Village Councils Research Articles

Legal Instruments of Social Control in Swiss and Polish Self-Government: A Doctrinal and Legal Study

Abstract One of the basic instruments of direct democracy is the referendum, which is particularly developed in Switzerland. In Poland, due to historical conditions, there is no tradition of using referendums; however, in recent years, the participation of citizens in public co-decision has started to be implemented through the instruments of governance (participatory democracy), i.e. the village council fund and participatory budgeting. Apart from the basic function, i.e. active participation in making public decisions, all the above-mentioned instruments should also fulfill another important role: it is social control in the financial sphere. Therefore, this study attempts to answer the following research question: do the instruments of direct and participatory democracy fulfil the function of social control in the field of public financial decisions, and if so, how? According to the adopted hypothesis, both the forms of direct and participatory democracy also constitute (contain) elements of social control of the activities of public authorities. And by their very nature, these legal instruments of social control are implemented in the form of ex ante external control. To verify this view, the study interprets the content of foreign and domestic acts of universally binding law (cantonal constitutions, statutory provisions).

Public Management and Administration in Territorial Communities of Ukraine During the War and in the Post-war Period

"The purpose of the research is to form the peculiarities of public management and public administration in territorial communities in the conditions of war, as well as to outline the role of the latter in the postwar development of Ukraine. The work used such methods of scientific knowledge as the method of synthesis, the method of analysis, the system-structural method, and the formal-logical method. The authors considered the peculiarities of the functioning of local self-government bodies as representatives of the territorial community in the conditions of martial law, their interaction with military administrations. The work describes the transformation of the powers of executive bodies of village, settlement and city councils after February 24, 2022. The publication pays special attention to the role and importance of territorial communities in the post-war development of Ukraine. For the first time, the authors proposed two criteria for dividing the powers of representative bodies of territorial communities during the period of martial law. The approaches proposed by the authors regarding the interaction of the executive bodies of village, settlement and city councils and city state administrations both at this stage of the implementation of state policy under martial law and in the future are important for the recovery of Ukraine in the postwar period, which indicates the practical value of the work."

NUMBER AND ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF THE POPULATION OF THE KOLONTAI DISTRICT OF THE KHARKIV DISTRICT (ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF THE 1926 POPULATION CENSUS)

Based on the analysis of statistical materials of the 1926 census, a study of the population and ethnic composition of the population of the Kolontaiv district of the Kharkiv district was conducted. The number and ethnic composition of the population of each of the 10 village councils of this district have been determined. The population in 1926 of each of the 31 settlements of the district, the average population of one village council, one rural settlement and one rural household were determined. It has been proved that the key feature of the population of Kolontaiv district and all its 10 village councils remained its ethnic homogeneity - absolute dominance in the number of Ukrainians against the background of minimal territorial representation of ethnic minorities dispersed.

Adaptation of internally displaced persons in host communities under conditions of war in Ukraine: The role of local governments

The aggravation of the migration crisis in the country against the background of socio-economic instability in conditions of war has triggered the deterioration of the institutional and economic capacity of local governments to ensure further integration of internally displaced persons in the host society. The article aims to identify the resource and economic capacity of local governments in conditions of war to ensure the needs and adaptation of internally displaced persons to new living conditions (using the example of Pidberiztsivska Territorial Community of Lvivska Oblast). The research is based on a questionnaire survey in the form of in-depth interviews with the representatives of local governments. The sample consists of 20 persons; strata are formed in accordance with the staff units of local governments (head of the village council; representatives of the community’s administrative center and starostyn districts; heads of structural units of the village council). The paper emphasizes that local governments face a great challenge in ensuring the adaptation of internally displaced persons in the community, mainly related to the lack of free housing (according to 76.2% of respondents) and the labor surplus in the local market (over 20%). The results show that the majority of internally displaced persons see the community only as a place of “waiting” and seek to return to the former residence place (68.4% of the interviewed representatives of local government), so they shouldn’t be deemed as a potential community asset. Proactive tools for increasing the resource and economic capacity of local governments to ensure further integration of internally displaced persons include interaction with regional authorities, efficient use of the capacity of relocated businesses, cooperation with charitable foundations and NGOs to solve housing problems and create additional high-wage jobs.

