This article offers a political science analysis of the practical activities of the governments of two countries – Russia and Japan – in the context of crisis phenomena affecting both specific areas of public life and global processes in the international system. The relevance of the research is due to the increasing importance of studying the mechanisms of state governance in an unstable external environment. Russia and Japan represent interesting and comparable objects of analysis: both countries face various types of crises – from internal socio-economic challenges to external political constraints – while demonstrating different approaches to crisis management, influenced by the specifics of their political systems, cultural traditions, and strategic courses. Questions related to the adaptation of state institutions to new challenges gain particular significance: digitalization of governance, changes in the model of international cooperation, increased emphasis on national security, and the formation of new economic alliances. The methodological foundation of the study is based on general logical methods of the dialectical approach (analysis, comparison), systems analysis methods, and statistical analysis. The main results of the research are as follows. Practice shows that timely developed and implemented managerial decisions help minimize the negative impact of crises and maintain stability within the country. The author concludes that the measures taken by the leadership of Russia and Japan generally corresponded to the level of threats and allowed for the stabilization of the situation in key areas – economy, healthcare, and social support. However, significant differences are also identified in the speed of government responses, the transparency of decision-making, and the level of public trust in authorities. These factors directly influenced the effectiveness of crisis policies: due to political struggles and slow decision-making, the Japanese government missed the opportunity to mitigate the impact of the crisis, while the Russian leadership prepared for a default by working through options for overcoming it and quickly implemented crisis measures.

The genesis of modern technogenic culture is determined by the impact of global trends of the era of ‘Industry 4.0’, marking the advent of smart technologies actively developing within the framework of a digital ecosystem. This article investigates the influence of artificial neural networks on contemporary sociocultural spaces and social institutions. It provides a retrospective analysis of the evolutionary path of neurotechnologies from early experimental studies of mid-last century to current advanced achievements such as multilayer artificial neural networks and deep machine learning technologies. The author notes that the current stages of transformational processes differ significantly from previous phases of industrial evolution due to the total spread of intelligent machines and network information infrastructures, which exert a decisive influence on all spheres of human activity, ranging from production cycles to everyday life patterns of population. A detailed study of the effects of these methods on key areas of human activities, including state governance sector, industry, healthcare, commercial activities, education process, and creative industries allows considering positive impacts of wide-scale introduction of neuroalgorithms, among them an increase in decision-making efficiency, improvement of diagnostics and therapy of diseases, optimization of manufacturing processes, and expansion of possibilities for obtaining quality educational services. However, potential threats and risks associated with large-scale use of neurotechnologies are also highlighted, such as issues related to personal data protection, compliance with bioethical norms and legal regulations. There is a need for a comprehensive approach to further development of this field of knowledge, involving integration of efforts from representatives of various scientific disciplines, development of strict regulatory legal acts, and implementation of reliable technical means for ensuring information security aimed at minimizing risks and providing reliable functioning of neurotechnology solutions. These trends pose before the scientific community several urgent problems concerning cybersecurity risk assessment, development of technical ethics standards, and evaluation of long-term socio-economic effects of innovative technological revolution.

In humanist political theory, the concept of reason of state mostly described a course of action that did not follow the usual criteria of law (iustum), but rather what was useful (utile). Nonetheless, a broader understanding of the reason of state considered a community's core values. Such common interests (ius status or ragion di stato) could be contrasted with, and balanced against, those of the international community (ius gentium or ragione delle genti). According to the latter view the reason of state did not abolish the rule of law but laid down the conditions for its application. It was not the expression of immoral politics. Rather, it indicated good state governance in order to preserve public safety (mantenere o conservare lo Stato). The article investigates the evolution of the concept of reason of state in humanist political theory and how Alberico Gentili (1552-1608), a religious refugee and Regius Professor at the University of Oxford, transplanted it from political theory into the law of nations.

In August 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping first introduced the concept of strategic thinking at the symposium commemorating the 100th anniversary of Comrade Deng Xiaoping's birth. Since the 18th National Congress of the Com-munist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of important speeches have profoundly embodied the scientific thinking methods for state governance characteristic of a Marxist statesman—including strategic thinking, historical thinking, dialectical thinking, innovative thinking, and bottom-line thinking. These speeches provide us with scientific ideological guidance and working methods for understanding, analyzing, and resolving issues. In December 2016, at the National Conference on Ideological and Political Work in High-er Education Institutions, General Secretary Xi Jinping further emphasized: “The fundamental mission of higher education institutions lies in fostering virtue and cultivating talent. Only those institutions capable of nurturing top-tier talent can rank among the world's leading universities.

