Public Policy Goals Research Articles

Quality monitoring of intellectual and developmental disabilities systems in the US: Assessing the utility and applicability of selected National Core Indicators to national and state priorities.

This article provides historical context on the evolution of performance measures for system improvement, examines the perspectives and insights of state public managers on the use and utility of NQF-endorsed outcome measures from the NCI®-IDD In-Person Survey (IPS) for quality improvement, and discusses the necessity of ensuring that outcome measures align with public policy goals.

Life Satisfaction and Job Insecurity

Fear of the threat of job loss is likely to elicit negative thoughts that have adverse consequences for not only job satisfaction, but also all-around happiness and satisfaction with life. Using nationally representative cross-sectional data, this study provides evidence of the negative effect of perceived job insecurity on life satisfaction in post-communist Albania, an under-researched context. This adverse effect is found to be more pronounced for women and for blue-collar workers: being in a blue-collar job is associated with lower overall life satisfaction, but if this job is perceived as insecure, the negative effect on life satisfaction is magnified. In contrast, workers in well-paying jobs are more satisfied with their lives and, relatedly, higher education also has a positive impact, more so for males. Evidence of the quality-of-life effects of job insecurity can be used to inform workplace policy initiatives and practices, particularly as measures of life satisfaction, well-being, and happiness are increasingly considered appropriate indicators of social progress and the ultimate goal of public policy.

'Quality of life' concept in Cohesion Policy evaluation in Poland, 2004–2020

Quality of life (QoL) is a fashionable concept widely used not only in many scientific fields but also in strategic documents, political speeches, and newspaper headlines. Although QoL is a crucial element of political agendas and a goal of public policies, there is little evidence on how this concept has been incorporated in policy analysis and evaluation. This study presents how the QoL has so far been defined, contextualised, and measured in the European Union Cohesion Policy evaluation in Poland, based on the analysis of 1431 evaluation reports for the period 2004–2020. The findings show that the interest in the QoL is growing, and almost one-third of reports refer to the term. However, the concept is usually not clearly defined, and the number of evaluations with actual questions concerning QoL is limited. Moreover, the methodological approach to QoL measurement is rudimentary, limited to surveys of beneficiaries or end-users.

The prevention puzzle.

Promoting prevention is an important goal of public policy. Fifty years ago, Ehrlich and Becker (J Polit Econ 80:623–648, 1972) proposed a simple model of prevention (or self-protection as they called it). Surprisingly enough, subsequent research, mainly within the expected utility paradigm, showed that it is hard to derive clear predictions within this simple model that can help to guide policy. This is what I refer to as the prevention puzzle: why is it so hard for economic theory to guide prevention decisions? In this article I try to shed light on this question. I review the existing literature and add some tentative new results under nonexpected utility. While the impact of risk aversion on prevention is complex, three factors seem to contribute unambiguously to underprevention: prudence, likelihood insensitivity, and loss aversion. I conclude by giving some ideas how empirical research may contribute to the understanding of prevention decisions and help to solve the prevention puzzle.

The Impact of Air Pollution on Residents' Happiness: A Study on the Moderating Effect Based on Pollution Sensitivity.

Promoting people’s happiness is a vital goal of public policy, and air pollution, as the focus of public opinion, is an important influencing factor of residents’ happiness. Although previous literature has explored the relationship between air pollution and happiness, the impact of pollution sensitivity on the relationship has so far received little attention. This paper uses the 2016 China Labor-force Dynamics Survey database (CLDS) to study the impact of air pollution on personal happiness and dissects the moderating effect of air pollution sensitivity from the stock and incremental perspectives. The results found that (1) there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between air pollution and residents’ happiness, such that happiness increases and then decreases with increasing air pollution. The PM10 concentration at the turning point is 119.69 μg/m3, which exceeds the national secondary standard limit (70 μg/m3) by 70.99% and is at the intermediate stage of mild pollution, exceeding the WHO recommended standard (20 μg/m3) by 498.45%, far higher than the international standard recommended level; (2) both air pollution stock sensitivity and incremental sensitivity have a significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between air pollution and happiness, and pollution sensitivity exacerbates the negative effect of air pollution on residents’ happiness by shifting the curve turning point to the left and steepening the curve shape; (3) in addition, the effect of air pollution on different groups is significantly heterogeneous, with lower-age and male groups more likely to have lower happiness due to air pollution; the positive moderating effect of pollution sensitivity is more significant in lower-age, female, and higher-income groups. Therefore, in order to enhance residents’ happiness, the government should not only improve air quality, but also focus on helping residents establish an appropriate subjective perception of air quality.

