Current Government Research Articles

Developing Transformational Strategies to Improve the Accessibility of E-Governmental Services in South African Local Government

The access to electronic governmental services is an important element of effective governance, particularly in developing nations such as South Africa, where there are still differences in access and skills to digital technologies. As digital transformation becomes increasingly important for effective governance, it is urgently necessary to develop strategies to ensure that all citizens can access electronic governmental services. This study focused on the development of transformation strategies to enhance access to electronic governmental services in local governments in South Africa. This qualitative research used existing literature and case studies to develop transformation strategies to improve access to digital government services. The paper evaluated how the accessibility of electronic government services affected the responsiveness and effectiveness of the provision of local government services. Moreover, the paper also examined the impact of socio-economic factors on the accessibility of electronic services provided by municipalities in South Africa. This included the assessment of the citizens' perceptions of the use and accessibility of the current electronic government services of the municipalities of South Africa. Finally, although electronic public administration services have great potential to enhance local governance in South Africa, their accessibility depends on a solution to socio-economic imbalances, infrastructure limitations, technological obstacles, and trust issues. The study provided strategies for promoting the access of local government e-government services in South Africa. As a result, the findings of the paper contributed to growing knowledge on e-government tactics to improve service delivery and promote good governance practices in South Africa. Keywords: E-Government Services, E-Government, South African Local government, Accessibility

A Protocol for a Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies Exploring the Perception of Unmet Needs by Informal Caregivers of Older People in Portugal

Background: The number of informal caregivers continues to rise worldwide. In Portugal, 10% of the population are informal caregivers and recent studies suggest that current government policies may not adequately support this population. This review aimed to find and synthesize relevant research on perceptions of unmet needs of informal caregivers of older people in Portugal. Methods/Design: A qualitative synthesis approach will be used. Electronic searches will be conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, and CINAHL. Gray literature will be searched through Portuguese databases and contact with researchers and patient organizations. Qualitative studies that evaluated Portuguese caregivers’ perceptions of unmet needs will be eligible. We will restrict to papers written in Spanish, English, or Portuguese and no date limitations will be applied. Data will be synthesized, and quality assessment will be done using CASP tool for qualitative research. PROSPERO registration number ID: CRD42022334859. Discussion: Findings from this future systematic review may lead to a better understanding of informal caregiving of older people in Portugal and may lead to the development of new policies and recommendations.

Reconciling British Values with Professional Identity: The Pursuit of Ontological Security Among Muslim Teachers in England

This article aims to investigate how the legal requirement to promote fundamental British values (FBVs) impacts Muslim teachers’ professional identity formation, utilising Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with self-identified Muslim teachers, including both male and female individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, employed in secondary schools across England. This study seeks to interpret Muslim teachers’ experiences through Anthony Giddens’ ontological security theory. Firstly, Muslim teachers expressed pride in being British and their successful integration into society. Secondly, the meaning of Britishness was elucidated by the participants through references to the values described in the current government guidelines on promoting FBVs. Finally, the impact of the obligation to promote FBVs on the professional identity formation of Muslim teachers points to a degree of ambivalence rooted in seeking ontological security. Certain teachers adopted an uncritical stance towards FBV policy, prioritising ‘values’ within the debate and thereby normalising the discourse surrounding FBVs. In contrast, others engaged in a critical analysis of FBV rhetoric, highlighting its adverse impact on academic discussions and their professional identities. From the perspective of ontological security theory, Muslim teachers are situated in a fragile position; while the majority grapple with ontological insecurity, others exist in a realm between ontological security and insecurity.