This article analyzes the theoretical foundations and the structural, innovation-driven transformations of the modern governance model of the socialist state in Vietnam within the contemporary context. Drawing on Marxism–Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, and key Party documents, the paper elucidates three pillars of the modern socialist state governance model and conceptualizes it as an integrated structure of “Party leadership – State governance – People’s participation.” Methodologically, the study employs theoretical analysis and synthesis, document analysis, legal normative analysis, and a broad comparison with China’s experience, grounded in an evidence-based governance approach. On this basis, the paper proposes a logical framework—“institutions lead – governance steers – technology enables – human factors determine”—to describe the dynamics of modernizing socialist state governance in Vietnam under conditions of digital transformation, green transition, and deep international integration. It also suggests several directions for further research, including adaptive effectiveness, digital rule of law, and mechanisms for reconciling centralized leadership with decentralization and devolution.

The present research shows measures of state governance aimed at raising the birth-rate of the population in Russia, which serves as a strategic landmark for ensuring national security of Russia. On the basis of sample observation of reproduction plans of people in 2022 econometric models were built that identify important factors influencing the birth of 3 and more children. Research findings reveal the methodological approach ‘The Cube of Population Governance’, which allows us to integrate activities of bodies of power in pursuing policy aimed at birth-rate raising. Important factors include, for instance, reproductive goals of respondents, housing conditions, plans for education. Authorities, functions and competences to influence these factors do not belong to only one body of power, which can explain limited effect of steps aimed at raising the birth-rate. Therefore, raising the birth-rate of the population shall be considered as a comprehensive goal, which is covered by authorities of different bodies of power. This approach could help identify the rate of state measure impact, the type of state policy, within which the step is realized and the element of population birth-rate process being corrected. The author put forward measures of state governance dealing with population birth-rate. As the most serious step the author named the increase in demographic literacy, that allow people to reach the most favorable for them demographic results, including the birth of children. Other proposed measures of impact are connected with improvements in housing condition, developing the system of further professional education for people having a maternity leave and cutting the number of divorces.

The relevance of this article stems from the necessity to conduct a thorough analysis of the terms “mobilisation system,” “system of mobilisation,” and “mobilisation” itself. It is essential to define the role and place of mobilisation within the national security and defence architecture of Ukraine, and to clarify the conceptual distinctions between these terms. The usage of “mobilisation system” or “system of mobilisation” as equivalents or even substitutes for the term “mobilisation” in mass media and, at times, academic literature is not entirely correct. In most instances, such substitution leads to conceptual confusion and a lack of understanding regarding the actual subject matter. The purpose of this article is to clarify the content of the aforementioned terms, to establish their interrelation and hierarchical structure, and to substantiate the notion of mobilisation as an integrated system. The research is grounded in a systems-based approach, normative legal analysis, and selected elements of state governance theory. The article presents a systemic analysis of one of the core categories within the theory of mobilisation planning and mobilisation itself, namely the concept of “mobilisation.” This approach has enabled a clearer definition of the related terms “mobilisation system” and “system of mobilisation,” along with their interdependence and relation to the general notion of mobilisation. It is argued that mobilisation within a state context can be conceptualised as a system, as it possesses all the key attributes of a systemic structure. At the national level, mobilisation is understood as a dual-faceted process. The mobilisation system provides the legal, organisational, economic, and administrative foundation for mobilisation. Meanwhile, the set of mobilisation measures serves as the practical mechanism through which mobilisation is implemented via specific processes and actions. The study demonstrates that while the terms “mobilisation system” and “system of mobilisation” are closely related and interlinked, they are not entirely identical in meaning. It is further clarified that mobilisation represents a critical mechanism for ensuring national security and serves as a core component of Ukraine’s defence organisation. The practical value of the study lies in its potential to contribute to the enhancement of legislative frameworks, the development of mobilisation response strategies, and the optimisation of military command and control structures. The article offers specific recommendations for refining the understanding of the core concepts under examination.

