Confidence In State Institutions Research Articles

The improvised expert: Staging authority at an OECD Nuclear Energy Agency workshop in Fukushima

In recent years, concerns about a crisis of expert authority have been expressed across the globe. Japan is no exception to this trend. Scandals surrounding the (mis)management of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster severely damaged public confidence in state institutions, posing an additional challenge for those engaged in radiological protection. This article examines how claims to expert authority are made in these conditions of low public trust. To this end, I offer an ethnographic account of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s (NEA) Workshop on Post-Accident Food Safety Science—an event staged at the request of the Japanese Cabinet Office with the aim of inspiring confidence in Fukushima produce. I analyse the practices through which the organizers craft a credible public persona using the idiom of dramaturgical improvisation; drawing attention to the ‘performed resourcefulness’ with which they adapted extant institutional scripts in response to a discerned crisis of public reason. Concretely, improvisation invites us to consider how and why nuclear policy actors have sought to demarcate two variants of the deficit model: the (psychological) discourse of ‘radiophobia’ and the (economic) discourse of ‘reputational damage’. Where prior scholarship has identified the continuities between the two discourses, an attention to this boundary work reveals the dramaturgical advantages of ‘reputational damage’ over ‘radiophobia’ in contesting critics’ claims to the mantle of victimhood, securing international support, and producing the expert’s body as a site of evidence.

Institutional reforms and social trust: Quasi-experimental evidence from the Caucasian states

I study the effect of institutional quality on social trust. As a source of exogenous variation, I consider the natural experiment of institutional reforms in the post-Soviet nation of Georgia following the 2003 Rose Revolution. I examine the level of social trust among Armenians and Azeris, the two ethnic groups that were largely uninvolved in the revolutionary events, and whose homelands have been partitioned between Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan by the arbitrarily drawn boundaries inherited from the Soviet era. I show that people who were exposed to post-revolutionary Georgian institutions have higher levels of social trust. They also have higher levels of confidence in state institutions, but not higher intragroup cohesion. My findings suggest that improvement in institutional quality is important in fostering social trust.

Association between social capital and COVID-19 preventive behaviors: Country-level ecological study

BackgroundThe association between social capital and preventive behaviors against COVID-19 remains controversial. We examined the association between social capital and preventive behaviors against COVID-19 at country level. MethodsThe data on country-level social capital (i.e., social trust, group affiliations, civic responsibility, and confidence in state institutions) was obtained from a previous literature based on World Value Survey. Preventive behaviors were calculated as the percentage of people in a country who took COVID-19 preventive behaviors (i.e., physical distancing, hand hygiene, and the use of face mask) from an international survey of Facebook users, from July to October 2020 (207 data points for 9 waves of 23 countries). The scores on social capital were standardized. The association was investigated with multilevel linear regression analysis. ResultsHigh civic responsibility (per 1 standard deviation, SD) was associated with low percentage points of physical distancing (β = −4.66, 95% confidence interval, CI: 7.23, −2.09), hand hygiene (β = −2.88, 95% CI: 3.98, −1.78) and the use of face mask (β = −3.95, 95% CI: 5.29, −2.62). Group affiliations were associated with high percentage points of physical distancing (β = 2.96, 95% CI: 0.35, 5.58) and the use of face mask (β = 1.80, 95% CI: 0.45, 3.16). Social trust had significant positive association with performing hand hygiene (β = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.09, 2.35). ConclusionsThese results suggested that in countries with higher levels of civic responsibility, preventive behaviors should be more intensified during a pandemic.

Revisiting the role of civic organizations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan: Confidence, membership, and democratic practice

AbstractIn many emerging and authoritarian countries, civil society organizations that focus on political or sensitive policy issues are being cracked down upon, while service‐oriented ones are given a relatively greater ability to operate. What might the consequence of this be for democratic practice given the important role civic organizations play in this process? We examine this question by considering whether the absence of confidence in a country's governing institutions is related to membership in service‐rather than governance‐focused civic organizations, and how such membership is associated with elite‐challenging, political activities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. We find that individuals who have no confidence in state institutions are less likely to seek membership in governance‐focused civic organizations, but not necessarily in service‐focused ones. At the same time, membership in both types of civic organizations is associated with participation in political activities, while beliefs that a country is run democratically decreases it. This suggests that a variety of civic organizational types, even those without an explicit governance‐focus, contingent on perceptions of democratic governance and other covariates held constant, enhance democratic practice.