‘Everything is fine in India’: crafting emotional proximity among the Indian diasporas

ABSTRACT The relationship between states and the diaspora represents an important transformation from the focus on state, territoriality, and sovereignty, especially due to the rise of populist regimes and the instruments used by them. Diaspora becomes one of the instruments to not only exercise influence in international politics but also gain domestic legitimacy for political projects, transnationalising politics and populism. This paper elucidates the ways in which the current Indian government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has made efforts to craft proximity with the Indian diaspora in the USA, UK and Australia. We specifically focus on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at the Howdy, Modi! rally in 2019 in Houston Texas to illustrate the crafting of emotional proximity to the homeland, through a discourse focusing on aspirational pride. We place these populist narratives within the framework of an aspirational state, that is built on the politics of vishwas or trust, rather than empirical reality. By looking at how proponents of Hindu nationalism, shape the Indian diaspora’s emotional linkages to the homeland, the study illuminates the complex ways in which transnational emotional proximity is constructed across borders.

Decoding urban power: Architecture, symbolism and territorial control in Caracas

This study examines the conflictual dynamics surrounding the utilisation of state-architecture and symbolic imagery as instruments for power consolidation, profoundly shaping national identity and perceptions within the built environment. Drawing on Bourdieu's concepts of symbolic power and cultural capital, this research illuminates the complex interplay between architecture, territory and power. It offers insights into the endurance of societal values and the ongoing renegotiation and reconfiguration of urban space. The research also analyses how urban planning and territorial practices can ignite resistance and challenge existing power structures. The city of Caracas serves as a case study, where two key strategies employed by the current government are analysed: the “Great Housing Mission Venezuela” and the proliferation of Chávez symbolism across the urban realm. By exploring these territorialisation practices in Las Adjuntas, Macarao, the study further unveils the dynamics of power and socio-spatial hierarchies encoded in the urban landscape. These architectural and symbolic interventions are interpreted as attempts to shape perceived realities, consolidate hegemonic control, and regulate the city's socio-spatial order. The findings assert that these practices not only reflect power distribution, but also grant the potential for dominating, producing and controlling territories in nuanced ways. This multidisciplinary study provides a novel framework for decoding power structures embedded in the built environment.

Russia in the politics of South Caucasus countries after 2022

The research question is how national governments and civil societies reflect Russian involvement in the decision-making process of South Caucasus countries in 2022–2024? The structure of the research includes two sections: 1) Strategic interests of the countries of the South Caucasus and Russia in 2022–2024; 2) Changing the role of Russia in the South Caucasus in 2022–2024. In result of the research it was revealed that opting for a policy of normalization Georgia cannot renounce its territory (Abkhazia and South Ossetia). Azerbaijan has been the most consistent among the Caucasian countries in challenging Russian hegemony in the region. This trend intensified after the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine: Azerbaijan increased humanitarian aid to Ukraine; pro-Ukrainian sympathies in Azerbaijani society were expressed through a number of leading media outlets that openly supported Kyiv. Baku unilaterally reviewed the ceasefire agreement - 2020, mediated by Russia. Amid the international isolation of the Kremlin, Azerbaijan began to play a much larger role for Russia. Baku is important link in the chain of diplomatic and economic ties of Putin's regime. Russia tries to maintain productive relations with Baku, even at the expense of its long-time ally Armenia. Yerevan revises its foreign policy, favouring a pro-Western vector. In Yerevan, the pro-Russian opposition organized rallies against the current government. Moscow and Baku both gained mutual benefits: Russia destabilized the situation in Armenia, and Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity. However, these actions of Moscow struck at its influence in the region, marginalizing Russia and its "guarantees." The Caucasus provides a clear example of Russia's inability to continue playing the role of a major power: it simply lacks the strength and means.

Does audit opinion matter to issuance of sukuk?