Before photography was introduced to China, realistic paintings were used to record important events and festive scenes in the court. Chinese and Western painters were often recruited to create paintings that served the court, due to the Qing emperor’s strong interest in them. This study aims to analyze the artistic features and the emperor’s artistic taste in festival court paintings in Qing China, as well as the scenes and connotations depicted in these works. Five representative court paintings depicting the Spring Festival during the Qianlong period were selected as research objects. Space is the guiding logic of this research, moving from parts of the imperial city to a panoramic view. The inner courtyard of the palace, the palace garden, the outer court, and the entire imperial city and its suburbs are explored in sequence. The research results found that festival paintings during the Qianlong period were a combination of Chinese and Western painting techniques, verve and precise forms, calligraphy and imagery. They embody five main connotations: 1) Festival painting is a medium for the emperor to display his will and imperial power; 2) It implies similar festival customs and cultures shared by the court and the people; 3) It reflects the diplomatic relations during his reign; 4) It shows Qianlong’s good governance and the people’s prosperity and happiness; 5) It expresses nature’s and celestial phenomena’s affirmation of Qianlong’s imperial power. The festival paintings reflect ancient Chinese ideals of self-cultivation, family management, state governance, bringing peace to all under heaven, and the unity of heaven and man. By reconstructing the original context of Qing dynasty festival paintings, we find that the emperor sought to prove his orthodox status and achievements through various aspects.

ABSTRACT This study examines disability governance in a rentier state context, to determine whether it sustains institutionalization or advances deinstitutionalization. Employing the meso-level Policy Arrangement Approach, the study explores four dimensions – discourse, actors, resources, and rules. Using a corpus of 427 coded text segments analysed through qualitative and computational (R-based) methods, the findings reveal a hybrid governance model – controlled neo-corporatism – where the state retains centralized authority while permitting structured roles for non-state actors in service delivery. The findings identify a “controlled neo-corporatist” model that paradoxically combines state dominance in agenda-setting and resource allocation with structured non-state participation in service delivery and advocacy. This model partially aligns with rights-based framework, but is constrained by institutional resilience. The study rejects the hypothesis of persistent centralized control, supporting instead a transition to hybrid governance driven by global norms and modernization, though full deinstitutionalization remains limited by state-centric priorities. This contributes to comparative disability studies by highlighting unique governance dynamics in rentier states, bridging macro-level policy with micro-level exclusionary outcomes.

In the context of the accelerating transformation of the global scientific landscape, there is a growing demand for the analysis of national models of science and technology policy as tools for shaping new centers of scien-tific influence. This article examines the evolution of China’s science policy since 1978 through the lens of state governance modernization and the pursuit of innovation sovereignty. It highlights the shift away from a techno-cratic approach to scientific development toward strategic planning, institutionalization, and international posi-tioning. Particular attention is paid to China’s participation in BRICS cooperation, where new models of global scientific interaction are being redefined. The author demonstrates how Sino-Russian partnerships in science and technology, extending beyond knowledge exchange, are becoming the basis for institutional dialogue among countries in the Global South. The article offers a new perspective on the role of the state in managing scientific processes amid political multipolarity and technological competition.

Public governance, as the core model of modern state governance, emphasizes that multiple entities, including government departments, social organizations, enterprises, and individual citizens, work together to address social problems and provide public services through the sharing of information and resources, the sharing of responsibilities, and the joint consultation of decisions, guided by common goals. With the accelerated advancement of globalization and informatization, as well as the profound transformation of government functions, cross-departmental collaborative governance has become a key strategy for improving government effectiveness and effectively addressing complex and changing social issues. As a key link in the collaborative governance framework, the cross-departmental standards collaboration mechanism is committed to promoting information sharing, resource integration, and collaborative decision-making among different departments through the formulation and implementation of a unified standards system, thereby enhancing the flexibility and effectiveness of government governance. This article first defines the relevant core concepts, then deeply analyzes the problems and challenges of the cross-departmental standards collaboration mechanism in current public governance practices, and then explores the basic principles and specific practical paths for building such a mechanism, aiming to provide useful reference and inspiration for improving the overall effectiveness of public governance.

Public governance, as the core model of modern state governance, emphasizes that multiple entities, including government departments, social organizations, enterprises, and individual citizens, work together to address social problems and provide public services through the sharing of information and resources, the sharing of responsibilities, and the joint consultation of decisions, guided by common goals. With the accelerated advancement of globalization and informatization, as well as the profound transformation of government functions, cross-departmental collaborative governance has become a key strategy for improving government effectiveness and effectively addressing complex and changing social issues. As a key link in the collaborative governance framework, the cross-departmental standards collaboration mechanism is committed to promoting information sharing, resource integration, and collaborative decision-making among different departments through the formulation and implementation of a unified standards system, thereby enhancing the flexibility and effectiveness of government governance. This article first defines the relevant core concepts, then deeply analyzes the problems and challenges of the cross-departmental standards collaboration mechanism in current public governance practices, and then explores the basic principles and specific practical paths for building such a mechanism, aiming to provide useful reference and inspiration for improving the overall effectiveness of public governance.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the relations among firm political ideology, state political ideology, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure. It is the first study to simultaneously explore both individual‐ and state‐level influences on ESG disclosure. Using panel regression models on a sample of firms in the United States of America from 2013 to 2020, the study finds that liberal ideology is associated with higher ESG disclosure. This behavior is driven by the desire to meet stakeholder expectations and operate in a supportive environment for addressing social and environmental issues. These findings remain consistent across various tests, demonstrating their robustness and reliability. The study contributes to the literature on informal political determinants of ESG disclosure, being potentially helpful for policymakers in developing more impactful regulations and recommendations to incentivize ESG disclosure. The findings may also assist firms in aligning their sustainability reporting with political contexts and stakeholder needs.

