Government Policy Research Articles

Village Fund Management On The Improvement Of Community Economy

Village Fund management plays an important role in improving the economy of communities at the village level in Indonesia . A government policy known as Dana Desa provides funds to villages to support infrastructure development, community empowerment, and local economic growth. However, transparency, human resources, community participation, and project sustainability are some of the important issues in the management of the Dana Desa. The purpose of this study is to look at how the management of the Village Fund impacts the economic improvement of communities in villages. We used government data, academic studies, and related information to describe successful practices and emerging issues. The research used a literature study method that involved analysing relevant written sources. The results achieved that the local government in managing the Village Finance System can improve and not always change the existing system so that the village government is not confused anymore to run a new system so that policies can improve the efficiency of Village Fund management to support village economic growth.

Analysis of the Operational Application of Military Capabilities in Counterinsurgency within a Military Operations Other than War Framework in the Papua Region

The military plays a key role in Indonesia’s fight against armed separatist -insurgent groups. Not only that is it mandated by law, the military’s involvement in counterinsurgency is also necessitated by practical demands and the nature of the conflict where separatist insurgents would often utilize guerilla warfare attacks such as exploitation of terrain to ambush security force positions. Other than the ability to inflict lethal force, the military also possess “soft” capabilities needed to win hearts & minds and facilitate the implementation of government policies. This study aims to analyze the operational application of military capabilities in counterinsurgency within an MOOTW framework in Papua. This article utilized a qualitative research design with a deductive analysis method where the researcher seeks to deductively analyze the data collected by understanding and studying theories from various literatures related to the research topic and then critically analyzing the data to answer the research questions as it pertains to the utilization Indonesia’s military capabilities as means within an operational plan to implement the counterinsurgency strategy, as well as the challenges in conducting such operations & the relative limitations of the capabilities of the Indonesian military that can be utilized. The results of this study found that the military capabilities are applied in territorial, intelligence, and combat/ enforcement operations. The challenges to the operational application include lack of cultural competence, actionable intelligence, unified command, as well as suitable metrics. In conclusion, the military supports the implementation of government policy in Papua via territorial, intelligence, and combat/ enforcement operations with significant impediments including lack of intelligence, cultural/ linguistic competence, metrics, and a unified command. To improve this, the military needs to provide cultural/ linguistic training, enable point persistent surveillance, stand up a unified structure to coordinate intelligence, and implement viable metrics to assess progress.

Economic Diplomacy Strategy in Increasing Globally Competitive National Food to Realize a Golden Indonesia 2045

Economic diplomacy strategies are very important in establishing cooperation aimed at improving national economic development. Currently, food has become a commodity that is needed by every country to meet its country's needs. This can be maximized by Indonesia to compete globally to improve the quality of national food where Indonesia is a country that has abundant natural resources. The existence of global national food competitiveness helps economic growth so that it can improve people's welfare and make Indonesia golden in 2045. This research uses Economic Diplomacy Theory according to Kishan S. Rana (2007) divides the typology of economic diplomacy into four types, namely traditional, niche-focused, evolving, and innovative. The research aims to explain Indonesia's economic diplomacy strategy in increasing national food that is globally competitive to realize golden Indonesia 2045. The research uses a literature study method that involves analysis of relevant written sources. The results achieved show that economic diplomacy strategies are very important in improving national food that is globally competitive with careful and intelligent government policies in facing challenges and preparation in improving the quality of national food.

