Fundamental Reform Research Articles

Challenges of Delivering Healthcare from an Economic and Public Finance Perspective

As populations grow older, the sustainability of current healthcare systems is being questioned. This paper considers what is necessary to ensure the sustainability of the healthcare system in Japan from the perspective of economics and public finance. In particular, it addresses the cost-effective use of limited medical resources. It also considers the problems of current regulations and regulatory regimes, which tend to protect vested interests. It may be necessary to carry out fundamental reforms of the regulatory system to deliver a sustainable healthcare system.

COMPOSITION OF SOCIAL INSURANCE COSTS AND GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE USE

The article explores the financial analysis of Uzbekistan's social insurance system, encompassing economic-statistical analyses of different social insurance types and the results of pension and allowance disbursement software. It discusses the rise in recipients of social benefits and material assistance for low-income families, along with their financial sources. The implementation of the social insurance system necessitates financial resources, making social funds integral to economic mechanisms for income redistribution. These funds, whether state or non-state, depend on factors like the national economic development model. Acknowledging their role in financial relations, social funds have a specific financial purpose, crucial in priority areas. Ongoing research focuses on effective organization and financing of the social protection system, emphasizing the development of voluntary and mandatory medical insurance, improving unemployment benefit procedures, and enhancing pension system stability. Recent initiatives in Uzbekistan include the revision of pension procedures, fundamental pension system reform, laws on compulsory health insurance, and the development of the "Law on Social Insurance." Scientific research aims to strengthen social protection for specific groups and enhance the existing social insurance system.

Constraints and enablers of regional environmental policy: governance challenges in England and Wales

ABSTRACT It is increasingly recognised that regional environmental policy is important not just for implementing national or international targets but also for policy innovation and leadership. However, international progress is limited by significant variation, with many regions failing to deliver effective environmental governance. In this paper, we argue that one important explanation of this variation is the power dynamics within multi-level governance systems. Specifically, using the UK as a case study, we identify the constraints and enablers of regional environmental policy that emanate from power asymmetries in the wider governance system. Through semi-structured interviews and document analysis, we identify the constraints and enablers faced by three UK regions: the West Midlands, the Humber and the Cardiff Capital Region. We find that while enablers tend to be isolated and region-specific, constraints are consistent across regions and form interlocking webs that significantly limit the effectiveness of regional environmental governance in the UK. This implies that attempts to implement holistic, long-term environmental transitions need to look to more fundamental reforms to the structure of political systems, paying particular attention to the constraining effects of asymmetric power dynamics.

Законодательные акты как основа реформ 1860–1870 гг.: историографический аспект

This article presents the historical experience of state reforms, which are one of the most urgent tasks of Russian historical science throughout the entire period of its development. The Law of February 19, 1861 is not considered as a separate, isolated act, but represents the basis for the modernization of the entire state system. The author notes that the study of the legislative activity of the highest state institutions of the Russian Empire in the era of fundamental reforms of the 1860s and 1870s makes it possible to better understand the processes taking place in the authorities of the Russian Federation today.

ЕКОСИСТЕМНІ ПЛАТЕЖІ ТА ЗБЕРЕЖЕННЯ ЛІСОВИХ ЕКОСИСТЕМ УКРАЇНИ: ЗАКОРДОННИЙ ДОСВІД ТА РИНКОВЕ ЦІНОУТВОРЕННЯ

Environmental issues are too important for the modern world, especially for Ukraine. This topic, despite its relevance, is far from complete. One of the most effective methods of solving these problems is environmental taxation, which makes it possible to introduce regulatory levers of influence on consumers of Natural Resources. Different countries have developed their own approaches to the implementation of tax methods in the mechanism of environmental relations between the state and its counterparties. At the same time, other alternative schemes of these relationships are being introduced. Environmental tax rates in Ukraine lag behind European ones (which is an additional, too influential reason for slowing down in solving environmental problems), and given the European choice of Ukraine, it is relevant to review the current environmental tax rates. This is exactly the goal set in this study. The economic interests of the state and its counterparty consist in determining the amount of ecosystem payments for natural resources, the essence of which is their intended purpose ‒ the preservation, reproduction or restoration of ecosystems, their potential and functions. The authors prove that the current procedure for determining the cost of natural resources through their prime cost is fundamentally wrong and erroneous in its essence, since it does not meet their regulatory purpose. The fundamental reform of the sphere of environmental taxation should take into account: first, the presence of state ownership of Natural Resources in Ukraine; second, the definition of environmental payments as the cost of ecosystem services provided by the relevant ecosystems; third, the need to introduce market elements in the pricing system for these services. Using the example of forest resources, the author's own approach is justified and our own methodology for determining ecosystem payments as the cost of ecosystem services provided by these resources to their consumers is proposed. The cost of ecosystem services for forest ecosystems consists of the cost of assimilation services (absorption of harmful substances by forest ecosystems – carbon dioxide) and the cost of oxygen-producing services (generation of oxygen by them). This ensures that not only and not so much the level of cost of Natural Resources is taken into account, but also, importantly, the use value of ecosystem services provided to consumers by ecosystems. However, the cost of Ecosystem Services determined in this way should be considered as the minimum allowable (basic) level of their price. In the future, to respond to the ratio of supply and demand in the ecosystem services market, it is proposed to apply additional elements of the tender pricing procedure, which brings the process of estimating the cost of these services closer to fairer pricing. The authors believe that the mechanism of tender adjustment, provided that the auction price increases above the minimum allowable (basic) level, is a kind of tender protection of the state's interests in establishing these payments.