Against the backdrop of China's new urbanization and regional coordination strategies, the social integration of rural-to-urban migrants has become an increasingly critical indicator of state governance modernization and institutional performance. Considering rural migrants in Jilin Province as the research subject, particularly in the context of its agricultural revitalization and urbanization policies, this study constructs an "embedding-activation" theoretical framework grounded in institutional theory and social capital theory. It proposes a mechanism in which formal institutions are embedded within informal institutions and generate effective governance outcomes through cognitive transformation facilitated by social capital. Empirically, the study applies structural equation modeling to identify the direct and indirect pathways through which policy cognition, social trust, identity, and economic integration influence social integration. Additionally, machine learning methods are employed to reveal the marginal contributions and nonlinear transition characteristics of individual variables, bridging the gap between causal explanation and predictive accuracy. The results demonstrate that social capital functions as a cognitive trigger for activating institutional efficacy and plays a key mediating role in promoting migrants' social integration. The success of institutional incentives depends on the accumulation of individual cognition and the threshold effects of trust and identity mechanisms, resulting in a behavioral shift from passive acceptance to active engagement. This dynamic promotes the expansion of scope and deepening of structure in social integration. By adopting an institution-cognition-behavior analytical lens, this study enriches the micro-foundations of institutional theory and provides support for enhancing the evaluation, responsiveness, and effectiveness of migration.

Social criticism is an issue that demonstrates the democratic nature of state governance. Policies issued with the participation of many subjects will become effective state management tools, expressing both the will of the state and the aspirations of the people. Among the many subjects participating in social criticism, trade unions are a common subject, with the nature of representative organizations of workers and established in countries. In Vietnam, trade unions are defined as socio-political organizations, established and operating in parallel with central and local government levels; at the same time, trade unions are established and operate in each agency and organization in the political system in Vietnam. This study addresses the issue of social criticism of trade unions through the content of participating in policy criticism at the local level in direct and indirect forms; contributing to ensuring the quality of policies issued by localities. Based on the theoretical framework developed, the author surveyed the opinions of 200 leaders of grassroots trade union organizations in localities of 3 provinces representing 3 regions of Vietnam, including: Hung Yen Province (North), Quang Ngai Province (Central), Tay Ninh Province (South). The research and survey results show that the role of trade union organizations in policy criticism contributes to ensuring the quality of policies issued by localities; participation in policy criticism is mainly in an indirect form and needs to be strengthened more than direct participation in criticism. From the research conclusion, the author discusses appropriate solutions to promote the policy criticism role of trade union organizations in Vietnam.

Given that the European Union is facing complex fiscal challenges arising from recent crises, understanding the impact of fiscal rules, institutional governance, and economic performance is critical. This paper examines the effects of fiscal rules and sustainable development trajectories in the context of effective governance of EU member states, analysing how these rules affect fiscal resilience, which is understood as the government’s ability to maintain discipline, absorb shocks, and sustain growth without undermining macroeconomic stability. This study focuses in particular on 2012 to 2023: a period marked by post-crisis adjustments and institutional consolidation. To carry out the proposed empirical analysis, we apply a panel vector autoregressive (VAR) model to capture the dynamic interdependence between fiscal policy indicators, governance quality, and economic performance, offering a temporal and comparative perspective across countries with varying levels of compliance with fiscal rules. Our results indicate that strong fiscal rules are embedded in robust institutional frameworks that enhance fiscal resilience, stabilise public finances, and foster long-term, sustainable economic growth. This study also demonstrates that effective governance is essential for translating fiscal discipline into improved economic outcomes, providing insights for policymakers and researchers on sustainable development strategies. These findings contribute to the literature by highlighting how institutional quality and fiscal rules interact dynamically, particularly during periods of economic restructuring and regulatory adaptation.

