comparative policy analysis was conducted, focusing on the DHSs of Tanzania and Germany as case studies, selected for their contrasting health care systems and cooperative history. The analysis involved a three-step process: (1) assessing consistency with the GSDH, (2) comparing similarities and differences, and (3) evaluating the incorporation of emergent technologies. Primary data sources included national eHealth policy documents and related legislation. Both Germany's and Tanzania's DHSs align significantly with the WHO's GSDH, incorporating most of its 35 elements, but each missing 5 distinct elements. Specifically, Tanzania's DHS lacks in areas such as knowledge management and capacity building for leaders, while Germany's strategy falls short in engaging health care service providers and beneficiaries in development phases and promoting health equity. Both countries, however, excel in other aspects like collaboration, knowledge transfer, and advancing national DHSs, reflecting their commitment to enhancing DH infrastructures. The high ratings of both countries on the Global Digital Health Monitor underscore their substantial progress in DH, although challenges persist in adopting the rapidly advancing technologies and in the need for more inclusive and comprehensive strategies. This study reveals that both Tanzania and Germany have made significant strides in aligning their DHSs with the WHO's GSDH. However, the rapid evolution of technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning presents challenges in keeping strategies up-to-date. This study recommends the development of more comprehensive, inclusive strategies and regular revisions to align with emerging technologies and needs. The research underscores the importance of context-specific adaptations in DHSs and highlights the need for broader, strategic guidelines to direct the future development of the DH ecosystem. The WHO's GSDH serves as a crucial blueprint for national DHSs. This comparative analysis demonstrates the value and challenges of aligning national strategies with global guidelines. Both Tanzania and Germany offer valuable insights into developing and implementing effective DHSs, highlighting the importance of continuous adaptation and context-specific considerations. Future policy assessments require in-depth knowledge of the country's health care needs and structure, supplemented by stakeholder input for a comprehensive evaluation.

Residual life modeling and maintenance planning for repairable systems

Abstract Accepted by: Phil Scarf This paper formulates a state-dependent mean residual lifetime model for a repairable system operating in a dynamic environment. The problem is addressed by means of a two-state damage process reflecting the effect of operating environment on the system and a repair process associated with the damage process. As the damage process shifts to a higher state, to maintain a minimum level of performance, the decision maker repairs the system at times that arise according to a point process with a constant intensity. We demonstrate the generality of the proposed model and show how existing models emerge as specific cases. Our approach stimulates further research on the determination of two types of maintenance policies: maintenance policy based on the number of imperfect repairs (Model I) and time-based maintenance policy (Model II). In both cases, using the renewal reward theorem argument, we aim at minimizing the long-run average maintenance cost per unit time by determining optimal replacement policies and the optimal level of imperfect repairs. We illustrate the proposed models and carry out a comparative analysis of maintenance policies through numerical examples. The main conclusions drawn are that repair and maintenance policies depend on the failure mechanism, repair frequency and the level of costs involved. Also, numerical comparison shows that the maintenance modelling based on the number of imperfect repairs (model I) outperforms the time-based replacement model (model II) and two baseline models ignoring the effect of operating environment or whose attention is restricted to perfect repair.

Comparative Analysis of Islamic Education Policies in Indonesia and Russia

This research discusses Islamic education policies in Indonesia and Russia. The importance of this study is based on the Islamic education policy process in countries with a majority Muslim population and countries with a majority non-Muslim population. This research was conducted using a qualitative approach, and data was collected from books, journals and experts' thoughts related to the research theme. Data was obtained with the help of an electronic database site with a Scopus-indexed national and international journal search site, which was then mapped by searching for inclusive and exclusive criteria. The next step was selecting studies, collecting data, and extracting data, and the data was analyzed using comparative techniques. Based on the findings, Islamic education policies have been implemented in Indonesia and Russia, as evidenced by the policies issued by the government for implementing Islamic education from the lowest level of education to the highest level of education. Indonesia implements an integral curriculum policy combining religious and general education. Russia implements a mandatory curriculum policy that requires students to choose their religious education, including Islamic education. Through this research, it is known that there is still room for Islamic education in secular countries, and secular countries believe that Islamic education plays a vital role in creating a generation of character. Thus, this research significantly contributes to the development of Islamic education at the global level by identifying space for Islamic education in secular countries and emphasizing the critical role of Islamic religious education in creating a society with character. This enriches discussions about the relationship between religion and education in the context of multiculturalism and religious pluralism and provides a basis for developing inclusive and sustainable education policies in various countries.

Mapping Ethical Artificial Intelligence Policy Landscape: A Mixed Method Analysis

As more national governments adopt policies addressing the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, a comparative analysis of policy documents on these topics can provide valuable insights into emerging concerns and areas of shared importance. This study critically examines 57 policy documents pertaining to ethical AI originating from 24 distinct countries, employing a combination of computational text mining methods and qualitative content analysis. The primary objective is to methodically identify common themes throughout these policy documents and perform a comparative analysis of the ways in which various governments give priority to crucial matters. A total of nineteen topics were initially retrieved. Through an iterative coding process, six overarching themes were identified: principles, the protection of personal data, governmental roles and responsibilities, procedural guidelines, governance and monitoring mechanisms, and epistemological considerations. Furthermore, the research revealed 31 ethical dilemmas pertaining to AI that had been overlooked previously but are now emerging. These dilemmas have been referred to in different extents throughout the policy documents. This research makes a scholarly contribution to the expanding field of technology policy formulations at the national level by analyzing similarities and differences among countries. Furthermore, this analysis has practical ramifications for policymakers who are attempting to comprehend prevailing trends and potentially neglected domains that demand focus in the ever-evolving field of artificial intelligence.