Purpose - This study aims to analyze the effect of The Audit Board of The Republic of Indonesia's audit opinion on Central Government Financial Statement and economic factors on the Government Sharia Securities (sukuk) issuance of Indonesia.Method - The data collected is secondary data obtained from the Audit Board of the Republic of Indonesia (BPK), Bank Indonesia, and World Bank. This study uses a quantitative approach with the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) technique.Result - The results show that the audit opinion by BPK has a positive and significant influence on the development of sukuk in Indonesia. The inflation rate is found to have a negative effect on sukuk, but not significant. The exchange rate is found to have a positive and significant effect on the issuance of sukuk. Political stability is found to have a negative effect on the development of sukuk, but not significant. Changes in the growth have a negative and significant influence on the issuance of sukuk.Implication - The results provide a recommendation that in addition to maintaining the current Central Government Financial Statement opinion acquisition at the highest level (unqualified), the government needs to maintain the credibility and accountability of State Budget performance which is manifested through macroeconomic variables and other variables that influence the development of government Sharia securities.Originality - This study provides a new perspective on the influence of audit opinions and various economic factors on the issuance of sukuk in Indonesia, using a comprehensive data set covering the period from 2008 to 2022 and employing the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) technique for analysis.

Does Rigorous Government Regulation on Nonprofits Improve Their Outputs? Evidence from China

Abstract This study mainly takes China as an example to explore the logic between government regulation and outputs of nonprofit organizations in the context of authoritarian countries. Based on the theory of embeddedness and organizational legitimacy, using the panel data of 29 mainland provinces from 2010 to 2019, and applying the fixed effect model, it is found that government regulation has a positive effect on outputs of non-profit organizations. However, it is also found that there exists a single threshold, only government regulation intensity keeps in a certain range, the positive effect is made. Further research finds that government regulation positively impacts nonprofit outputs through encouraging social donations. Our findings fill the gap of exploring the logic between government regulation and nonprofits outputs, giving some enlightenment to regulators of similar regimes countries. We also have improved the current government regulation theory based on legitimacy and embeddedness theory empirically, extended and enriched embeddedness theory.

Conflicts and competing interests in infrastructure development: A case of N2 toll road project, wild coast, South Africa

The Wild Coast region in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, is arguably the least developed area, primarily due to its historical marginalisation caused by Apartheid. To counter this underdevelopment, the current government of South Africa plans to implement a 550 km N2 Toll Road Project to link East London in the Eastern Cape with Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. The government envisions that the project will lead to spatial development through improved accessibility to resources. However, it has been criticised by many, including local communities and environmental advocacy groups, who contend that it will result in socio-ecological disasters and conflicts. Against this backdrop, this study explored the differing views and conflicts among stakeholders affected by the N2 Toll Road Project. A qualitative research approach was adopted, involving in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) with government officials, local communities, business communities, and environmental advocacy groups. The findings indicate that the N2 Toll Road Project has generated significant controversy, with public opinion sharply divided between those who believe the road will have predominantly positive impacts and those who contend that its effects will be overwhelmingly negative. Concerns regarding the disruption of livelihoods, loss of land, destruction of socio-cultural heritage, and lack of consultation emerged as key sources of conflict among stakeholders. The study recommends the use of inclusive consultation processes and mitigation strategies to minimise conflicting ideologies among stakeholders.

An Analysis and Comparison Between the Chinese GaoKao System and the A-Level System in the UK: Challenges and Improvements

The majority of students in China, who need to attend Gaokao to be admitted by universities, are not facing the same opportunities. They are strictly required to study specific subjects, no matter students are good and interested at or not. In addition, universities are not admitting students purely according to their talents, instead factors like region, family, which field they want to study in the future do matter. This study will discuss such situation of Chinese Gaokao and make a comparison with the education system in the UK. It also mentions current government policies for extra points that are originally for higher fairness, but they are not fair anymore in current circumstances. This study also gives advices to government and universities on how to make improvement on current education system. The results of this study provides a scientific basis for decision makers to make more rational and effective decisions. It is of great significance to the government, related departments and most importantly, Chinese students.

Digital Media Competence in the Mexican Interactive Generation. Have Digital Competence Programs Worked in Mexico?