Compliance by employers with the Labor Code of Ukraine: On the issue of dismissal for improper performance of work

The relevance of the study of the legal regulation of dismissal of employees for improper performance of labour duties is due to the fundamental changes and reforms in labour legislation which require a more detailed study of the social and legal aspects of labour relations. The purpose of this study is to get acquainted with the procedure for dismissing employees, especially in the form of disciplinary proceedings for improper performance of duties. The study used a theoretical methodological approach, the method of legal hermeneutics, a formal legal, methodological approach, the method of deduction, the method of induction. In the course of the study, the characteristic aspects of labour relations in general, the specific features of the employment contract, and the procedures for dismissal for violation of relevant labour obligations in the framework of disciplinary proceedings were analysed. Modern judicial practice was considered, which provides an opportunity to analyse theoretical provisions in their reflection in the real practice of law enforcement in Ukraine to describe this particular procedure for dismissing an employee more thoroughly. The results of the study also identified certain problems in this area that may interfere with its effective functioning. These problems are related to the contradictory interpretation of legal norms regulating the procedure for dismissing an employee for improper performance of official duties. Therefore, to resolve this conflict of laws issue, the practice of the Supreme Court was considered, and the current legislation was analysed, which helps to provide explanations on all the features of the procedure for dismissing an employee legally. The study provides practical guidance for Ukrainian employers on how to properly dismiss employees for non-performance, ensuring compliance with the law, clear criteria for decision-making and the necessary documentation

The hopes and stakes of a public health reform. The example of New Caledonia

At a time when many of us desire fundamental reform of our health system, we return to the case of the New Caledonian Do-Kamo project. The proposed model provides interesting elements of reflection, due to it being person-centered and favoring a cultural approach to disease.

Internet in the Middle of Nowhere: Performance of Geoportals in Rural Areas According to Core Web Vitals

The spatial planning system in Poland is undergoing a fundamental reform. It emphasises the digital representation of spatial data. Low performance of geoportals, no Internet access, or poor connectivity can contribute to the exclusion from the spatial planning process, and consequently to the exclusion from a specific part of public life. Considering these developments, the present study seems relevant by pointing out the issue with geoportal performance and availability of quality Internet in rural areas. The primary contribution of the article is (1) results of performance measurements for selected geoportals; (2) presentation of measuring tools and performance indices combined with methods for ad-hoc performance measuring; and (3) presentation of potential actions to improve geoportal performance on the device with which it is used. The article offers case studies where the performance of selected geoportals was tested in rural mountainous areas with limited Internet access. Five geoportals were tested with PageSpeed Insights (PSI), WebPageTest, GTmetrix, Pingdom, and GiftOfSpeed. Core Web Vitals indices were analysed: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), and First Contentful Paint (FCP). The author verified values of the Speed Index and Fully Loaded Time along with other performance indices, like GTmetrix Structure. The study failed to provide unambiguous evidence that radio link users in rural areas could experience problems with geoportal performance, although the results seem to suggest it indirectly. PSI Lab Data and Field Data tests revealed a relatively low performance of the geoportals. The Performance index remained below 50 in most cases, which is ‘Poor’ according to the PSI scale. The fully loaded time exceeded 10 s for all the geoportals and 20 s in some cases (Lab Data). It means that the perceived performance of the tested geoportals on a radio link in rural areas is most probably even lower. The case studies demonstrated further that the user has limited possibilities to speed up map applications. It is possible to slightly improve the geoportal experience through the optimisation of the device locally, but the responsibility to ensure geoportal performance is mainly the publisher’s.