Seeming incomparability and rational choice

We sometimes have to choose between options that are seemingly incomparable insofar as they seem to be neither better than, worse than, nor equal to each other. This often happens when the available options are quite different from one another. For instance, consider a choice between prioritizing either criminal justice reform or healthcare reform as a public policy goal. Even after the relevant details of the goals and possible reforms are filled in, it is plausible that neither goal is better than, worse than, nor equal to the other. Such seemingly incomparable options present a problem for rational choice since it is unclear how an agent might rationally choose between them. What we need are some principles to help govern rational choice when faced with seemingly incomparable options. I here present three such principles. While each principle is individually compelling, I show that they are jointly incompatible. I then argue that the correct response to this inconsistent triad is to reject the principle that rationally censures performing a sequence of choices one knows will result in a suboptimal outcome. The upshot is that when seeming incomparability is involved, an agent can money pump themselves without being less rational for it.

Social modernization of Kazakhstan and the dynamics of the level of happiness of the population

The quality of people’s lives depends not only on what they do, but also on what happens in society as a whole and how it affects people in different places. It has been rightly proved that the main goal and criterion of public policy is to promote the happiness of people. In recent decades, many scientists have proved that the main goal and measure of state policy is to promote the happiness of people. This article is devoted to the study of the level of happiness of the inhabitants of Kazakhstan in the years after gaining independence as a result of three stages of modernization. An overview of research on happi- ness in Kazakhstan is provided. Based on the World Database of Happiness database, the trend of the average level of happiness of Kazakhstanis from 2000-2020 is considered. A comparative analysis with other countries was carried out, the components of happiness in Kazakhstan and the inequality of hap- piness, factors affecting happiness were considered. Despite the fact that the level of happiness of the inhabitants of Kazakhstan is below average compared to other countries of the world, it shows a high level among the countries of Asia and the post-Soviet countries. The model of happiness of Kazakhstanis differs from other countries, and there are differences in the significance of factors affecting the happiness of Kazakhstanis. The increase in the average level of happiness in Kazakhstan indicates that the periods of modernization carried out in the country have benefited the population and affected their level of satisfaction with life. In general, the increase in the average level of happiness in Kazakhstan indicates that the reforms in the country benefited the population and affected their level of satisfaction with life. Key words: stages of modernization, level of happiness, quality of life, subjective well-being, world ranking, comparative analysis.

National Development Banks in Europe – A Contribution to Sustainable Finance

Purpose: The paper explains critical changes to investment funding occurred over the past fifteen years in the European Union and explores the added value that National Development Banks create for sustainable finance. The delivery of the European Green Deal and the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic require an unprecedented scale of resources. The need to adopt a new sustainable investment approach and adjust the operation of the financial system has become inevitable. Existing research has underlined the role national development banks play in counter-cyclical measures and promotion of the government’s public policy goals. However, their standing in the sustainable finance landscape has enjoyed less attention so far. The paper, therefore, looks at how the remit of the Banks has evolved and assesses their progress and further development needs in relation to promoting sustainable finance. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research has followed a two-phase design. The first phase has included the examination of the operational setting of National Development Banks and their impact on overcoming market failures and improving access to finance. The second phase concentrated on drawing a comparison between the new regulatory requirements, in particular the European Green Deal, the EU Taxonomy Regulation and the functioning of the National Development Banks. The methodology has included a detailed literature review, desk research, data collection and re-assessment of earlier surveys, which has been used for prescriptive comparative analysis and cluster analysis. Findings: The paper concludes that National Development Banks, despite their common goals and mandates, demonstrate important variations in terms of government involvement in strategic direction and decision-making and the Banks’ actual contribution to national policy goals. The outcome confirms the hypothesis that recent changes to the EU strategic and regulatory framework only require minor amendments to the direction of NDB investments. Their original setup and objectives are already in accordance with the new expectations and they invest mostly in economic sectors that the new taxonomy system classifies as sustainable. Practical Implications/ Originality/Value: This is important for the scholarly discourse on the essential conditions for sustainable finance. Meanwhile, the results provide usable guidance for development banks/funding agencies in Europe, too. The paper offers a solid ground for continued explorations of the European financial sector, whereas the recently adopted Digital Finance Package could further widen the agenda of the research direction.

