Power Authority Research Articles

"Giordano Bruno. Lights from the Pyre" (1966) by the Philosopher Slavi Boyanov – a Literary Version of the Manuscript "Protection of the Human Person" Confiscated by the State Security (1953)

The paper traces the migration of a philosopher in the literary field. The purpose of this text is to prove, through the method of mutual interpretation (parallel reading of works of fiction, documentary texts and historiographical narrative), that Slavi Bo-yanov's novel ‘Giordano Bruno’. is a literary compensation for his confiscated manu-script ‘Defense of the Human Person’ (1953), which was not published until 1997. The contribution of the study is that it illuminates another case of an intellectual's strained relationship with the authorities in power.

Institutional co-production at neighbourhood scale: Cases of urban renewal for Shanghai’s ageing population

Urban renewal projects at neighbourhood scale have become prevalent in China to better adapt multi-storey residential buildings for the needs of the country’s ageing society. Institutional co-production and actor-network theory were employed in two cases in Shanghai to analyse relationships between administrative departments, policy implementors, and residents. The findings show that while institutional co-production promoted substantial spatial change for elderly residents, and stimulated both administrative change and bottom-up initiatives. However the need for the state to provide a bottom line for more vulnerable actors was highlighted, an over-representation of dominant actors and uneven information assembly in the process also resulted in unequal distributions of benefits among actors. The study contributes empirical insight to research on institutional co-production in governance contexts with powerful state authority, as well as the role of neighbourhood-level actor’s in urban renewal processes in other cities defined by high-density, vertical construction.

Determinants of Taxable Enterprises Compliance In Bali, Indonesia

This study examines the determinants of compliance for taxable enterprises in Bali province. Taxable enterprises are parties appointed as collectors of value-added tax on the delivery of taxable goods and/or taxable services. Value-added tax is one type of tax that is more vulnerable to tax non-compliance. The three components of behavioural intention determinants based on the theory of planned behaviour developed into attitudes (tax morale and taxpayer awareness), subjective norms (tax justice and trust in government), and perceived behavioural control (tax authority power, tax convenience, and tax information) were tested to determine their influence on the compliance intention of taxable enterprises. The theory of slippery slope as a supporting theory explains that if trust in the tax authority is low and the power of the tax authority is weak, it can lead to taxpayer behaviour that tries to avoid taxes and reduce compliance. This research uses the probability sampling-proportional stratified random sampling method. The research sample was 100 taxable enterprises from the 10.697 population using the Slovin method. The results of the analysis show that tax morale, taxpayer awareness, tax justice, trust in government, tax authority power, tax convenience, and tax information have a positive effect on the compliance intention of taxable enterprises. The role of the theory of planned behaviour, and the slippery slope theory are also strengthened by the results of the analysis, which overall explain that the compliance behaviour of taxable enterprises is based on strong intentions, and the compliance intentions of taxable enterprises can increase if tax morale, taxpayer awareness, tax justice, trust in government, the power of tax authorities, tax convenience, and tax information increase

Allocating budget in developing countries, the need to fight corruption: evidence from Sub-Saharan African countries

This paper highlights the need to fight corruption in developing economies to ensure a better allocation of public resources in a context of institutional failure with the discretionary power of budgetary authorities. The study uses a panel of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries by combining several databases (WDI, WGI, SPEED BASE DATA and PWT), estimate by generalized moment method in system, the bias-corrected estimation linear dynamic panel data [6] and the type of error correction (Driscoll–Kraay). The results indicate that the phenomenon of corruption in the form of rent capture has two effects on public resources. One effect is linked to the level of public spending and the other to the distribution of public resources. Thus, corruption leads to an increase in the overall level of public spending. Corruption reduces spending on education, mining and communications, but increases spending on the military, health and transport. The study recommends that political leaders in developing countries strengthen and rigorously enforce anti-corruption laws, and raise public awareness of the underground economy.