DYNAMICS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MAMLUK DYNASTY IN THE HISTORY OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

The development of the Mamluk dynasty is not widely highlighted in the study of Islamic history, even though this dynasty played a role in Islamic historical civilization. This makes it urgent to carry out further research aimed at uncovering the development of the Mamluk Dynasty. This research method is descriptive qualitative research using literature study techniques. The findings show that in the development of the Mamluk Dynasty there were two main periods, namely the Mamluk Bahri and Mamluk Burji periods. Factors that supported the rise of the Mamluk dynasty were the ability to withstand attacks by Hulugu troops and the Crusaders, utilizing geographical factors to engage in international trade, and establishing good relations with European countries to increase wealth and reputation. Factors that caused the collapse of the Mamluk dynasty were internal conflicts such as competition for power, instability in government policies, economic problems such as corruption, economic crises and inflation. The weakening of the Mamluk Dynasty's power resulted in the loss of its territory so that it was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. In this case, the existence of the Mamluk dynasty is known to have had a significant impact on Islamic historical civilization, namely being the only dynasty that maintained Islamic culture when the Arabs declined and supported the progress of Islamic science. It is hoped that these findings can increase insight and understanding that the Mamluk Dynasty also played an important role in the history of Islamic civilization.

Pengaruh Debt to Equity Ratio, Dividend Payout Ratio, Dan Return on Equity Terhadap Harga Saham (Studi Kasus Pada Saham di Sektor Kesehatan yang Sudah IPO di Indonesia Tahun 2019 - 2021)

The stock price is the value that a stock has. Stock prices can be influenced by internal and external factors. Internal factors such as information from the company's financial statements. While external factors can be in the form of political conditions and government policies. This study aims to examine the effect of the debt to equity ratio, dividend payout ratio, and return on equity on stock prices (a case study on stocks in the health sector that have gone IPO in Indonesia in 2019 - 2021). The population in this study were 20 companies. Determination of the sample in this study using a purposive sampling technique, namely the technique of determining the sample by using certain considerations. Based on the purposive sampling technique, the number of samples used in this study was 60 samples. The financial report data used in this study are the first, second, third and fourth quarter financial reports. The research method used is quantitative with associative research techniques. The data analysis technique used is the classical assumption test, multiple linear regression analysis, F statistical test, coefficient of determination test, and t statistical test. The results of the study stated that; 1) the debt to equity ratio has a negative effect on stock prices in the health sector. 2) the dividend payout ratio has a negative effect on stock prices in the health sector. 3) return on equity has a negative effect on stock prices in the health sector.

Police Brutality and the Endsars Saga: The Implication of Government’s Effort on Human Right Protection in Nigeria

The EndSARS protests in Nigeria brought to the forefront issues of police brutality and human rights abuses, prompting calls for government action. This study aimed to assess the level of government commitment in addressing human rights abuses, particularly police brutality, post-EndSARS. The main objective was to ascertain the level of government commitment in addressing human rights abuses, with specific objectives including assessing the effect of government policies post-EndSARS, examining the correlation between law-enforcement changes and institutional reforms, analyzing government commitments post-EndSARS in relation to substantive reforms, and investigating the link between government actions on police brutality and citizen perceptions of responsiveness. The study utilized a survey method, incorporating both primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data were collected through questionnaires utilizing a 4-point Likert scale, with a sample size of 381 respondents in Owerri, Imo state. Descriptive statistics, particularly means and standard deviation, were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed varying perceptions regarding the effectiveness of government policies post-EndSARS in addressing police brutality and safeguarding human rights in Nigeria. While some acknowledged positive progress, skepticism remained about the overall effectiveness of these policies. Law-enforcement changes post-EndSARS did not lead to increased transparency and accountability, nor did they align with international standards. Government commitments post-EndSARS were met with skepticism, indicating a need for more decisive action and communication. Moreover, there was no significant consensus regarding the link between government actions on police brutality and citizen perceptions of responsiveness. Based on the findings, recommendations include strengthening mechanisms for implementing and monitoring government policies, prioritizing institutional reforms within law ...