Unpacking the hidden state via everyday stateness in Timor-Leste

ABSTRACT This study aimed to discover the sphere of the everyday state by identifying images and practices related to people’s community life in Timor-Leste. This study argues that previous research on the state, including Southeast Asian states, has been built on the power-oriented Weberian notion. Instead of focusing on the centralisation of power at the national level, this study proposes to discover the sphere of the everyday state by emphasising people’s daily experiences, particularly through an analysis of welfare, which is the moral dimension of the state. Based on Timor-Leste’s life in sucos, this study shows the everyday stateness of unveiling the relationship between state images and practices in village life. This study argues that narratives on rewards for ordeals during the Indonesian occupation and elites’ vision for prosperity illustrate what people expect from the state and images of the state at the everyday level. Furthermore, this study emphasises the activities of various public agencies to meet these expectations and indicates the significant role of village councils in managing the level of expectations.

The political trust impacts of land titling in China

This paper uses panel data from 2017 to 2019 in Yangshan County, Guangdong Province, to assess the impact of land titling on farmers’ political trust. The results of a generalized difference-in-differences model suggest that land titling increases farmers’ subjective trust in the local village council and reduces the probability of conflict with the local village council. We found that the mechanism by which land titling affects farmers’ political trust is the stability of land rights. Furthermore, regulated procedural implementation can strengthen the impact of land titling on political trust. Additionally, we unexpectedly found that land titling positively impacts the relationship between villagers and cadres, and collective action participation, in addition to influencing farmers’ political trust.

Quantifying war-induced crop losses in Ukraine in near real time to strengthen local and global food security

We use a 4-year panel (2019–2022) of 10,125 village councils in Ukraine to estimate effects of the war started by Russia on area and expected yield of winter crops aggregated up from the field level. Satellite imagery is used to provide information on direct damage to agricultural fields; classify crop cover using machine learning; and compute the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for winter cereal fields as a proxy for yield. Without conflict, winter crop area would have been 9.35 rather than 8.38 million ha, a 0.97 million ha reduction, only 14% of which can be attributed to direct conflict effects. The estimated drop associated with the conflict in NDVI for winter wheat, which is particularly pronounced for small farms, translates into an additional reduction of output by about 1.9 million tons for a total of 4.84 million tons. Taking area and yield reduction together suggests a war-induced loss of winter wheat output of up to 17% assuming the 2022 winter wheat crop was fully harvested.

Increasing Empowerment of Rural Economic Institutions through the Village–Owned Enterprises Development Program

This study explains the program’s performance to increase the empowerment of economic institutions of rural communities by the Community and Village Empowerment Office in Sumedang Regency through the village-owned enterprise’s development program. This program aims to aid villages and village governments in establishing and enhancing village-owned enterprises. However, this program is different than expected. Because many village-owned enterprises still do not work, people do not know about the benefits of village-owned enterprises. The research was conducted using a qualitative methodology and the performance program guidance theory to evaluate program performance based on input, process, output, and outcome indicators. According to the study’s findings, the program has not performed optimally. Since several indicators have not been met, in the input indicator, the resources owned do not support program activities. Regarding process indicators, village-owned enterprise managers must improve their skills. Indicators of output reveal that village-owned enterprises could not develop village potential and locate suitable business units. Moreover, the community in the outcome indicators has not experienced the benefits due to a lack of ownership. Without considering the community’s needs, the village council established village-owned enterprises to comply with the rules.

Governance response during COVID‐19 and political affirmative action: Evidence from local governments in India

AbstractA great deal of work argues that the entry of women into public spaces can promote political and institutional change. The COVID‐19 provides an opportunity to investigate whether and under what conditions women's political representation in rural local governments deliver effective local governance? Drawing from two rounds of data collected in 174 local governments and 1051 households in three Indian states, the paper shows that women Pradhans in the Gram Panchayats had no differential impact on the governance response to COVID‐19 compared to the unreserved ones. Analyzing the heterogeneity in these responses suggests that institutional factors like the proportion of women in village council and local entrepreneurship diversity can enhance women Pradhan's capacity to respond to the pandemic. We explore two channels that enable women Pradhan to govern effectively during the pandemic: improving women's participation in the labor force and reducing household's vulnerability to poverty in the pre‐COVID period.

Cartographic modeling of soil acidity level of the Zdolbuniv district of the Rivne region