The SLIQ Approach to Sustainable Tourism Development: Case Study of Hai Tac Islands

Island tourism has always been one of the most attractive kinds of tourism globally. However, it is challenging to analyze tourist development on an island since it is a dynamic entity with unique characteristics. In recent years, island tourism development has faced some challenges, such as climate change, environmental degradation, economic downturns, cultural erosion, and diseases like the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, sustainable development is key to ensuring the destination can keep up with demand. The author opted for the SLIQ concept as a new approach while seeking innovative ways to tackle old problems. The paper selected Hai Tac Islands, Vietnam, as a case study, using qualitative research and conducting in-depth interviews with six residents. The findings showed that local authorities should govern the island as living entity requiring a distinct way of thinking because island destinations are susceptible to economic perils and environmental issues. The paper also confirmed that sustainable economic growth, environmental protection, and human fairness should be the three goals of public policy when it comes to planning and managing inclusive tourism island development.

Comments on the OECD Proposal for Secret and Mandatory Arbitration of International Tax Disputes

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has proposed amendments to its Model Tax Convention and Commentary that would establish a system for the mandatory arbitration of tax disputes between two treaty countries when the tax officials of those countries have been unable to resolve those disputes within a two-year period.' The proposal is undoubtedly well-meaning and does address a small but significant problem - the "rare cases" (as characterized by the OECD) of potential double taxation that are unresolved through the existing tax-treaty mechanism.Nevertheless, as discussed below, the public policy goals of this proposed system are at best obscure, and the risks to sound administration of national tax systems are great. The OECD's goal seems to be to please the international business community when the goal ought to be to advance the public interest in a transparent and unbiased system.

Public perceptions of the role of community pharmacy in public health

Abstract Introduction Community pharmacies are well-placed to provide public health interventions, yet they are underutilised for services of this nature (1), which are needed to achieve public health policy goals. Previous qualitative studies have explored public perceptions of the role of community pharmacy in delivering public health services (2). However, to date, these views have not been captured quantitatively, which means it is not clear if the general public shares these views. Aim The aim was to design a questionnaire to obtain public perceptions of the role of community pharmacy in public health interventions and to establish any barriers and facilitators that exist regarding community pharmacy utilisation. Methods A questionnaire was developed based on published literature and semi-structured interviews. Following initial piloting of a paper-based then online format (by ten individuals) a 42-item questionnaire was completed digitally via Qualtrics by a self-selecting sample of the general public recruited through social media (i.e., Twitter, Instagram and Facebook) in May and June 2021. Principal component analysis with Varimax rotation was used to identify the underlying factors (scales) of the questionnaire. Cronbach’s alpha analysis was undertaken to ensure good internal consistency. Information on frequency of community pharmacy use and for what reason was collected. Content and thematic analysis were conducted on the free text qualitative comments. Content analysis was conducted first to observe which aspects of the questionnaire were mentioned the most. Further to this, thematic analysis was conducted as there were responses which did not fit into the content analysis. Results There were 306 valid questionnaire responses, where 235 (76.8%) were females. The mean age was 34.5 years (SD=15.09). Factor analysis identified four scales with a total of 18-items, all demonstrating good internal consistency. Scales were labelled as (n=number of items; ἀ =Cronbach’s alpha value): Expertise (n=3, ἀ =0.815); Role (n=4, ἀ =0.745); Privacy (n=3, ἀ =0.770) and Relationship (n=8, ἀ =0.862). Scale scores indicated that a lack of awareness of their role and expertise was a barrier and adequate privacy was an important facilitator in delivering public health services. In support of the quantitative findings, content analysis identified lack of privacy as a dominant theme, and further thematic analysis uncovered lack of knowledge of community pharmacy’s role in public health as an important barrier to uptake of services. Thematic analysis uncovered the themes ‘lack of knowledge of services’ and ‘accessibility’. Conclusion The outcome of this study was the development of a four scale, 18-item questionnaire to capture public perceptions of the community pharmacy’s role in public health. This can, therefore, be used in future studies aiming to explore public perceptions of community pharmacy. Strengths include being the first questionnaire to explore perceptions of community pharmacy. Weaknesses include the possibility of bias using social media in recruitment. This could be tackled using paper versions of the questionnaire in different settings. Further research is needed to continue testing the psychometric properties of the questionnaire with consideration given to the addition of a fifth scale to measure perceptions of Accessibility. References (1) Kember, J., Hodson, K., & James, D. H. (2018). The public’s perception of the role of community pharmacists in Wales. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice (26), 120-128. (2) Gidman, W., & Cowley, J. (2013). A qualitative exploration of opinions on the community pharmacists’ role amongst the general public in Scotland, International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, (21), 288-296.