Health reform inNigeria: the politics ofprimary health care anduniversal health coverage.

Over the past decade, Nigeria has seen major attempts to strengthen primary health care, through the Saving One Million Lives (SOML) initiative, and to move towards universal health care, through the National Health Act. Both initiatives were successfully adopted, but faced political and institutional challenges in implementation and sustainability. We analyse these programmes from a political economy perspective, examining barriers to and facilitators of adoption and implementation throughout the policy cycle, and drawing on political settlement analysis (PSA) to identify structural challenges which both programmes faced. The SOML began in 2012 and was expanded in 2015. However, the programme's champion left government in 2013, a key funding source was eliminated in 2015, and the programme did not continue after external funding elapsed in 2021. The National Health Act passed in 2014 after over a decade of advocacy by proponents. However, the Act's governance reforms led to conflict between health sector agencies, about both reform content and process. Nine years after the Act's passage, disbursements have been sporadic, and implementation remains incomplete. Both programmes show the promise of major health reforms in Nigeria, but also the political and institutional challenges they face. In both cases, health leaders crafted evidence-based policies and managed stakeholders to achieve policy adoption. Yet political and institutional challenges hindered implementation. Institutionally, horizontal and vertical fragmentation of authority within the sector impeded coordination. Politically, electoral cycles led to frequent turnover of sectoral leadership, while senior politicians did not intervene to support fundamental institutional reforms. Using PSA, we identify these as features of a 'competitive clientelist' political settlement, in which attempts to shift from clientelist to programmatic policies generate powerful opposition. Nonetheless, we highlight that some policymakers sought to use health reforms to change institutions at the margin, suggesting future avenues for governance-oriented health reforms.

INNOVATIONS AND NEW REFORMS IN TEACHER EDUCATION: ADAPTING TO VISION OF NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY (NEP) 2020

National education policy 2020 is the first education policy of 21st century in India, that is Bharat, which contains comprehensive framework for many changes in the field of teacher education. It explores the evolving landscape of teacher training and development, emphasizing the need for innovative approaches to better prepare educators for the challenges of the 21st century. Teacher education is vital in creating a pool of schoolteachers that will shape the next generation (National Education Policy, 2020). Placing the teacher at the heart of fundamental educational reforms is imperative. Innovations in teacher education are not just about adjusting to policy changes; they're about equipping educators with the tools, knowledge, and mindset needed to shape the future of education in India. The aims of which is comprehensively improve the Indian teacher education system and to prepare a better and dedicated professionals in the field. The vision of new education policy 2020 is to convert the existing teacher education institution into multidisciplinary institutions by 2030. So that trainee teachers can get high quality material, pedagogy, training and research experience. In the new education policy, special focus has been given towards teacher education field and their education. The present paper delves into the dynamic evolution of teacher training and development, highlighting the pressing demand for innovative approaches in preparing educators to address the unique challenges of the 21st century. Overall this paper outlines that possibilities of changes, innovations and new reforms in the field of teacher education in the near future, as per the national education policy 2020.

The Impact of Interest Rate Marketization on Chinas Life Insurance Products

The interest rate is a crucial macroeconomic variable, and the marketization of interest rates is one of the fundamental reforms in the economic and financial domains. China continues to promote market-oriented interest rate reform in accordance with the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council's strategic deployment, which not only conforms to China's national conditions but also essentially fulfills international norms. While deregulating interest rates in an orderly manner, it places a premium on building and enhancing a market-based interest rate system in which rates are determined by market supply and demand. The People's Bank of China employs monetary policy instruments to influence market interest rates and maximizes the regulatory function of interest rates for macroeconomic activities. This article seeks to assess the issues China's life insurance industry faces from three perspectives: power, product structure, and depth and density. The study then analyzes the impact of marketization of interest rates on China's life insurance business and suggests countermeasures for China's life insurance companies.

Club coefficients in the UEFA Champions League: Time for shift to an Elo-based formula

ABSTRACT One of the most popular club football tournaments, the UEFA Champions League, will see a fundamental reform from the 2024/25 season: the traditional group stage will be replaced by one league where each of the 36 teams plays eight matches. To guarantee that the opponents of the clubs are of the same strength in the new design, it is crucial to forecast the performance of the teams before the tournament as well as possible. This paper investigates whether the currently used rating of the teams, the UEFA club coefficient, can be improved by taking the games played in the national leagues into account. According to our logistic regression models, a variant of the Elo method provides a higher accuracy in terms of explanatory power in the Champions League matches. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is encouraged to follow the example of the FIFA World Ranking and reform the calculation of the club coefficients in order to avoid unbalanced schedules in the novel tournament format of the Champions League.