Objective: This research presents results of the digital media competence scale applied to Mexican youth during the period 2009-2023. With this evidence, the study is contrasted theoretically and empirically with the five major official programs on digital media competence implemented by the Ministry of Public Education of Mexico in said period. Theoretical Framework: The study was adjusted to the recommendations of international organizations such as UNESCO (2018) and the European Union (Livingstone, 2019). The scale was developed and adapted from a broader study on Internet consumption habits, digital skills, and online sociability in young people (León, et al., 2013; 2014; 2015). Method: A quantitative methodology of longitudinal descriptive cut was applied to present the empirical results of the scale on a sample of (N=4,753) high school students in Mexico. Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed the need to include a permanent teacher training program on literacy and basic digital skills in the field of basic education, as well as the creation of content on digital communication and information in all basic education plans and programs. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research provide sensitive information to modify future management programs within the public policy on digital culture. Originality/Value: The study contributes to the specialized literature by highlighting the management challenges that the New Mexican School headed by the current government should consider. The relevance and value of the data presented show a critical and independent position in contrast to the government's positions.

Conditional single-issue political entrepreneurship: The impact of education and attitudinal predictors on support for the Finns Party

This study explores support for the populist far-right Finns Party in the 2023 Finnish parliamentary election. In the 2023 election, the Finns Party obtained their largest historical vote share, which led to the party's inclusion in the current coalition government. Utilizing an original, nationally representative survey, we find that Finns Party support can mainly be explained by political entrepreneurship and the attraction of voters holding anti-immigrant sentiment. While we find that other attitudes had some relationship with Finns Party support, the substantive impact of these attitudes is far less substantial than are attitudes towards immigrants. Further, we find that the impact of attitudes towards immigrants and Finns Party vote choice intention is conditional on education level. Attitudes towards immigrants have a more limited impact on Finns Party support for respondents at higher education levels when compared with those at lower levels. The findings hold significance for the broader literature on populist parties, demonstrating that education can significantly diminish the translation of anti-immigration attitudes into support for far-right parties.

Features of contemporary state upskilling policies of India

Purpose: is to reveal features of contemporary State’s upskilling policies of India that are focused on improving the competitiveness of Indian labour.Methods: the article uses the methods of multiple comparative analysis, generalization, comparison and SWOT analysis of upskilling policies adopted by the government to upgrade the skills of the future workforce of India.Results: the article examines the major government policies on skill development in India, provides a comparative analysis of their role, importance and effectiveness, and conducts a SWOT analysis to better understand these policies. It summarizes the properties, features and functions of the contemporary Government policies on skill development to highlight the relevance and importance of developing new tools to enhance their effectiveness. The comparative analysis of various factors has shown that the current Government policies on skill development in India require a holistic and realistic approach to revise the objectives of the Government strategy in this area and set reasonable targets.Conclusions and Relevance: contemporary State upskilling policies such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, skill India etc. didn’t reach set target. Not so many young labor force is enrolling in the courses provided by the State due to lack of promotion activities and reach to the target audience. The Government has less statistics of the Indian labor market which could clearly define the on-time status of all the State initiatives. There is a need to develop an online platform of staffing to have clear and actual data of the labor market. The online platform of staffing can connect all the stakeholders of the labor market which would help the government to use the holistic approach for developing the Indian labor market together with the stakeholder of the market.

UK Labour Party Leaders' Attitudes to Conventional Threats to National Security, 2023-2024