Voidable marriages

AbstractThis article critiques the decision of the Court of Appeal in Re SA (Declaration of Non-Recognition of Marriage) [2023] EWCA Civ 1003. In Re SA the Court of Appeal held that: (1) by operation of section 16 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, a voidable marriage is not void at its inception and is therefore not caught by section 58(5)(a) of the Family Law Act 1986, and (2) the effect of section 16 of the 1973 Act is that a voidable marriage starts off fully valid but only on making a decree absolute of nullity becomes invalid. This article contends that the approach adopted by the Court of Appeal in SA is conceptually challenging, based on a misreading of the statutory language, and is directly contrary to long-established and powerful authorities.

The Treaty of 1815? Or the Proclamation of the Convention for the Ceylon Settlement Act?

This research aimed to investigate the Paper written by the British in 1815 AD called 'Givisuma', in historiography and within the Sinhalese context. In 1815, the paper that the British documented regarding the Ceylon and obtained signatures from elites at Kandy has been attested in various Sinhala language sources as 'Givisuma'. Several scholars have been mentioning this as 'Sammutiya' (Convention). Nevertheless, in this regard, English words included in the primary sources indicate a different Sinhala literal meaning. The paper of 1815 is commonly referred to as the 'Proclamation' in the primary sources and its Sinhala meaning is being ignored in secondary Sinhala language sources and usage among the Sri Lankans. 'Proclamation' means the Sinhala literal meaning of, "Prakasha Pattraya", "Danveem Pattraya". A 'Proclamation' is a formal announcement, usually made by a government or other powerful authority which has been used as a means of expression by the British colonialists and the legal mechanism to affirm the accession of a British king or queen and confirm the right to the lands belonging to the Great Britain. A 'Treaty' is a legal document in international relations. A 'Convention' is a set of rules for parties who agree to a convention to solve a problem that affects a number of people in the world. The components included in a 'Treaty' are called 'Agreements'. Thus, this research seeks to determine the most fitting name for the document proposed in Sri Lanka in 1815 considering its Sinhala language meaning. The Historical Research Method has been used for this research. Considering the medium of expression enforced by the British in their colonies, their content, and the nomenclature given to those expression mediums, the paper written in Ceylon in 1815 has a different meaning than the meaning that emerges from the term 'Treaty'. The findings suggested that, based on historical considerations, the document 1815 in Sri Lanka may be more accurately described as the "The Proclamation of the Convention for the Ceylon Settlement Act, 1815" rather than using the term "1815 treaty (Givisuma)".

The Judiciary in the Thought of Oliveira Vianna

Between 1920 and 1930, Oliveira Vianna theoretically formulated a new model of the judiciary, aiming for its integration into a corporatist-authoritarian power project that sought to reorganize society and the state. Vianna envisioned a robust judiciary, notwithstanding the dominance of the executive power and administrative agencies. This strength would emerge from the use of the "legal technique" of American legal realism. Moreover, due to its centralization in the Union, judges were expected to play a role in restraining deviations of legislative power and local authorities. The result was an institutional arrangement under tension, where the judiciary served the organization of the Nation but held a position subordinate to that of the head of the national executive power. These tensions reveal legal dilemmas in both authoritarian and democratic contexts.

Cyberreligion: The Spiritual Paradox of Digital Technology

The existence of cyberspace has not only changed human views on spirituality, religion, rituals, houses of worship, scriptures, spiritual teachers, beliefs, divinity, and even the view of god itself. Cyberspace opens up the possibility to carry out various religious activities in a new way that is artificial or virtual. Literature review, as part of the scientific approach, focuses on the literature of journal articles, books, monographs that discuss themes based on keywords related to the research conducted. A new cyber vision of God is developing, which is now seen as a projection or incarnation of humanity (mind, intelligence, power) in the form of computer simulations that are considered to have power close to god's power. This is the vision of man as his own god developed by cyberists, a man who is no longer willing to submit to the authority of power beyond his own power - god man.