Vocational education, skill training and self-employment: evidence from India’s non-farm sector

ABSTRACT Does vocational education and skill training induce self-employment remains a significant open policy question in India. A connected question is how workers from different socioeconomic, demographic and educational settings relate their vocational education and skill training with employment type. In this paper, using nationally representative household survey data, we investigate how vocational education and skill training are associated with the uptake of self-employment activities (vis-à-vis wage employment opportunities) in the non-farm sector in India. This paper shows that individuals with vocational training are more likely to engage in self-employment activities than those with wage employment in the non-farm sector in India, with stark socioeconomic and demographic differences. Our results suggest significant gender and caste inequalities in self-employment based on their vocational education and skill training status. We also find some evidence suggesting that youth with vocational training opt for wage employment vis-à-vis self-employment than their older counterparts. Examining socioeconomic and demographic complexities in connecting vocational education and skill training with self-employment in this study aligns with the recent education and labour market policy of the Indian government.

Sistem Appraisal dalam Video Kritik terhadap Kebijakan Pemerintah Daerah

Social media has become an important means for people to express their opinions and criticisms on various issues, including issues related to local government policies. Criticism towards local governments triggers various interpretations in society. Academics in the field of linguistics should respond to such issues by conducting research, one of which is discourse analysis from the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics. The purpose of this research is to reveal how speakers express their attitudes, judgments, and emotions through the language they use to convey criticism towards local government policies. This research employs a qualitative design. The data source is derived from the social media platform, TikTok in the form of videos criticizing local government policies. The result of this research indicate that the aspect of judgment dominates in the transcripts of videos criticizing local government policies followed by appreciation in second place and affect in third place. The most frequently used judgment is personal – negative – criticizing – direct. This aligns with the main objective of the videos criticizing local government policies used as data in this research, which is to criticize or evaluate. After judgment, negative appreciation is the second most prevalent. Lastly, negative affect – direct is the least frequently found in the research data.

The contributions of community-led newspapers to the resilience of Rio’s Maré and Rocinha favelas during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This article explores how two community-led newspapers in Maré and Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, promoted social resilience in their respective favelas during the first 6 months of COVID-19. We reviewed stories published in both newspapers and interviewed a sample of their journalists to investigate the newspapers’ responses to the pandemic’s effects, government policies (or lack thereof), and resident reactions to evolving virus-related risks during our study period. We employed Keck and Sakdapolrak’s social resilience framework to examine our data and found that the newspapers contributed significantly to the resilience of both communities during our study period. Contrary to the neoliberal view of resilience as self-reliance, these newspapers sought instead to encourage sustained collective agency and to challenge oppressive governance through generative activities and advocacy. Our findings deepen understanding of the role of community-organized activities in marginalized populations’ struggles to assert their right to the city, particularly during crises.

HOUSEWIVES EMPOWERMENT THROUGH WASTE RECYCLE BAGS TRAINING

The Garbage Bank is a strategy for implementing the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R) principles in waste management in society. Airlangga University through the community program held a Garbage Bank activity located in RT 20 Tanah Kali Kedinding Village. This activity was attended by ten participants from housewives in the area. Since 2020, the Garbage Bank in this area has been carried out, however it still needs a follow-up community service programs so that the Garbage Bank becomes more representative and productive. The Surabaya City Government's policy that prohibits the use of plastic bags in shops/malls provides an opportunity for the Kali Kedinding Land Waste Bank Manager to process inorganic waste into useful and economically valuable items such as shopping bags. In this regard, housewives as waste bank managers also have a strong will to manage inorganic waste. However, there are several problems related to the development of expertise in making shopping bags from inorganic household waste. Not all housewives have a good understanding of using inorganic waste and processing it into shopping bags that have a sale value. Based on these problems, this community service program is directed at providing training on sewing bags from inorganic household waste, training on selling products online through marketplaces, training on business financial management, and training on business organizational governance. The training was conducted in four meetings with a different topic each week. It is hoped that this program can increase awarness about waste management and improve the community's economy. This is in accordance with the indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely increasing economic growth, productive employment opportunities, and decent work for the community, and focusing on the efficient use of resources, minimizing waste, and increasing the production of recycled waste in the environment.

CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN BANGLADESH

Climate change is a pervasive global challenge with far-reaching implications for both the environment and human society. A thorough comprehension of these repercussions is essential in crafting effective strategies to mitigate their effects. Climate change, a major threat to sustainable development, impacts the environment, economy, natural resources, food security, human health, and physical infrastructure globally. Bangladesh stands out among affected nations due to geographical and socio-economic vulnerabilities. Despite its vulnerability, Bangladesh has successfully mitigated the impact of extreme events over the years. This study focuses on examining climate change, its outcomes, and mitigation initiatives in Bangladesh. It endeavors to offer a comprehensive analysis of the current climate scenario in Bangladesh, delving into pivotal trends, impacts, adaptation strategies, and evaluating the effectiveness of national policies, legal frameworks, involvement of local governments, non-governmental organizations, and international collaborative efforts in developing an efficient disaster risk reduction and anticipatory action system. Despite achievements, safeguarding the livelihoods and properties of vulnerable communities from disaster-induced loss and damage remains a challenge. Additionally, addressing past adaptation failures is crucial. The paper highlights the necessity to enhance disaster risk reduction, green economy, promote economic development, implement government policies, and bolster anticipatory action systems, emphasizing the pivotal role of establishing a locally led climate-resilient system in addressing these challenges.

Top-down or bottom-up? Government policies, public awareness and carbon reduction

Environmental governance approaches are critical for carbon reduction and energy security. Using the data from government work reports and public search, this paper investigates the impact of government policies and public awareness on carbon emissions. The ‘top-down’ administrative regulation is found to have more effective in promoting carbon reduction in cities than ‘bottom-up’ public awareness, and this carbon reduction effect is more pronounced in central, western and lower levels of economic development cities. The findings suggest that regions with higher economic development tend to exhibit greater dependency on carbon, posing challenges in achieving prompt reductions in carbon emissions through governmental policies and public awareness. Additional discoveries indicate that ‘top-down’ administrative regulation exhibits a certain sustainability, mainly through industrial structure adjustments. This aspect proves beneficial for enhancing the city's developmental path and quality in the long term.

The United States as a ‘Pacific Nation’: Imaginary, Performance, and Spatialisation

ABSTRACT In 2012, then United States (US) Secretary of State Hilary Clinton attended the leaders’ meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum, the region’s pre-eminent politics and security-focused multilateral institution. At the meeting, Clinton remarked that: ‘I have said that the 21st century will be America’s Pacific century, with an emphasis on Pacific’, as the US is ‘a Pacific nation’. In this article, we analyse how, in the decade since, US government discourse has continued to narrate a social imaginary of the US as a ‘Pacific nation’ and to attempt to bring that imaginary into being through diplomatic performances and government policy. This has been driven by strategic concerns about the increasing activism of China in the Pacific Islands region and has sought to justify the US’s role, build its relationships, and exercise its power in the region. We argue that when the US is front stage and conscious of being observed, it narrates an imaginary of itself as a Pacific nation and performs that imaginary through its diplomatic performances and policy announcements. But the US’s back stage behaviour, including the non-implementation of policies and the spatialisation of the Pacific Islands region through efforts to discipline Pacific Island countries, build boundaries that exclude China, and emplace the US military presence, reveals its true intentions.

Research of China's New Energy Vehicle Market Based on TOPSIS and LSTM Models

This research paper provides an in-depth analysis of the development trajectory of China's New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market, utilizing both the TOPSIS and LSTM models. The TOPSIS model is ingeniously applied to assess the development level of the NEV industry, identifying key factors such as government policies, charging infrastructure, public acceptance, technological progress, and economic indicators. Subsequently, the paper delves into the LSTM model, a specialized form of Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) designed for handling time-series data with long-term dependencies. The LSTM architecture, equipped with forget, input, and output gates, is trained to minimize Mean Square Error (MSE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), thereby optimizing model performance and preventing overfitting. The predictive capabilities of the LSTM model are demonstrated through a forecast of NEV sales in China for the next decade, showcasing the model's effectiveness in capturing market dynamics and growth trends. The integration of TOPSIS for evaluative analysis and LSTM for predictive forecasting offers a robust framework for understanding and anticipating the complexities of the NEV market.