For the first time in the Russian legal literature, the paper examines the legal nature of IT assets. Approaches to understanding IT assets in the economic sphere and in the field of information and telecommunication relations, as well as in current Russian legislation, are considered. From the perspective of public law objectives, this category is primarily distinguished to separate the objects of information infrastructure that are created for the purpose of digital transformation in the system of both state and municipal governance. It is concluded that the definition of IT assets for the purposes of carrying out activities for the digital transformation of the public (municipal) management system can be used in general for use in the public sphere. It is proposed to consider IT assets as an object of public law relations as a set of information technologies and systems, components of information and telecommunication infrastructure, information and telecommunication networks, software, hardware and software complexes, as well as individual computer programs and equipment used as IT infrastructure of subjects of public law relations for the implementation of assigned functions. They have legislative authority and support for their digital transformation activities. It is concluded that IT assets as an object of information legal relations should be considered from the perspective of an infrastructure facility that is clearly delineated from information. IT assets as an object are designed to perform certain actions with information. From the perspective of the private law nature, IT assets are most often individual intellectual property objects, complex intellectual property objects, or complex objects that include things and intellectual property objects.

This research aimed to present a conceptual model that forms the essential basis for collecting value creation indicators by national oil companies, addressing the lack of Arab studies in this area, to the best of the researchers' knowledge. The study employed a descriptive approach and utilized procedural analysis to identify the components of the value creation index used to measure the performance of national oil companies. These components were summarized into a composite index by assigning weights to each sub-indicator. The research concluded that five categories—state context, sectoral organization and governance, national oil company strategy, national oil company governance, and geology—contribute to value creation by national oil companies. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of linking these categories to clear operational, financial, and national-mission indicators. This connection strengthens the model and enhances understanding of how different factors drive value. By doing so, the study provides a practical framework that policymakers and researchers can rely on when evaluating national oil company performance across diverse contexts. It also offers meaningful practical implications by supporting informed decision-making and creating opportunities for future research to test, refine, and expand the proposed model.

The purpose of this study is to find out how the perspectives of undergraduate economics students of the Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE) differ regarding political science and economic policy. The research aims to determine how students perceive the connection between these two subjects and what they know about the practical implications of political science in economic policy formation. Based on a sociological survey conducted among final-year students, the study examines perceptions of political science and economic policy, self-assessed levels of knowledge, and the application of this knowledge in authentic professional contexts. The research findings indicate that while students can recognize the theoretical link between political science and economic policy, they struggle to visualize how it would apply in future workplaces. Most participants associate political science with state governance and economic policy with state regulation, presenting a coherent yet state-centred perception of the relationship. At the same time, due to limited exposure to practical experiences, particularly in public administration, they are less confident in applying the concepts they have learned in class. The present study highlights the need for interdisciplinary curricula incorporating real-life examples, such as case studies and internships, to bridge the gap between theory and practice. In this way, the universities can better equip students to understand the complexities of economic and political systems, actively engage in policymaking, and contribute to sustainable development in Armenia.

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the national mechanism for the digitalization of arms circulation in Ukraine, considered as an important step towards ensuring transparency in the procedures of manufacturing, acquisition, storage, accounting, transportation, and use of different categories of weapons. These include firearms, pneumatic, cold and deactivated weapons, as well as domestically produced devices for firing cartridges equipped with rubber or similar non-lethal projectiles, their ammunition, the main parts of weapons, and explosive materials. The purpose of the article is to reveal the impact of digital services on the functioning of the state and society on the example of the regulation of weapons circulation.I n line with this purpose, the article explores the directions and potential of modern electronic platforms and digital services that provide citizens with online access to weapons permits. Their significance is emphasized both for law enforcement agencies, which require prompt access to reliable information, and for society at large, which is interested in transparent procedures and an increased level of trust in public institutions. The relevance of the research stems from the nationwide social and domestic changes caused by the introduction of martial law. These circumstances highlight the urgent need to discuss this issue not only in academic discourse but also in the activities of public authorities, non-governmental organizations, and among civilians. Special attention is paid to the risks related to the illegal import of large quantities of weapons from areas of active hostilities, which create new threats to the law enforcement system. The article outlines the advantages and disadvantages of digital services available to civilians, as well as the possibilities of unified information and search systems designed for internal use by the National Police of Ukraine. Current trends in their application are analyzed, with a particular focus on countering uncontrolled trafficking and encouraging citizens to register not only purchased weapons but also those that have been found or seized as trophies. The study also provides a comparative assessment of digital technologies in this field in accordance with existing legal regulations. Furthermore, it presents a range of professional approaches aimed at improving the functioning of the system while underlining the importance of introducing innovative tools and new modes of application. The implementation of such solutions will contribute to enhancing the efficiency of state governance in the security sector and reducing the risks associated with the illegal circulation of arms.