Social capital in the formation and increase of citizens' confidence in state institutions in the global aspect

Social capital in the formation and increase of citizens' confidence in state institutions in the global aspect

ESSENCE AND SPECIFICITY OF CIVIL-LEGAL MECHANISM OF RIGHT TRANSFER IN LEGAL RELATIONSHIPS OF COMMON PROPERTY

The purpose of the article is to highlight the problematic issues in reforming the civil service and the role of prosecuting authorities in improving the quality of service delivery and public confidence. Methods. In defining and working out the directions of reforming public administration, the theoretical and prognostic method was used. Results. The directions of public administration reform are defined: formation and coordination of public policy; modernization of the civil service and human resources management; ensuring accountability of public administration bodies; provision of administrative services; management of public finances. The need for raising public confidence in state institutions of public power during reforms was emphasized. The article covers the problems of reforming the civil service in the context of the European integration process in Ukraine, and the role of the prosecutor’s office in this reform. Based on the analysis of legal acts defining these areas, the problem issues of public service in the prosecutor’s office and the State Bureau of Investigation are identified. It is emphasized that effective public administration implies the ability of a country to provide administrative services and ensure its economic growth and competitiveness in the international arena. Civil service reform largely determines the success of other reforms, the results of which are directly dependent on the quality of government decisions. The directions of public administration reform are defined: formation and coordination of public policy; modernization of the civil service and human resources management; ensuring accountability of public administration bodies; provision of administrative services; management of public finances. It is proved that the reform of the civil service largely determines the success of other reforms, the results of which are directly dependent on the quality of the administrative decisions of the state bodies. It has been found out that the reform of the civil service is an integral part of the more general reform of the public administration (public administration) together with the reform of the system of executive bodies, the reform of administrative services, the reform of the system of public finances. It has been concluded that the implementation of public administration reform – in general and the prosecutor's office – in particular, can produce the following results: improving the quality of public services to be provided by competent staff. The prosecution service must be depoliticized, stable and professional, citizen-oriented in order to accomplish its tasks in the interests of the state, transparent and controlled by civil society. Ultimately, this will increase citizens' confidence in government and public institutions, which is the key to the success of reforms.

Mauritania: the Evolution of Political Structures

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania as an independent State emerged as a result of the collapse of colonial French West Africa, which included Mauritania. Its independence was declared on November 28, 1960. At the turning point of historical epochs, under the influence of national liberation movements on the continent and the general democratization of world government institutions, wide opportunities opened up for political activity, both for individual parties and movements, and for a particular individual. The pressure of foreign monopolies, the archaic social structure, internal political instability and the complexity of relations with neighboring countries have become serious obstacles to the development of Mauritania. During the years of independence, Mauritania has repeatedly experienced coups d’etat, which could not but have a negative impact on the entire socio-political spectrum of this West African country. Decades of French colonial influence has been reflected in the formation of political institutions in Mauritania, such as the Constitutional Council and the judiciary. Mauritania’s domestic policy has been based on racial and ethnic lines for many years. The protracted confrontation resulted in a conflict between the black population mainly in the south of the country and the traditionally Berber Arabs living in the northern regions, whose representatives held leading state posts. Each new head of state who came to power in post-colonial Mauritania, among the main tasks of domestic development, set the task of uniting various ethnic groups. Despite the obvious difficulties in solving this issue, the main tasks of the country’s leadership in the field of domestic policy are strict compliance with the current legislation in order to restore public confidence in state institutions and psychological restructuring of the consciousness of the vast majority of the population, aimed at developing a new attitude to domestic political life. In the 1980s, the country began a movement for the right of women to participate in the socio-economic sphere. But only in the 21st century did they gain the right to hold political office, although they are still required to live under Sharia law. At the level of public consciousness, the participation of women in politics and in other spheres of public activity is not approved. Traditional slavery is a special problem of socio-political development.