Improve the Capacity of State Management of Education - Training to Ensure Social Justice in Education for Current Primary School Students

Educational management plays the most important role in the implementation of social justice in education. In the past years, education management has achieved many achievements, however, with the requirement of fundamental reform, comprehensive education and training, ensuring social justice, this work is also have certain limitations. Based on that situation, the article proposes solutions to improve state management capacity in education to ensure fairness for elementary school students today.

Farewell to constituent power? The Conference on the Future of Europe, citizens’ assemblies and the democratic minimum

Abstract In this article, I ask about the extent to which the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) has advanced democracy in the European Union. I critically engage with the claim that the CoFoE’s success should not be measured by whether it enabled constituent power, or ultimately results in treaty reforms, but by the fact that, by introducing citizens’ assemblies to EU politics, it has laid the foundation for participatory democracy in the European Union. Drawing on established theories of participatory democracy, I argue that this interpretation misses the point. To put forward an alternative view, I revisit James Bohman’s concept of a democratic minimum. The best democratic defence of permanent EU citizens’ assemblies is that they could provide citizens with the capacity to initiate deliberation about common concerns – and thus function as a nucleus for constituent power in the European Union. Nevertheless, the idea should be viewed with caution, as permanent citizens’ assemblies could just as well become a democratic fig-leaf allowing EU institutions to reject calls for fundamental reforms. Much therefore depends on their institutional design.

Security Check Points and Police Extortion: A Study of Road Transport Corridors in Imo State, Nigeria

Police checkpoints have come to be associated with extortion in Imo State, and motorists frequently become victims of a well-established pattern of unethical behavior. This work, ‘Security Check Points and Police Extortion: A Study of Transport Corridors in Imo State, Nigeria’, sought to investigate and understand the nature and pattern of such extortion, its significant effects on drivers, and society at large. The objective of the study is to comprehend the dynamics of this widespread problem and shed light on its deep-seated roots and wide-ranging effects. Data was primarily gathered, methodically coded, and analysed using an interpretivist philosophy and qualitative methods to help the study delve deeply into the various tactics used by the police to extort money from motorists, such as arbitrary searches, illegal fines, and intimidation tactics. Adopting Strain Anomie Theory, the study analysed the methods used at these checkpoints. The effects of this extortion scheme go beyond just the financial losses for drivers. But there is a deterioration of public confidence among the police organisation and personnel. Considering a multifaceted approach to dealing with this issue The study recommends that the police force urgently needs fundamental reforms, covering greater training, stricter supervision procedures, and increased accountability standards. Imo State can aim to eliminate this harmful behaviour and restore faith in the police institution through a concerted effort involving other law enforcement agencies, civic society, and the general public, ultimately building a safer and more just society for all.

Employee voice at board level: Responses to the revised UK Corporate Governance Code and the prospects for workplace democracy

This article presents empirical findings on listed company responses to provisions on board-level workforce engagement in the revised 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code, based on analysis of FTSE 350 company reports, survey data from 70 firms, and a series of 41 interviews with directors, senior managers and workforce representatives across 17 case study firms. The findings suggest that, despite some pockets of good practice, the current code-based regulatory framework is weak and ineffective. In light of this, the article considers current debates around strengthening worker voice in governance structures – including through appeals to corporate purpose, investor engagement, and wider changes in the legal and regulatory architecture. It concludes that any fundamental reform would require a recasting of the narrative around corporate purpose, based on a pluralist recognition of the dual nature of labour/capital investments in the firm and a renewed emphasis on the principle of workplace democracy.

Europe’s constitutional retrofit

Abstract The various and diverse academic responses to the Conference on the Future of Europe’s efforts at democratic renewal, including those by Ben Crum, Markus Patberg and Sandra Seubert, speak not only to the lack of a clear institutional locus or pathway associated with the Conference, but also to differing understandings of the basic conditions of existence – or political ontology – of the European Union. These differing understandings are reflected in different attitudes to the European Union’s constitutional standing and prospects. This article explores how the special place of constitutional retrofitting in the European Union – of reconstructing and reimagining an originally pre-constitutional system in constitutional terms – helps to illuminate the different understanding of political ontology in play, and helps clarify what is at stake in the continuing debate over fundamental reform.