The economic use of agricultural land requires systematic agrochemical surveys, a balanced analysis of the results obtained and the adoption of the right decisions to improve soil fertility, increase agricultural efficiency, and preserve the environment. One of the most important tools in this type of research is mapping modelling. The purpose of this article is to study and analyse the level of soil acidity in one of the most agriculturally developed regions of Rivne Oblast - Zdolbuniv district. Based on the results of the last three rounds of scheduled agrochemical certification of agricultural land (rounds 9-11, 2007-2017) conducted by the Rivne branch of the State Institution "Derzhgruntoochorona", the weighted average indicators of soil pH were calculated in the context of former village councils, a corresponding database was created, and the author's own thematic maps and diagrams were created. The thematic maps were developed using ArcMap software, the coordinate system was Pulkovo 1942 GK Zone 5, the scale was 1:250,000, and the main method of depiction was cartograms. The dynamics of soil acidity in the region during the last three rounds of surveys was summarised and analysed, making it possible to identify areas with optimal, high or low values of indicators, and to identify possible problematic or potentially fertile lands. Specific recommendations for improving soil acidity were provided, primarily for medium acidic soils in the former Staromoshchanytsia and Stupnivka village councils and medium alkaline soils in the former Myrotyn and Uizdets village councils. Thematic maps and diagrams created in this way, with other additional and detailed data, can become an important basis for making informed management decisions to optimise soil acidity both on the territory of former village councils and agricultural formations, individual fields and plots.

Modeling of demographic processes in the Tambov and Tver regions (1989 – 2020)

The aim of the study is to reconstruct the demographic strategies of rural societies. The object of the study is individual settlements and village councils (groups of settlements) of the Tambov and Tver regions (a total of 2861 settlements and 371 village councils). The presented work is undertaken within the framework of a large project on fractal modeling of demographic strategies of the agrarian population of European Russia in a long historical retrospective – since the middle of the XIX century. The chronological framework of the article covers not only the agricultural crisis of the 1990s, but also a certain recovery of some rural settlements in the 2000s - 2010s. To conduct experiments with the proposed computer model, a database was created in which the main parameters of the studied settlements and village councils are presented in a formalized form. The authors conclude that, despite all the differences, the demographic strategies of Tver and Tambov settlements evolve within the same pattern: Tver and Tambov regions are simply in slightly different phases of the same process. Peasant society in the Tver region has less potential as a migration donor and a base for natural growth. The older and northern Tver Region has been following the path of de-settlement and urbanization for a longer time. Tambov peasant society is somewhat less depleted and, therefore, could demonstrate great demographic success in the case of a successful demographic policy.

Spacial analysis of the ethnic composition of the Crimea in 1926 using GIS modeling

Crimea, with its diversity of neighboring peoples and rich ethnic history, is a unique object of ethnodemographic research. The aim of the work is to map the ethnic composition of the population of the Crimea in 1926 in the context of elementary territorial units — settlements and village councils. According to the developed geodata database from 2650 points of settlements, the reconstruction of the boundaries of village councils was carried out by constructing Thyssen polygons. An ethnographic map of the Crimea was created in 1926, territorial areas were mapped by dominant ethnic groups, their spatial position and degree of grouping were analyzed. The index of ethnic mosaic is analyzed in the context of village councils. It is established that 41 % of the settlements of the Crimea in 1926 were mono-ethnic, where the share of the dominant ethnic group was more than 95 %. At the same time, more than 2/3 of village councils are represented by ethnocontact zones of varying degrees of severity, occupying 84 % of the territory of the peninsula, and half of them can be attributed to polyethnic. Thus, a high index of ethnic mosaic of peoples is formed due to nearby mono-ethnic or close to them settlements. This shows that at different levels of the territorial hierarchy of the Crimea in 1926, the different nature of ethnic diversity is manifested.

ПОХОЗЯЙСТВЕННЫЕ КНИГИ КАК ИСТОЧНИК ПО ИЗУЧЕНИЮ ДЕПОРТАЦИИ КАЛМЫЦКОГО НАРОДА: ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ И ПРОБЛЕМЫ

The article, based on the experience of field work of a scientific expedition in September-November 2022, July-September 2023 in rural settlements of various municipal districts of the Altai Territory, briefly outlines the work with household books. Researchers, together with employees of district archival departments and rural administrations, reviewed the rural household registers of village councils. The source study potential of household registers as a unique source that allows us to generally characterize the features of demographic, migration processes, and transformation of the structure of forced special settlers - Kalmyk families - has not previously been applied to the study of the history of the deportation of the Kalmyk people. Therefore, we considered it necessary to turn to mass formal material, namely, to the household registers of village councils, deposited in the funds of 56 municipal district archives of the Altai Territory, as well as partly in the funds of the modern village councils themselves.