A Review of the MINDSPACE Framework for Nudging Health Promotion During Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the link between individual behavior and public health, along with the importance of evidence-based efforts to promote prosocial individual behavior. Insights from behavioral science can inform the design of effective behavior change techniques, or nudges, to influence individual behavior. The MINDSPACE framework organizes 9 behavioral science principles that can be used to guide policy design: Messenger, Incentives, Norms, Defaults, Salience, Priming, Affect, Commitments, and Ego. Using MINDSPACE as an organizing framework, this article provides a review of the literature on nudges to influence prosocial behaviors relevant during a pandemic: handwashing, avoidance of social gatherings, self-isolation and social distancing, and sharing public health messages. Additionally, empirical evidence on the use of nudges during the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 is summarized. Recommendations regarding the use of nudges to achieve public health policy goals during pandemics are provided. Organizational leaders, policymakers, and practitioners can use nudges to promote public health when mandates are not politically feasible or enforceable.

Cunoaştere şi intervenţie în comunităţile marginalizate. Studiu de caz în cartierul Bărăbanţ, Alba Iulia

This research aims to analyze the needs of people in marginalized communities in the Bărăbanţ neighborhood. This study brings to light the main aspects to be investigated, the identification of social issues regarding the communities in the Bărăbanţ area. Going through this stage involved describing the current status of the situation, but also comparing it with other case studies on marginalized communities. The strong idea is to try to define the concept of the social problem because, from it, all the actions of sociologists start in order to compose and implement public policies in order to eradicate or reduce its effects. The ultimate goal of public policy is to mitigate the effects of problems that arise in the medium to long term. For the analysis and evaluation of projects we must take into account a number of factors, such as: the size of the problem, the implementation cost analysis, the ability to provide an answer to the needs identified in the community.

On the determinants of regional government debt in Russia

ABSTRACT This paper provides an analysis of the determinants of regional government debt in the Russian Federation using data from 2005–2017. We document that total indebtedness of Russian regions has grown substantially since 2010 and find significant changes in the structure of regional debt, primarily the increased use of budget credits offered by the federal government. Market debt instruments are determined by a different set of factors than non-market instruments. In fact, poorer and less fiscally independent regions have lower access to budget credits and are forced to rely on more expensive market debt instruments, particularly commercial loans. Budget credits and commercial loans are shown to be substitutes, although the nature of this substitution is contrary to declared redistributive goals of public policy. Finally, we find the presence of horizontal strategic interactions in debt issuance across Russian regions: regions react positively to increased debt issuance in the same federal district.

Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on public procurement in Georgia (On the example of simplified procurement)

Georgian public procurement accounts for a significant share of the country's gross domestic product each year. One of the goals of public procurement policy is to reduce the share of simplified procurement in total procurement. Crises are particularly conducive to the implementation of simplified procurement to address emergencies, which in turn carry the risk of corruption and less transparency. That is why studying the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on simplified procurement is interesting and topical. The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on simplified procurement by 2020. The theoretical-methodological basis of the research is the analysis of official statistics, official reports, various normative acts, and the latest scientific publications. The unified electronic system of the LEPL State Procurement Agency is used to achieve certain research objectives. The findings and recommendations will be interesting and useful for any stakeholder, especially for procuring organizations. Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic; Public procurement; Simplified procurement;

Boss Mom: Why Texas Should Revise Its Legislation to Allow Gestational Surrogacy Contract Enforcement for Social Surrogacies

Career-driven women have consistently been forced to choose between their careers and creating a family. However, with the use of reproductive technology, this is no longer necessary. In recent years, fertile women have been looking to gestational surrogacy as a pregnancy alternative. These women are opting to use surrogates not be- cause they cannot bear a child but because being pregnant is not feasible for their careers. These surrogacies have been termed “social surrogacies.” However, surrogacy laws throughout the United States are diverse and complicated, and many do not allow for the enforcement of social surrogacy contracts. These states, particularly Texas, require that the intended mother be unable to bear a pregnancy without risk to herself or her fetus in order to have a legally enforceable gestational agreement. This Comment discusses the various surrogacy laws throughout the United States and analyzes the trend toward surrogacy acceptance. Specifically, this Comment argues that these surrogacy laws are unconstitutional and do not further any public policy goals by implementing a medical need requirement for intended parents. Thus, this Comment argues that Texas legislators should revise Texas’s surrogacy statutes and eliminate the medical need requirement, which in turn would allow enforcement of gestational surrogacy agreements for social surrogacies.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND LEGAL BASES OF REFORMING THE SYSTEM OF SOCIAL INSURANCE AGAINST ACCIDENTS IN PRODUCTION AND PROFESSIONAL DISEASES IN UKRAINE