Political Aspects of Full Employment: Eight Decades On

ABSTRACT The contribution and continuing relevance of Kalecki’s paper on ‘Political aspects of full employment’ on the 80th anniversary of its publication is the central topic. There are five sets of important and interrelated ideas in Kalecki’s paper. Full employment was feasible under capitalism from the perspective of securing a high level of demand through government spending. There would be resistance, particularly from business and finance to prolonged full employment, and there are political and social constraints on long-term full employment. Fascism had secured full employment through its relationships with big business and reducing the political obstacles. A political business cycle with full employment achieved at best at the top of the cycle could be generated. The role of ‘fundamental reforms’ in sustaining full employment under capitalism, and the ‘fate’ of fundamental reforms is reviewed.

Dynamic relationship between exchange rate and trade balance

The volatility of exchange rates affects the country’s export-import positions and the financial condition of organizations in the real and financial sectors. Also, it has an impact on the country’s macroeconomic stability. This study analyses the dynamic relationship between exchange rates and the trade balance in five North African countries: Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, and Mauritania. A panel autoregressive distributional-lag model (PANEL ARDL) was chosen to analyze the long-term relationship and short-term dynamics between the studied indicators. 1990-2019 was chosen as the research period. The selected variables (exchange rate level net trade balance) were tested for stationarity, and a cointegration test was performed. Three-panel dynamic models were built into the work: pooled mean group (PMG), mean group (MG), and dynamic fixed effects (DFE). The study demonstrates a long-term inverse relationship between the exchange rate level and the net trade balance for all analyzed North African countries. In particular, an increase in the exchange rate by 1 USD leads to a decrease in the trade balance deficit by 46.4 million USD for all analyzed countries together. It is found that the countries of North Africa need about three years on average to return to the equilibrium state caused by significant crises from 1990 to 2019. Individual countries (Algeria, Libya and Mauritania) have mechanisms to rebalance after approximately two and nine months, two and three months and a year and a half, respectively. However, Morocco and Tunisia do not have such mechanisms, which means that any external shock will weaken the equilibrium relationship between the analyzed variables in these two countries. To protect the trade balance from potential shocks and ensure the stability of the exchange rate, the countries of North Africa need to implement fundamental reforms in the monetary, financial and trade policies of these countries. It includes reducing imports, especially consumer goods that can be produced domestically, encouraging foreign investment and providing incentives to attract foreign capital as additional support for foreign exchange reserves.

Components of Public Policy in the Conditions of Implementation of the Mobilization Model of Economic Development

The article examines aspects of public policy formation with the aim of implementing the mobilization model of economic development. Threats and challenges to Ukraine’s national security under martial law indicate about the need for fundamental changes in approaches to the formation of the foundations of public policy aimed at a deep transformation of economic relations. Public policy can become a means of overcoming disputes in society and contribute to the establishment of an order that is recognized by all members of society. And the extent to which public policy takes care of the interests and needs of the common people, or defends transnational, oligarchic, state-bureaucratic, party, confessional, or any other corporate interests, will depend on the actual degree of its publicity and the effectiveness of confronting modern challenges and threats. The main concepts of ensuring the economic security of the state and accelerating its economic development are considered. For the effective functioning of the mobilization model of economic development, there is a need to centralize the state administration system with a strengthening of the role of planning, organization, regulation and control. Economic security is achieved in the presence of the necessary norms, appropriate public policy, an effective mechanism of state administration, effective institutions for the protection of the public interest, and coordination of the activities of political and public forces. The economy of the state should always be aimed at achieving specific social goals, the basis of which is a person, various components of his comprehensive development, his rights, the opportunity to live and work peacefully, cooperation and a fair system. The mobilization model of economic development is meant as an anti-crisis model of the economy, aimed at maximum protection of the state from various threats and challenges, which is based on a special system of public management of economic activity, which allows to ensure the fullest use and restoration of production factors. Only the state can carry out the necessary mobilization of the economy for the benefit of society, taking into account the interests of future generations. Business itself is not capable of this. The work raises the question of fundamental reform of economic relations, overcoming the consequences of economic degradation in the conditions of the arbitrariness of the colonial-oligarchic model of the economy, changing the vector of the country’s socio-economic development in the direction of ensuring economic, technological, digital, cultural and educational sovereignty. According to the results of these processes, not only the management system and the economy must change, people must change, the state itself must change.