Citizen Participation in Solving Issues of Local Significance: Experience of the Republic of Belarus

The article presents a brief analysis of the legal acts of the Republic of Belarus on the participation of citizens in the discussion and solution of local affairs and the practice of their application, as well as the results of the implementation of a number of projects of international technical assistance in this area. Citizen participation in decision-making is one of the key tools for increasing public confidence in state institutions at all levels of government, reducing the level of social tension and the risk of conflict situations in the modern society. The state acquires an additional opportunity to raise its awareness of the problems, needs and expectations of the population, as well as maximize the involvement of the potential of individual citizens and civil society as a whole by enabling citizens to participate in discussions and decision-making.

The Role of Media Campaigns in Raising Awareness of Development Issues and Their Relationship to the Level of Anxiety in Adolescents

The study sought to determine the role of media campaigns in educating university youth about various developmental issues and their relationship to their level of anxiety. The study is descriptive. It relied on the survey method on a sample of 400 adolescents at Ain Shams University. The most important forms of benefiting from the follow-up of media campaigns related to development issues came to provide them with important information about development issues, give a sense of confidence in state institutions, increase the sense of responsibility towards society, follow up on current development issues, awareness and interest in them. The most important media campaigns presented on satellite channels related to development issues are health awareness campaigns (Coronavirus - C virus campaign - 100 million health campaign - breast cancer), slum development campaigns, solidarity and dignity campaign to support the needy, small and micro enterprises support campaign, payment campaigns, electronic, economic campaign (price reduction - price control), low-income support campaign (supply system - bread system), campaigns for the disabled and people with special needs. The positive aspects of media campaigns related to development issues came as follows: The presented development issues are new and consistent with the current needs of society, their goals are clear and specific, their design is innovative, they encourage positive change, they seek to meet the needs of the ordinary citizen, the celebrities involved in media campaigns, the serious development issues that It presents it through its messages, the technical methods used in presenting development issues.

LEGAL PROBLEMS OF LEGAL ENTITIES 'LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES TO THE ENVIRONMENT REGULATION

The relevance of this study. Gender inequality in employment is a complex phenomenon that can be observed in organizational structures, work processes and practice. It should be noted that this is a global problem, as equal rights, and opportunities for both sexes have not been fully and comprehensively implemented either in Lithuania or in many other countries. It should be noted that in 1998 Lithuania was one of the first in Eastern and Central Europe to adopt the Law on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men. The analyzed topic is especially relevant, because in both Lithuania and Turkey there are more and more cases of violations of women's rights in labor relations. According to the Special Investigation Service, there is an increasing number of cases of such offenses with signs of discrimination. However, political confidence in Lithuania remains relatively low due to the democratic deficit: democracy is not yet rooted enough to give the public absolute confidence in state institutions, and state institutions themselves do not function in a way that promotes trust in them. All this creates a negative image of the Lithuanian work environment. Some employment authorities are passive in responding to this situation and are not looking for solutions to prevent this phenomenon. There is currently no system in place to reveal or recommend the most effective methods of combating discrimination in employment. The main problem. Analyzing the problematic situation regarding violations of women's rights in labor legal relations, the following main problems can be raised: firstly, it is more difficult for women, as weaker parties to the employment relationship, to protect themselves from guarantees that are not applied to them properly, for example by employers abusing their position by not giving workers raising their days of rest or by not respecting the statutory right to leave. While these violations appear to be of a general nature, they are considered violations of women’s rights. secondly, although discrimination is widely discussed in society, cases of discrimination are not always recognizable. Cases of sexual harassment, or open statements and actions of the employer against a person's gender, age, nationality, are usually imagined in terms of discrimination. Less emphasized types of discrimination remain unrecognized, with the result that the employee does not defend his or her violated rights. thirdly, distrust of state-provided remedies for violated rights still prevails in both Lithuania and Turkey. Often, a large proportion of women have experienced violations of equal rights and opportunities without recourse. The following tasks: 1. To clarify the concepts of women and labor rights. 2. To identify the problems of violations of women's rights in labor legal relations. 3. Examine the implementation of equal rights and opportunities in employment. 4. To present the results of the analysis of violations of women's rights based on the data of the conducted research. The aim of this work Analyse the legal acts ensuring women's rights and identify areas for improvement in the fight against violations of women's rights in labour relations. The paper concluded that discrimination against women in employment often has a negative impact on women's earnings and opportunities, as well as a significant shortage of women in management positions, and women need more time to pursue a career. Probably the main factor that causes women to experience discrimination and rights violations in employment is motherhood. Motherhood and the gender division of labour, for which women have the main responsibility for maintaining their homes and families, are important perpetrators of gender inequality and inequality between women. The novelty the analysis provided insight into today's problems in ensuring women's rights, which will help to draw conclusions and make proposals that could influence the improvement of legislation regulating women's rights. Given that existing research on equal rights is not sufficiently comprehensive and new, and that it focuses on equal rights in general, without excluding women as a subject, research material will be useful for both legal practitioners and researchers who will benefit from the results of this work and will continue the analysis of the issues on this topic. As the result proper implementation of equal rights and opportunities reduces violations of women's rights in employment. The used methodology. The following methods were used in the work: systematic analysis, document analysis, comparative, historical and generalization methods