Global Forces, Rural Radicalism, and the Dual Transformation of Urban and Rural Protest in Africa

AbstractStudies of protest in contemporary Africa often fail to address three related dynamics. First, rural radicalism has long been more central to African political struggles, even urban ones, than is commonly recognized. Second, the ongoing transformation of rural political economies links them to those of urban areas and has changed struggles over land and resources. Finally, these changes have reduced the power of traditional authorities and increased the appeal of nonviolent protest, as well as shifting protest toward a more national mode in which rural populations are increasingly central. Mampilly elaborates on these propositions, which are derived from brief examinations of both historical and contemporary examples of rural protest across Africa, before applying them to a deep analysis of LUCHA, a social movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Power of Authorities, Interpretations, and Songs: The Discourse of Authenticity in the Latvian Folklore Revival

This is a collaborative study on how, and by whom, the discourse of folklore authenticity was developed in Latvia in the 1970s–1980s and how it affected and still affects the Latvian folklore revival and post-revival practices. Influential positions and vital discussions have arisen in search of meaningful (authentic) folklore practices, such as honouring an unattainable ideal and practicing political resistance, creative ancientness, and spiritual empowerment.

Legal Adaptation for the Syrian Constitutional Committee Formed Based on UN Security Council Resolution 2245

Background: Presumably, constitution-making is a national process reflecting the state’s sovereignty and people's will. The severity of the conflict in Syria and its danger led the international community to intervene, and in 2015, the Security Council issued Resolution 2254 to settle the conflict. This resolution, in item 4, called for the start of the drafting process of a new Constitution for Syria; hereby, the Constitutional Committee was formed in Geneva in 2019 with the agreement of the conflict parties, the government and the opposition, and the consent of the international community represented by the United Nations. This research discusses the extent to which the intervention of the United Nations in the Syrian Constitutional Committee's formation and work in Geneva affects the principle of the Constitution's nationalism and state sovereignty. The research also discusses the legitimacy of the powers granted to this committee, whether in drafting a new constitution for the Syrian state or amending the current 2012 Constitution, and whether they conflict with the national sovereignty principle in considering the constitutional law principles. Methods: We relied on the analytical method to study the legal adaptation of the Syrian Constitutional Committee formed based on Security Council Resolution 2254. The impact of the United Nations intervention in the Syrian Constitutional Committee and whether it conflicts with the principle of national sovereignty depends on clarifying the role played by the United Nations in forming the committee and its ability to impose binding decisions on it. Achieving this objective requires analysing the powers of the Constitutional Committee in light of the principles and rules of constitutional law. This entails determining whether the committee possesses the full authority of the original constituent power to establish a new constitution for the state without referring to the people or if its jurisdiction is limited to drafting. Through this analytical method, we shall know whether the formation of the Constitutional Committee and the jurisdiction granted contradicts the principle of national sovereignty, which assumes that the Constitution is a national industry. Results and Conclusions: The formation of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, authorised by the United Nations through the Security Council Resolution 2254, does not detract from Syrian national sovereignty nor conflict with the principle of constitutional nationalism. Firstly, the formation of the constituent authority responsible for establishing the Constitution is not a legal issue but rather derives its existence from reality, and this applies to the Syrian Constitutional Committee, which derived its existence from the Syrian reality conflict and with the agreement of its parties, government and opposition. Therefore, one cannot say that the formation of this committee is illegitimate or inconsistent with the principles of constitutional law, given the absence of a legal framework governing the mechanism for forming the constituent authority, whether in Syrian constitutional law or comparative constitutional law. The Constitution is a result of the circumstances and situations that have accompanied its emergence and determined the method of its establishment. Secondly, the Constitutional Committee is not a full constituent authority because it does not have the power to approve a new constitution or an amendment to the current Constitution in its sole discretion. It might adapt as a technical consensus committee whose role is limited to formulating proposals that require popular consent. Thirdly, It is arguable that Security Council Resolution 2254 and the decision to form the Syrian Constitutional Committee constitute the legal framework from which this committee derives its legitimacy and work. Therefore, we can say that the issue of forming the Syrian Constitutional Committee and its work has become a legal issue governed by an international legal framework, marking a departure from its previous extrajudicial status under national constitutional law.