Introduction. The article focuses on the securitisation of power threats in the public speeches of the UK Labour Party leaders (Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Defence Minister John Healey and Foreign Secretary David Lammy) during the 2023-2024 election campaign. An attempt has been made to highlight the commonalities and peculiarities in the approach of the current and previous British governments to countering the main threats to national security. Materials and methods. The paper combines qualitative and quantitative approaches: a critical content analysis of sources and discourse analysis in an electoral context (using data from sociological surveys) are conducted, while the frequency of word usage in the public speeches of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is analysed using the tools of quantitative analysis of big data (R programming language). The methodological basis of the work is the theory of securitisation proposed by the Copenhagen School of the theory of international relations.Research results. It is concluded that the main change in London's foreign policy after Labour's victory in the 2024 parliamentary elections will be the prioritisation of security cooperation with European states. Labour Party leaders do not question the need for ‘dual containment’ of Russia and China, but they give the ‘China threat’ secondary importance: there are noticeable differences within the party on this issue. On the other hand, Labour's position on the ‘special relationship’ with the United States is characterised by a steady continuity with the Conservative government's approach. The need to deepen cooperation in Euro-Atlantic security structures (primarily NATO) and continental formats (EI2, JEF) is stated.Discussion and conclusion. On the basis of qualitative examination of policy documents and statements of the Labour Party leaders, as well as quantitative analysis of big data, conclusions are drawn about the key elements of potential continuity and variability in the foreign policy of London before and after the parliamentary elections on July 4, 2024. The results of the work can be useful in forecasting changes in the foreign policy of Great Britain after the victory of Labour in the parliamentary elections of 2024. The theoretical importance of the work lies in the fact that the article proposes a new methodology for quantitative analysis of the foreign policy of the UK.

Spatial Analysis of Regional Planning Related to Moratorium Right to Cultivate (Plantation) in Indonesia

Indonesia is a country that is blessed by Allah Swt with a very large expanse of space and territory and is located on the equator surrounded by the sea. This is a natural resource that is very rarely owned by other countries, where the sun shines every year with high humidity. These resources are controlled by the state and used as much as possible for the welfare of the community. One of the related natural resources is plants that can grow well in the area. Oil palm is a plant originating from West Africa that is very suitable for growing in the equatorial area. Currently, Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil in the world. The greatest utilization of this blessing are for the welfare of the community and based on sustainable Regional Spatial Planning. On its implementation the Regional Spatial Planning has been divided according to its function and sustainability. This condition is contrary to the current government policy, where the government has implemented a moratorium policy on new business use rights for the Plantation sector. The regulation was Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 8 of 2018. The purpose of the Moratorium is to control the deforestation of Primary Forests and also improve the Governance of Oil Palm Plantations. In its implementation, there are indeed successes and weaknesses. Successes are mainly in holding back the rate of deforestation or forest encroachment. The weakness is that in terms of Regional Spatial Planning, there should still be many areas that can be used for developing plantation land, especially unproductive and non-forest areas. So that the ideals of improving the welfare of the community can be truly realized.

Meningkatkan Berpikir Kritis Siswa Katolik dengan Model Pembelajaran Problem Based Learning (PBL) Berbantuan Media Video Meteri Suara Hati Kelas X SMA Negeri 1 Bandar Khalipah

Something that should be thanked to the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) God Almighty, with the policy of the Government, especially the Minister of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) to publish the lesson books, including the lesson books for Catholic Religious Education and character. Apart from the researcher's gratitude for the publication of Catholic Religious Education and Books, the researcher also as one of the Teachers of Catholic Religious Education and character for the High School Level, that education plays an important role for the development of human for the better life , in terms of critical thinking. However, in realizing Catholic Religious Education and ethics to students, there are still many problems, one of the weakness is, the students' critical thinking skills which has an impact on decreasing their learning outcomes in class. Researcher as the teacher try to solve the problem which is faced in the classroom with a variety of learning models, one of the learning model which is used by the researcher is PBL (Problem Based Learning) .This learning model is implemented by two cycles ,that starting on Friday, September 13, 2024. Hopefully by applying this PBL model which is assisted by the video, can improve the Critical thinking of grade X Catholic students at SMA Negeri 1 Bandar Khalipah , in accordance with the vision and mission of the school and one of the objectives of National education, namely the formation of the Pancasila Student Profile (P3) character contained in the independent curriculum that is being promoted by the current government through the education minister of the Republic of Indonesia, namely Nadiem Anwar Makarim, B.A., M.B.A.