Response to Lindström (2020) on "The trouble with trust: Time-series analysis of social capital, income inequality, and COVID-19 deaths in 84 countries".

There is substantial cross-national variation in the damage caused by COVID-19 and scant evidence on social and cultural factors that contribute to this variation. Our ecologic study of country differences in COVID-19 mortality found that deaths have increased faster in societies that had less confidence in state institutions and less civic engagement, more social trust and group affiliations, and higher income inequality (Elgar et al., 2020). Here, we respond to three criticisms of the study raised by Lindström (2020) regarding (1) socioeconomic patterns in influenza pandemics and the current COVID-19 pandemic, (2) data gaps in cross-national studies of wealth inequality and (3) the robustness of our findings across previous survey cycles of the World Values Survey. We stand by our results and encourage further investigation using larger samples, longer time periods and different approaches and measures. It is vital for social science to contribute to policy decisions that can mitigate the enormous human toll of the pandemic.

A commentary on "The trouble with trust: Time-series analysis of social capital, income inequality, and COVID-19 deaths in 84 countries".

This study investigates associations between central aspects of social capital (social trust, group affiliations, civic engagement, confidence in state institutions), income inequality (Gini index for income), and COVID-19 mortality in 84 countries included in different time waves of the World Values Survey (WVS) (Elgar et al., 2020). Comments: First, infectious diseases are either patterned according to socioeconomic status (SES), determined by e.g. habitus, nutrition and crowded housing or clustering, or not according to SES. Second, the focus on economic inequality measured as income inequality (Gini index) should be complemented with measures of wealth inequality (Gini index for wealth), following the globalization process with tax exempted multinational companies. Third, the aspects of social capital were measured in different time waves of the World Values Survey (WVS) for different countries, which is a weakness because trust and other aspects of social capital vary over time and depend on specific events and social and economic trends.

The trouble with trust: Time-series analysis of social capital, income inequality, and COVID-19 deaths in 84 countries.

Can social contextual factors explain international differences in the spread of COVID-19? It is widely assumed that social cohesion, public confidence in government sources of health information and general concern for the welfare of others support health advisories during a pandemic and save lives. We tested this assumption through a time-series analysis of cross-national differences in COVID-19 mortality during an early phase of the pandemic. Country data on income inequality and four dimensions of social capital (trust, group affiliations, civic responsibility and confidence in public institutions) were linked to data on COVID-19 deaths in 84 countries. Associations with deaths were examined using Poisson regression with population-averaged estimators. During a 30-day period after recording their tenth death, mortality was positively related to income inequality, trust and group affiliations and negatively related to social capital from civic engagement and confidence in state institutions. These associations held in bivariate and mutually controlled regression models with controls for population size, age and wealth. The results indicate that societies that are more economically unequal and lack capacity in some dimensions of social capital experienced more COVID-19 deaths. Social trust and belonging to groups were associated with more deaths, possibly due to behavioural contagion and incongruence with physical distancing policy. Some countries require a more robust public health response to contain the spread and impact of COVID-19 due to economic and social divisions within them.