HEALTH AS AN ELEMENT OF HUMAN CAPITAL AND A FACTOR OF ECONOMIC GROWTH

The purpose of this article is to present research results of the main approaches to interpreting the essence of human potential and health as its main element and factor of the functioning efficiency. The main task of the conducted research was to analyze, systematize and summarize available information on the essence and structure of human potential in the context of importance and role of health in it, and to present the obtained results in the form of conclusions that can be useful for different levels of power authorities and administrative economic bodies, especially for enterprises seeking to improve quality of their human potential as a basis for further economic growth. The methodology of the research conducted on the topic of this article is based on application of the principles of dialectical method of scientific research in the best possible combination with analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, scientific abstraction, organic integrity of history and logic in economic researching by using monographic and descriptive methods, as well as methods of generalization, comparison, scientific predictions and forecasting. The main sources of information used in the course of the conducted research included materials of official information sources, publications of domestic and foreign scientists related to the identified research direction, and the results of authors’ personal observations. The research has clarified evolution of the concept and structure of the category of human capital and the place of health in it, as well as its impact on the level of population’s well-being, which is formed as a result of the combined effect of economic growth and health status. The scientific novelty of the results of the conducted research consists in the formed dependence, having the character of a circular closed cycle, between the level of health, the quality of human capital and economic growth. The most promising direction of the further research on the impact of health on economic growth due to the quality of human capital, and impact of economic growth on health may revealed in development of the methodology for determining the tightness of the mentioned relation at each link of the established chain of dependencies.

Re-imagining the Ambivalent: The Political Trajectory of Lungi from Pre-Colonial East Bangla to Post-Independent Bangladesh

Lungi, Bangladeshi men’s most common informal clothing, occupies an ambivalent position in the country’s sartorial culture because of its inherent status of being anti-modern and anti-formal. Bangladeshi postcolonial poet Kaiser Haq’s (2007) ground-breaking poem, “Ode on the Lungi '' and the growing body of academic papers focusing on the poem have already constructed lungi as a discursive symbol to challenge and decentralise the colonial construction of cultural hierarchies that underpinned such a postcolonial legacy of sartorial discrimination. Important as they are, these studies do not engage with lungi’s actual historical trajectories of resistance and struggle where men in lungi participated as active agents to challenge authoritative power regimes. By investigating the key episodes of “politics of the people'' (Guha, 1988, p. 40) from pre-colonial east Bangla to present-day Bangladesh, the paper reclaims lungi’s active yet metaphorical performative at each stage of collective struggles that ultimately led to the 1971 War of Independence (Muktijuddho), where lungi was the main attire of the male freedom fighters (Muktijoddhas). This paper argues that the national/cultural ambivalence around lungi in Bangladesh is rooted in its simultaneous trope of being a clothing of people who are at the edges of political power, yet their collective resistance can be subversive. This is one of the reasons why a ban on lungi in contemporary Bangladesh, although more common than before, often becomes a topic of heated debates and discussions among the educated, middle-class communities. Spectrum, Volume 17, June 2022: 47-65

Justice, power and voluntary tax compliance: a moderation analysis among taxpayers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