An argument for open education policy

While many historically contingent barriers to individual liberty have been deconstructed, I argue that current education policy continues to maintain a discriminatory educational milieu that constitutes individuals as dis/abled. I describe this current government formulation of educational spaces as Closed Policy. Various contingent environmental barriers, dynamically intersecting with, for example, gender, class, ethnicity, physiology, and neurodiversity; inhibit individuals due to constructed notions of ability and disability. I draw upon the principles of Open Futures, Open Society, piecemeal social engineering, and prioritarianism to call for a deconstruction of Closed Policy and movement towards Open Policy. I argue that current educational policy is unjust and should be deconstructed to free individuals from coercion, prejudice, and harm. I argue for a shift towards Open Policy so that difference can be celebrated and the potential for Open Futures is maximised.

Woody Grains In Chinese History: The Basis For New Agricultural Policies

Historically, China was not only a large agricultural country, but also a strong agricultural power. Because there were countless types of grains produced in China, it had never been a problem to feed tens of millions of people. After consulting Chinese literature records, we are always surprised to find that, in addition to the wellknown gramineous food crops, there are also many food crops produced from tall arbor or shrub. Such special food crops can be generally referred to as “tree- grains”. In this way, during the long history, the Chinese ancestors could not only have no worry about food, but also ensure an adequate supply of fuel and diversify clothing materials. Because of precisely out of a deep recognition and understanding of the superiority of Chinese traditional culture, the current Chinese government is able to put forward the decision-making on the modern agricultural transformation of establishing large-scale agriculture, large-scale food, and large-scale resources

Current economic crisis in the Republic of Moldova: characteristics and trends

The economic crisis represents a deep dysfunction in the activity of the mechanisms of an economy, which can manifest itself at the national, regional and world level. The purpose of this article is to present the basic characteristics of the current economic crisis in the Republic of Moldova. The research related to this article was carried out by examining information from the reports of authorized institutions and official databases in order to test the state of the economy of the Republic of Moldova, as well as the views of some experts on the topic addressed. As a result, it was found that currently, the economy of the Republic of Moldova is affected by a severe economic crisis. The anti-crisis measures undertaken by the current government of the Republic of Moldova have positive results. This article presents a synthesized, completed and specified picture of the current postpandemic crisis.

In the labyrinth of ideological search: ways to construct a memory of an uncomfortable past (on example of events of the 1917 Revolution and the Civil War)

This article is devoted to the problem of constructing a collective memory of the "inconvenient past" by modern elites of Russia on the example of the events of the 1917 revolution and the subsequent civil war. The conflict aspects of commemoration (installation of monuments and memorial signs) in the process of constructing an official historical narrative are considered. Concidered changes in the official historical narrative regarding the "difficult past" in different periods of time. The preservation of historical memory largely depends on the political objectives of the current government, which not only supports collective memory through various commemorative practices, but also constructs a modern historical narrative. This narrative does not imply the restoration of Soviet historiography; it combines a variety of interpretations of the events of the Revolution and the Civil War in the context of building the historical continuity of Russian statehood. Therefore, the images of some Soviet figures coexist with the figures of their opponents, forming ideas among the mass audience about patriotic service to the Russian state, regardless of ideological and political views. The "lost memory" is not being restored; current generations of Russians have not accepted the political experience of supporters of democratic socialism, who rejected Bolshevism and did not support the "white movement" in the civil war. The attitude towards the losers in the fight against the Bolsheviks today is negative, as towards weak and incapable politicians. Considering historical memory as an integral part of collective memory, it is concluded that only those events of the past that are perceived by society as extremely useful for modern generations are integrated into the structure of collective consciousness. In addition, the inertia of public consciousness affects the "selection of event material". For this reason, during the entire post-Soviet period, it was not possible to completely replace the former Soviet ideological cliches with a new historical narrative.