РОЛЬ ПРОКУРАТУРИ В ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННІ ПОСТУПАЛЬНОГО РОЗВИТКУ ДЕРЖАВНОЇ СЛУЖБИ

The purpose of the article is to highlight the problematic issues in reforming the civil service and the role of prosecuting authorities in improving the quality of service delivery and public confidence. Methods. In defining and working out the directions of reforming public administration, the theoretical and prognostic method was used. Results. The directions of public administration reform are defined: formation and coordination of public policy; modernization of the civil service and human resources management; ensuring accountability of public administration bodies; provision of administrative services; management of public finances. The need for raising public confidence in state institutions of public power during reforms was emphasized. The article covers the problems of reforming the civil service in the context of the European integration process in Ukraine, and the role of the prosecutor’s office in this reform. Based on the analysis of legal acts defining these areas, the problem issues of public service in the prosecutor’s office and the State Bureau of Investigation are identified. It is emphasized that effective public administration implies the ability of a country to provide administrative services and ensure its economic growth and competitiveness in the international arena. Civil service reform largely determines the success of other reforms, the results of which are directly dependent on the quality of government decisions. The directions of public administration reform are defined: formation and coordination of public policy; modernization of the civil service and human resources management; ensuring accountability of public administration bodies; provision of administrative services; management of public finances. It is proved that the reform of the civil service largely determines the success of other reforms, the results of which are directly dependent on the quality of the administrative decisions of the state bodies. It has been found out that the reform of the civil service is an integral part of the more general reform of the public administration (public administration) together with the reform of the system of executive bodies, the reform of administrative services, the reform of the system of public finances. It has been concluded that the implementation of public administration reform – in general and the prosecutor's office – in particular, can produce the following results: improving the quality of public services to be provided by competent staff. The prosecution service must be depoliticized, stable and professional, citizen-oriented in order to accomplish its tasks in the interests of the state, transparent and controlled by civil society. Ultimately, this will increase citizens' confidence in government and public institutions, which is the key to the success of reforms.

LESSONS FROM FISCAL DECENTRALIZATION IN UKRAINE

In order to build an effective model of management of budget funds, it is important to ensure the constant and systematic disclosure of information on the accumulation of financial resources of the state and local budgets and the directions for their use. The first results of the process of fiscal decentralization in Ukraine are considered, which is accompanied by changes in the budget and tax legislation. Specifics of the formation of tax revenues of budgets of joint territorial communities are outlined. The state of disclosure of budget documents by the amalgamated territorial communities is highlighted and the need for coordination of the authorities in this area is indicated. Understanding citizens› spending processes in the public sector can significantly increase confidence in state institutions, provide conditions for the implementation of necessary reforms in all-important areas of the country. In the context of the fiscal decentralization reform launched in 2015, the issue of transparency of financial information at the local level in Ukraine is raised, as significant amounts of financial resources are transferred to local budgets. Strengthening the focus on local government action on effective management of budget funds should be a priority for public organizations and political parties. The implementation of the state policy aimed at increasing transparency and openness in the management of financial resources in the public sector will ensure the tangible results in the social and economic spheres that will be obtained by the citizens of the communities.