PurposeThe aim of this study was to examine the moderating roles of the legitimate power and distributive justice of the tax authority on the effect of procedural justice on the voluntary tax compliance of taxpayers in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, by using survey data collected from taxpayers in the city.Design/methodology/approachData for the study were collected from 800 sample taxpayers who were drawn by using a systematic sampling technique. The variables of the study were constructed as indices from composing the scale items developed and tested for their validity by prior researchers. Having collected the data by using a 7-point Likert scale questionnaire and forming the latent variables, hierarchical multiple regressions were applied to determine the moderating effects of the two variables (i.e. legitimate power and distributive justice) on the effect of procedural justice on voluntary tax compliance.FindingsThe author found that both the legitimate power of the tax authority and distributive justice of the authority moderate the effect of procedural justice on voluntary tax compliance. The moderating roles of the two variables appear to be opposite in that low (but not high) distributive justice and high (but not low) legitimate power of the tax authority stimulate the effect of procedural justice on voluntary tax compliance.Research limitations/implicationsThe first limitation is that the data used in this study are self-reported data while the subject of the study is sensitive subject about which respondents are not believed to provide genuine responses. This is presumably because taxpayers are less likely to confess their tax evasion as they fear legal actions following their self-report. Hence, other controlled methods such as the experimental design are recommended to replicate the results of this study. The second limitation is that data for the study were gathered through a one-time cross-sectional survey and hence it would not warrant a causal claim between the study variables. Consequently, other research with a longitudinal or experimental design might warrant a causal relationship between the variables.Practical implicationsTherefore, the tax authorities must endeavor to attain high legitimacy by doing “the right things” as perceived by the taxpayers so that their tax-related decisions gain acceptance from the decision recipients. Tax policy makers as well ought to consider the importance of and the relationship between procedural justice, distributive justice and legitimate power of the tax authority in order to attain the maximum possible voluntary compliance of taxpayers that significantly reduces the administrative cost of taxes.Social implicationsThe study benefits society by enhancing tax compliance and hence helping the government secure a better amount of tax revenue and provide better public goods and services.Originality/valueThe findings of this study are of high theoretical and policy significance. Theoretically, the findings contribute to the integrative literature on economic deterrence and social-psychological factors that are responsible for voluntary tax compliance decisions. The parallel moderating roles of the two variables on the relationship between procedural justice and voluntary cooperation in a single model and in the tax compliance context are novel. In terms of applicability to policy formulations, they shed light on the need for a shift from a pure focus on aggressive tax audits and penalties, especially in emerging economies to a combination of the tax audits and the nurturing of the voluntary deference of taxpayers to the tax authority's decisions. Caution must, however, be taken that the results of this study may not be applicable to tax environments in other countries.

Post‐dam construction and livelihood revitalization of affected communities at Ghana's Bui dam

AbstractEvidence around dam building worldwide has revealed that the impacts of dam projects can make the livelihoods of the project‐affected people worse off several years after the dam is commissioned. Despite six decades of Ghana's dam building experience, there is paucity of information on the impact of new programs implemented during post‐dam construction on local livelihoods. This study filled in the gap by examining whether the new livelihood enhancement programs introduced by the Bui Power Authority (BPA) at the Bui dam have revitalized local livelihood activities that had been disrupted by the dam construction and resettlement processes. Explorative qualitative data were collected through key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and field observation in the seven resettled communities at Bui and Jama Resettlement Townships and in three non‐resettled communities at the Bui dam area, including the host community. Purposive sampling was used to select a total of 130 participants for the KIIs and FGDs. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis approach. Results showed that, in general, the new livelihood support programs in the resettled communities such as cage aquaculture production, weaving, and pottery have positively impacted the socioeconomic livelihood activities of the resettlers in recent years compared to the period soon after resettlement. However, low crop yields due to poor soil fertility and small size of farmlands, lack of appropriate equipment to fish on the open water, and land compensation delays were reported to be undermining the livelihood revitalization efforts of the BPA. For effective revitalization of socioeconomic livelihood activities, the new programs should be more inclusive to cover the elderly, the host community, and possibly the neighboring communities instead of its current tilt toward the youth and the resettled communities. The findings showed the persistent impacts of dams on local population and highlighted how livelihood programs could revitalize local socioeconomic livelihood activities. The study contributed to addressing the conceptual question on whether it is possible for livelihood activities of project‐affected people to be reconstructed several years after disruption.

Politics in the street: the materiality of urban public spaces in Renaissance Italy

Abstract In Renaissance Italy, the political power of authorities found one of its expressions in material symbols of sovereignty. The placing of inscriptions, sculptures and columns and the commissioning of frescoes in streets, piazzas and public spaces, for example, were essential ways of communicating political or spiritual authority to the populace. Sometimes perceived as representations of a top-down form of communication, in the urban context these same material emblems of power became political objects through which to express dissent, as in the case of public loggias, speaking statues or graffiti on walls and civic palaces. Presenting case-studies from various cities in northern Italy, this article investigates the dialectics between the people and the authorities in the urban fabric, especially in everyday life. Combining a spatial and a material approach to politics, this article reveals the dynamic and relational nature of political public spaces.

DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OF THE BORDERLINE TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES OF UKRAINE WITH THE EU COUNTRIES UNDER MARTIAL LAW

In the article, international cooperation of territorial communities of Ukraine is defined as a strategic direction to attract financial resources and implement their investment projects. The authors name prerequisites for completing the reform of decentralization in Ukraine. It is stressed that the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine and declaration of martial law have caused structural transformations in the parameters of performance of the local government bodies. The study is devoted to the theoretical and applied aspects of the organization and development of international cooperation among the territorial communities in Ukraine. The paper describes the methodology developed to study the international cooperation of territorial communities. The authors make an assessment of the conditions of international cooperation of territorial communities bordering the European Union countries and present results of the questionnaire conducted amongst managers of the border territorial communities of Ukraine in order to identify parameters of the international activity development. The analysis was conducted to clarify peculiarities of establishing cooperation of the bodies of local government of Ukraine with foreign partners and to find out restrictions and challenges influencing the communities’ opportunity to implement international initiatives and cooperation in conditions of the russian-Ukrainian war. The researchers have developed a complex of measures necessary to improve the efficiency of the international cooperation between Ukrainian local territorial communities bordering the EU and foreign partners by carrying out a promotional campaign among the representatives of the local government bodies and developing a complex system of advanced training for the staff employed at the local power authorities in the field of international activity. It is also needed to enhance the institutional basis regulating the international activity of the territorial communities of Ukraine, to upgrade the financial and economic basis of the international cooperation implementation, as well as to accelerate the rates of development of the border infrastructure objects.

The Shortcomings of International Organizations in Addressing the Challenge of COVID-19 - The Cases of WHO and WTO

Under the influence of COVID-19, the shortcomings of some international organizations were exposed. This paper focused on the problems of the WHO and WTO in responding to COVID-19 and made suggestions. Lack of power and funding was a major reason for the WHOs failure in responding to COVID-19. Accordingly, we believed that the WHO should establish powerful authority and reform its funding mechanism as soon as possible. In the case of the WTO, although the WTO took some action in response to COVID-19, the shortcomings of the existing treaties, the Trade Policy Review Mechanism, and the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property limited the role of it. In addition, Looseness among members was also an issue that the WTO needed to address. Therefore, the WTO needed to do the following: first, clarify the ambiguous concepts in the existing treaties; second, develop new treaties; third, reform the TPRM; and fourth, solve the problems in the TRIPS agreement.

Millennials, the Last Standing Heroes of the Workforce: A Comprehensive Literature Review on Synching Millennials’ Values With Organizational Culture to Boost Retention Rates

This paper dives into millennials' role in the workplace, merging generational insights with foundational research. According to Mannheim’s theory, generational distinctions stem from upbringing, societal values, environmental circumstances, and key events. Works by Rescher and Viega underline the importance of value alignment, emphasizing its effect on job satisfaction, behavior, and productivity. Drucker's theory stresses the power of managerial authority on employee retention. As traditional management methods become outdated, emphasis on attraction, selection, turnover, and talent development becomes paramount. Recognizing what drives this key demographic is pivotal for talent retention. Millennials, labeled here as the Hero generation due to their vast numbers, demand recognition and alignment with their values for effective retention. Ignoring this can be financially disastrous for businesses. The insights offered in this paper offer a competitive edge for organizations aiming to harness and retain millennial talent in a dynamic business landscape.

Power Relations And Authority in Teachers' Online Communities of Practice: Formation, Impact, And Implications

Teachers' online communities of practice have become ideal environments for teachers' professional learning, however the catalysts and derivatives of interpersonal interactions, such as power relations and authority in teachers’ online practice communities have not received enough attention -- these factors affect the inquiry and learning in teachers’ online practice communities to some extent. This study selected a case study of an online community of practice composed of four teachers. Based on the relevant concepts of Goffman's micro-sociolinguistics, we explored how teachers construct power relations and authority through discursive interactions in an online practice community, as well as its impact and implications for teachers' pedagogical inquiry and learning. This study analyzes discursive interactions in teachers' online communities of practice from a sociological perspective, providing a new perspective for analyzing teacher participation and learning in teachers' online communities of practice.