An investigation of the longitudinal trajectory patterns of health-related quality of life among Australians with disabilities: explaining disability types and properties

Abstract Background Research on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) trajectory patterns for people with disabilities (PwD) is scant. Understanding the HRQoL trajectory patterns for PwDs and investigating their relationship with disability types and socioeconomic factors can have important implications for Australia’s welfare policy. Methods We analysed data from waves 11 to 21 of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey of respondents aged 15 + years of the PwDs. The analytic sample consists of 3724 self-reported disabled individuals and 34,539 observations in total. The SF-6D utility score is our HRQoL measure. Group-based trajectory modelling was utilised to identify trajectory groups, and multinomial logistic regression was employed to determine the baseline factors associated with trajectory group membership. Results The study identified four distinct types of HRQoL trajectories (high, moderate improving, moderate deteriorating and low HRQoL trajectories). Psychosocial disability types followed by physical disability types had a high Relative Risk Ratio (RRR) in the low group compared with high trajectory group membership of PwDs (psychosocial: 6.090, physical: 3.524). Similar, results followed for the moderate improving group albeit with lower RRR (psychosocial: 2.868, Physical: 1.820). In the moderate deteriorating group, the disability types were not significant as this group has a similar profile to high group at the baseline. Compared with males, females had a higher RRR in low and moderate versus high improving HRQoL trajectories (low: 1.532, moderate improving: 1.237). Comparing the richest class to the poorest class, socioeconomic factors (income and education) predicted significantly lower exposure for the richer class to the low and medium HRQoL trajectories groups (RRR < 1). Conclusion Different forms of disability, demographic and socioeconomic factors have distinct effects on the HRQoL trajectories of disabled individuals. Healthcare and economic resource efficiency might be improved with targeted government policy interventions based on disability trajectories.

Challenges and Opportunities for Special-Needs Children in Elementary Schools

This research explores the challenges and opportunities for inclusive education for special-needs children in elementary schools in Indonesia. It examines the impact of government policies, the actual conditions in the field, and the availability of supporting facilities and resources. The study utilizes a qualitative method with a case study approach, involving various stakeholders such as special-needs children, teachers, parents, and school principals as informants. Findings indicate that while government policies have improved access to education for special-needs children, there are disparities in implementation and resource allocation among schools. Teachers face obstacles due to a lack of specialized training and high workloads, while limited facilities and stigma also hinder inclusive education. The research emphasizes the need for continuous support, changes in community attitudes, and improvements in teacher training and facilities to ensure effective inclusive education for special-needs children in elementary schools.

Peri-urbanisation and land conflicts in Domboshava, Zimbabwe

Domboshava, a peri-urban community located approximately 26 kilometres from Harare, is undergoing rapid transformation in its social, economic, and spatial characteristics. This paper investigates the land conflicts that have emerged because of these socio-economic and spatial transformations. The research utilizes a mixed methods approach, incorporating interviews with Local authority officials, representatives from the Department of Spatial Planning and Development (DSPD), and village heads. Additionally, a survey was conducted with 50 communal households to explore their perceptions of land-related conflicts in the area. The study also involves an analysis of Google maps and density analysis of GIS maps to examine land use changes. The findings indicate that the conversion of farmland into urban-related land uses is contributing to illegal land sales in Domboshava, driven by the increasing pressure to accommodate the growing population. These changes have triggered land conflicts that manifest in different categories: individual-individual, institutional-institutional and individual-institutional conflicts. We recommend that the local planning authority, in collaboration with the central government, develop containment and management policies and strategies tailored to the unique challenges of peri-urbanization and land conflicts in Domboshava. The use of GIS technology is crucial in this process to accurately map and analyze the spatial dynamics of these issues. This will go a long way in creating sustainable peri-urban communities.