Comparative Analysis of Juvenile Crime and Protection Policies Between China and the United States and Their Implications

Youth represent the future of the nation and are the beacon of hope for people. Their actions significantly impact the country's trajectory and destiny. Juvenile delinquency has always been a focal point of societal concern. In recent years, incidents of juvenile crime have proliferated, affecting not only the development of the youth but also the progress of the nation. This study aims to compare juvenile crime protection policies between China and the United States. Through this comparison, areas where China can draw references and insights to fill the gaps in its juvenile crime protection legal framework are identified. China proposes effective measures to foster holistic development of youth, enhance the government's comprehensive governance capacity, and effectively drive societal progress and development. This research employs analogy analysis and mixed scanning theory to study the laws and policies of China and the United States. Results indicate differences between the two countries in aspects such as the establishment of juvenile courts, educational guidance, and online privacy. China can strengthen the construction of juvenile courts in underdeveloped regions, intensify community education and guidance efforts, and focus on protecting the online privacy rights of adolescents.

A comparative analysis of Chinese green building policies from the central and local perspectives using LDA and SNA

ABSTRACT China’s construction, energy consumption, and emissions are the world’s largest, making green building (GB) crucial for sustainable development and climate action. GB policies play a crucial role in promoting sustainable development and mitigating environmental impacts. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of China’s GB policies at both central and local levels using natural language processing (NLP), Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), and semantic network analysis (SNA). It also integrates three theoretical frameworks: Policy Implementation Theory, Sustainable Development Theory, and Innovation Diffusion Theory. The study aims to: (1) compare the characteristics of central and local GB policies; (2) identify problems and propose solutions to improve policy effects and impacts. The results show that both levels of policies cover various sustainability aspects but with different focuses. The SNA reveals the semantic relationships and differences within the policy documents. The study suggests several strategies to enhance GB policy effectiveness and sustainability, based on the three theoretical frameworks. These strategies include providing more specific guidance, enhancing financial support and incentives, promoting technological advancements, strengthening monitoring and evaluation, adopting a more systematic approach, democratizing policy formulation, identifying key stakeholders and influencers, and considering innovation characteristics. This study contributes to the GB policy research and practice in China. It is also the first study to use NLP, LDA, and SNA to comprehensively analyze China’s GB policies, and the first study to apply the three theoretical frameworks to GB policy analysis.

Alan Fenna, Sébastien Jodoin y Joana Setzer (eds.): Climate governance and federalism. A forum of federations comparative policy analysis

Reseña del libro de Alan Fenna, Sébastien Jodoin y Joana Setzer (eds.), Climate governance and federalism. A forum of federations comparative policy analysis, Cambridge University Press, 2023, 368 pp.

The Ideational Power of Strategic Autonomy in EU Security and External Economic Policies

AbstractThis article undertakes a comparative analysis of European Union security and external economic policies to explore the different trajectories of strategic autonomy (SA) in these two domains. In so doing, it contributes to a better understanding of endogenous drivers of policy change in response to geopoliticising pressures. Drawing on discursive institutionalism, it analyses three dimensions of ideational power: power in, power through and power over. The evidence, based on documentary analysis and interviews, demonstrates that though SA presented a more significant challenge to pre‐established paradigms in external economic relations, the role of the Commission as an ideational entrepreneur, supported by its coercive power, facilitated the adoption of the idea of (open) SA. Conversely, French President Emmanuel Macron was unable to persuade others of the adoption of a sovereigntist conception of SA in security, with the exception of defence industrial policy, where the Commission enjoys budgetary power and competences.

Future-proofing the people? A comparative analysis of data sovereignty as a discursive practice in Western European right-wing populism’s digital policies

This paper examines the concept of data sovereignty as a discursive practice in light of the populist idea of popular sovereignty and analyzes the digital policies of Western European right-wing populist parties (WEPs). It argues that WEPs use popular sovereignty and data sovereignty in a similar way: as discursive tools to legitimize drawing power back to the national level (with divergent and often contradictory interpretations), rather than workable foundations for policy plans. The paper also discusses how international cooperation, which populists often reject, is a useful tool to achieve data sovereignty. With this contradiction in mind, the paper develops an agent-based typology of data sovereignty as a discursive practice. It then analyzes the most recent official electoral programs of several WEPs: AfD in Germany, PVV and FvD in the Netherlands, UKIP in the UK, Vlaams Belang in Belgium, and Rassemblement National in France. It uses a comparative policy analysis to compare the cases along several data points such as the proposed roles of governments, private companies, and cyber diplomacy. Most of the WEPs under discussion see data sovereignty as synonymous with individual privacy, do not acknowledge the role of international cooperation, and use digital policy as a means of reinforcing their image as challenger parties.