Introduction. The socio-economic engine of state transformation, growth and progress is the active working population, which every day, working, supports the economic potential of the country. It is important to understand that the safety of citizens, especially in the workplace, should be one of the priority goals of public policy. To achieve this goal, the state system of social insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases, which aims to avoid insurance in the workplace, as well as to ensure the livelihood of citizens who have already been exposed to dangerous production factors. The increase in the number of insured events, including fatal ones, necessitates reforming the functions of the Social Insurance Fund, as quantitative indicators indicate their significant shortcomings in some areas and general inefficiency. Ukrainian enterprises, institutions and organizations of various forms of ownership and activities. Based on this, there is a need to study all aspects of the system, as well as identify its shortcomings with further prospects for reform, in particular by borrowing and using international standards for social insurance against accidents and occupational diseases. The aim of the article is to analyze the essence of the social insurance system against accidents at work and occupational diseases in the first place, insurance benefits and preventive measures, to propose organizational and legal ways to reform the functions of the Social Insurance Fund. Results. It is established that the national system of social insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases and the Social Insurance Fund, as an institution that performs the functions of prevention and financing of accidents at work, needs reform, which should be one of the priorities of socio-economic policy in Ukraine. The main shortcomings of the Ukrainian system of insurance against accidents are considered, and also ways of its improvement are offered, in particular by introduction of the international standards of management of system of insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases.

ДЕРЖАВНА ПОЛІТИКА В СФЕРІ ПАТРІОТИЧНОГО ВИХОВАННЯ

The article proves the need to cultivate patriotism through public policy, especially in modern wartime Ukraine. A successful path to victory is possible if public policy promotes the development of a system of national and patriotic education. We believe that in the conditions of modern development the idea of patriotism should be the core around which high ideological positions are formed, as well as the aspirations, readiness and ability of all people to actively work for the benefit of the homeland. It is proved that the target audience of the main document, which sets out the directions of state policy on patriotic education are young people, and such segments of the population as persons over 35 years of age, which make up 61.1 percent of the population are not involved. Based on a total population of 41.1 million at the beginning of 2022, measures aimed at promoting Ukrainian youth NGOs banned and persecuted by the occupation and Soviet regimes, including the Ukrainian Plast movement (Plast) and the Scout movement, Unions of Ukrainian youth that have survived abroad and resumed their activities in Ukraine with independence should be covered in 2022, only 0.7 percent of the population, which in our opinion is very small, given that the percentage of young people aged 15 to 35 is 24.7 percent. The planned level of youth coverage of measures aimed at increasing the number of young people ready to fulfill the duty to protect the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine is quite low. Calculations show that out of the total number of young people (10.1 million people), only 239.6 thousand people will join the relevant activities. On average, 19.9 thousand people per month and 163 people per territorial community. It is determined that the influence of the state on the process of patriotic education is the use of appropriate mechanisms that contribute to achieving its goals. State mechanisms are closely linked and complementary, and their integrated use contributes to the main goal of public policy. The direction of patriotic educational state policy should be based on the fact that it is primarily national. We see future research on the essence of directions and mechanisms of state policy in the development of patriotic education of all segments of society and not only young people.

“Teaching students like me:” Bilingual authorization candidates, motivations, and California’s bilingual education renaissance

ABSTRACT Emerging from nearly two decades of language suppression wrought by Proposition 227, a Bilingual Education Renaissance is underway in California as new programs proliferate at a much faster clip than the state can produce certified bilingual teachers. California’s policy shift is built upon an officially stated view of bilingualism as a resource beneficial for student academic success and global economic competitiveness. While the stated goals of public policy are clear, less known is what motivates educators aspiring to serve these new programs and how these individuals have been personally affected by the language restrictions of Proposition 227. Through analysis of surveys and autobiographical writing collected from bilingual authorization candidates in Central California, we explore the motivations of these budding bilingual educators, compare and contrast these motivations to those of state policy, and examine in autobiographical detail their ethnolinguistic experiences. We find that bilingual certification candidates – in contrast to the explicit economic considerations of the state–are overwhelmingly driven by a sense of advocacy and personal identification with the ethnolinguistic experiences and struggles of emergent bilingual students. We discuss implications for public policy, candidate recruitment, and the design of program content that is supportive and leveraging of candidate ethnolinguistic experiences and assets.

Taming the Wild West: Achieving Public Policy Goals through Crypto Standards

Taming the Wild West: Achieving Public Policy Goals through Crypto Standards