The slow implementation of sustainable innovations in the asphalt paving sector: the role of actors and their interactions

International climate agreements and government policies, push the road construction industry towards more sustainable practices using alternative materials, new production techniques, and more efficient construction processes. Despite the broad availability of these sustainable solutions, their adoption is slow and uncertain. The reasons behind this remain unclear. This study employs a system innovation perspective to analyze the process that leads to the implementation of sustainable innovations in the Dutch asphalt paving sector. By exploring actors’ roles and their interactions at different stages of the process, we aim to identify key aspects influencing the pace and outcome of the innovation implementation process in the industry. The results highlight that (1) the asphalt paving sector is anchored in a project perspective that often overlooks long-term sustainability goals, (2) several key innovation roles are not fully fulfilled, and the absence of a coordinating role is leading to misunderstandings, and (3) monitoring at both the project and sector levels is lacking; there is no holistic assessment of the overall impact of innovations. Overall, the findings suggest that sustainable innovation processes in Dutch asphalt paving remain confined to the niche level, which can be overcome by redistributing actors' responsibilities, addressing the lack of system monitoring, and overcoming the project perspective could help address the challenges in the process.

Bridging Gaps towards the 2030 Agenda: A Data-Driven Comparative Analysis of Government and Public Engagement in China towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a pivotal framework to guide government policies and mobilize public engagement for sustainability, although further exploration is still needed to analyze the attention given to the SDGs by these stakeholders using multi-source data. To comparatively analyze government and public engagement in the SDGs, based on a case study in China, this study employed a multi-source data and content analysis to assess the perceived importance and performance of the two stakeholders. Then, this study performed an importance–performance analysis (IPA) to assess the SDGs’ priority for further improvement. The results highlight the government’s emphasis on SDG 7, SDG 2, and SDG 9, contrasting with public attention predominantly on SDG 8, SDG 9, and SDG 4. Regarding the performance of the SDGs in China, the greatest achievements have been exhibited for SDG 4 and SDG 1, while SDG 10, SDG 15, and SDG 17 have shown the least progress. Concerning the individual indicators, 12 out of 98 have attained 100% completion, while 19 out of 98 remain below the 50% threshold. According to the IPA results, China should concentrate on SDG 10 and SDG 15 and improve SDGs 6, 7, 14, 16, and 17 as a relatively low priority. The stakeholder analysis indicated that these SDGs are neglected zones by both the public and government. This research innovatively assessed the priorities of SDGs and could strengthen the cooperation between the government and the public to drive the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals more effectively. This study could contribute to guiding policy directions, inform strategies for public engagement, and enhance the comprehension of sustainable development in China. The framework could serve as a valuable reference for stakeholder engagement in the SDGs in other countries.

Highlighting the importance of biodiversity conservation through the Holy Qur'an.

Religious environmentalism relies upon religious texts and leadership to promote effective and long-lasting change for environmental problems, such as responsible use and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity. World religions note the importance of biodiversity and humanity's responsibility in stewarding biodiversity as a member of ecological communities. We reviewed Quranic verses that relate to biodiversity and align with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Holy Quran was reviewed in electronic and hard copy formats, and verses related to biodiversity were translated to English and tabulated by Qur'anic chapter, verse, and narrative citation. Twenty-one Qur'anic verses were identified that addressed biodiversity. Scriptures were divided into 5 groups that addressed provision of resources, governance or stewardship of resources, nature as a teacher, and human life in nature's communities or described creation of biodiversity. Qur'anic verses were aligned with 4 SDGs (goals 12-15), which address sustainable consumption of natural resources, global climate change, life in marine environments, and life in terrestrial environments, including freshwater ecosystems. This alignment demonstrates the interconnectedness of life, that conservation of biodiversity is referenced in the Quran, and how positive management of natural recourses can be beneficial to Muslim communities on local, national, and global scales. Positive movement toward ecofriendly practices, sound environmental resource use and management, biodiversity conservation, and governmental policies on conservation can be promoted through scriptures from the Holy Qur'an.