Fighting Corruption and Enhancing Tax Compliance through Digitization: Achieving Sustainable Development in Romania

Fighting corruption and enhancing tax compliance through digital public services represent key factors for increasing sustainable development in Romania. We argue that fighting corruption may increase the level of sustainable development, through digital pubic services. Using digital public services leads to the increase of the level of tax compliance, because entrepreneurs will feel more confident and responsible and they will decide to better comply. Tax regulations can affect the level of tax compliance through the additional costs they generate. The discussion is based on the consideration of the costs generated by compliant behavior and we explain how such costs influence the entrepreneurs’ decision in the fiscal environment. If the costs are higher, entrepreneurs will take evasive initiatives and will refuse to comply. Among the numerous tools developed to fight corruption, the use of communication technologies has recently been researched and there is still need for further research in the Romanian economic environment. The use of digital public services reduces costs for entrepreneurs and increases their confidence in state institutions due to higher levels of transparency. We argue for increasing sustainable development in Romania through digital public services, thus fighting corruption and enhancing tax compliance.

Polityka antyterrorystyczna jako dylemat demokracji liberalnej

Terrorism is harmful to democratic governments and societies. In addition to the visible and the direct effects of attacks on bystanders, aim bombers are undermining democratic values, including the weakening of confidence in state institutions and laws that regulate their functioning. As a result of the use of violence can permanently give birth to create a socio-political divisions, antagonize certain entities and groups, and thus provoke conflicts thus destroying the existing compromises, agreements or arrangements between the parties concerned. In matters of international terrorism it is not only a challenge for the rule of law, but because it also applies to relations between states, poses a serious threat to security and stability.

Institutions, crises, and political confidence in seven contemporary democracies. An elite–mass analysis

There is ample consensus in the literature that institutional confidence by the public is needed in democracies and at the same time elites, particularly political elites, need to share this confidence in their guidance of state institutions, if political stability in established democracies and the consolidation of new democracies are desired. The research takes the form of a quantitative analysis based on the World Values Surveys and the elite surveys (parliamentarians) conducted in 2006 (before the financial crisis) and in 2012–2013 (post the crisis when apparently, the worst of the economic crunch had lessened up) in the 7 countries selected. We explore what lies at the base of political confidence in the selected countries. We investigate whether levels of confidence are more strongly based on political attitudes or more specifically influenced by economic attitudes. Countries from different continents, South Africa (Africa); Chile (Latin America); Germany and Sweden (Western Europe); South Korea (Asia); Poland (Eastern Europe); and Turkey (Eurasia) were included in the analysis. Political factors explain a high level of mainly confidence in state institutions, with different percentages of explained variance among the different countries. Capacity of the state to deal with the economy seems to worry elites more than the public. Elites, especially those in government, have in general, a higher level of confidence in state institutions compared to the public. Similarly, the elites also had a noticeable higher level of confidence in civil society than the public in 2006 and 2013 in the majority of the countries in the study.

Participation without Power

Citizen participation has become an important political strategy. A case study of the Barranquilla land-use plan employing Fung and Wright’s theories on countervailing power reveals that the citizen participation promoted to comply with legal requirements was a failure because it was manipulated by the dominant public actor. In societies such as that of Barranquilla, which employs traditional modes of politics, there is little chance of fostering successful participatory processes because there is no countervailing power to offset the established one. The violent context that surrounds the political sphere, low confidence in state institutions, and the convergence of economic and political power prevent the creation of strong and independent countervailing powers.La participación ciudadana se ha convertido en una importante estrategia política. El estudio de caso del plan de usos de terrenos de Barranquilla a través del prisma de las teorías de Fung y Wright sobre el poder compensatorio revela que la participación ciudadana promovida para cumplir con los requisitos legales fue un fracaso porque fue manipulada por el actor público dominante. En sociedades como la de Barranquilla, con sus modos tradicionales de la política, hay pocas posibilidades de fomentar procesos de participación exitosos porque no hay un poder compensatorio que contrarreste el poder establecido. El contexto violento que envuelve la esfera política, la poca confianza en las instituciones estatales y la convergencia del poder económico con el poder social impiden la creación de poderes compensatorios fuertes e independientes.

Challenges, debates, and reflections on the “post” in “post-conflict” Côte d'Ivoire: an introduction

How do you rebuild states after war? How do you restore confidence in state institutions weakened by violent conflict? How do you repair deeply divided social relations after more than a decade of ...