Designing a Collaborative Model for Problem Identification in Public Policy-Making in the Field of Protection of Citizen's Rights

The aim of the current research is to providing a participatory model for Cognition of issue in public policy (study in the field of protection of citizenship rights). This research is applied in terms of its purpose, in terms of the nature of the research, it is a mixed method and exploratory research, in terms of data collection and descriptive implementation, it is a survey research and in terms of time period, it is cross-sectional. The statistical population of the qualitative part included two parts. The first part included the published scientific works related to the keywords defined regarding the main subject of this research and according to the input criteria and after screening, 65 scientific documents were examined. The second part also included academic and organizational experts according to the research entry criteria, based on the purposeful non-probability sampling method, finally 24 experts were considered according to the principle of saturation. The statistical population in the quantitative part included all the clients to the ministries, organizations and government institutions, the center for public monitoring and the handling of public complaints of the General Inspection Organization, the Islamic Council and the Islamic city and village councils, based on the Cochran formula for unknown communities, the number 385 people were selected as a statistical sample and finally 391 questionnaires were collected that could be used. The sampling method used in this section is a non-probability quota method of a disproportionate type. The data collection tool in the qualitative part was systematic literature review in the first part and semi-structured interviews in the second part. In the quantitative part, there was a questionnaire. It should be noted that the validity and reliability of the tools were confirmed in both qualitative and quantitative sections. In the qualitative part and in the meta-composite part, the Critical Assessment Skills Program (CASP) tool was used for validity and Cohen's kappa was used to measure reliability. In the theme analysis part, Goba and Lincoln's model was used to measure validity and reliability. The method of data analysis in the qualitative section and in the systematic literature review section was meta-composite method and in the interview section, thematic analysis was used, and MAXQDA-V20 software was used for data analysis. In the quantitative part, the analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics (sample t-test and confirmatory factor analysis) which was done through SPSS and SmartPLS software. The findings of this research showed that the model includes 6 dimensions, 20 components and 167 indicators. The identified dimensions and components are: 1) Informing, 2) Involvement, 3) support, 4) Consultation and Survey, 5) Partnership, 6) Citizenship Control and Power. Finally, the validity of this model was examined, which had good validity.

CHANGES IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE-TERRITORIAL STRUCTURE AND POPULATION OF ZAKARPATTIA DURING THE SOVIET PERIOD (1946–1991)

It is noted that Zakarpattia, as a separate administrative-territorial unit consisting of Uzhan, Berez, Ugochan, and Maramoros counties, was created in 1919–1920 as part of Czechoslovakia. It was found that as a result of the administrative-territorial reform in 1926, the zhupas were united in the so-called a large zhupa, and 14 districts were created. In 1928, due to consolidation, the number of districts was reduced to 12. In 1938–1939, the territory returned to Hungary, which carried out several administrative-territorial reforms. It is claimed that in the autumn of 1944, it became obvious that the territory of Zakarpattia would fall under the influence of the Soviet Empire. In present study particular attention is paid to the fact that the Soviet military administration returned the administrative-territorial division of the Czechoslovak period. It is noted that in 1946, the region officially became part of the Soviet Union, so the formation of the administrative-territorial system continued in order for the region to organically fit in with other regions of the Ukrainian SSR. It was found that the most significant administrative transformations took place from 1946 to 1969. According to the administrative division in 1946, the region consisted of 15 administrative units: 2 cities of regional subordination and 13 districts. It was established that in 1962, 8 districts were liquidated in Zakarpattia, but later the disintegration of districts was carried out and as a result of this reorganization 11 districts were created in 1965, and 2 more in 1966. As a result of the administrative-territorial reform of the Ukrainian SSR in 1965–1966, Zakarpattia again consisted of 13 districts and 2 cities of the regional order. In 1967–1969 there was the formation of new village councils, their merger or liquidation, the transfer of village council centres to other settlements, a change in the administrative subordination of village councils, the inclusion of villages in the strip of urban-type cities and towns. It can be concluded that, after repeated administrative transformations, the number of settlements in Zakarpattia Oblast increased from 512 in 1946 to 603 in 1969. In the period from 1969 to 1991 significant changes did not occurred. Keywords: Ukraine, Zakarpattia, administrative-territorial units, Soviet Union.

ПРАВОВА ПРИРОДА ПОВНОВАЖЕНЬ СТАРОСТИ ЯК ПРЕДСТАВНИКА ЖИТЕЛІВ ВІДПОВІДНОГО СТАРОСТИНСЬКОГО ОКРУГУ

The article is devoted to the study of the legal nature of the authority of the starosta as a representative of the residents of the corresponding starosta district. Based on the analysis of scientific research, the author proves that the existence of local self-government bodies is an integral tradition of our state. Today in Ukraine, the primary subject of local self-government, the main bearer of its functions and powers is the territorial community of a village, town, or city. At the same time, the representative bodies of primary subjects are village, settlement, and city councils. The representation of residents of individual communities is objectified in the institution of the headman as an official of local self-government. The author analyzed the current legislation of Ukraine and proved that the authority of the headman has a representative nature. In particular, the author investigated the peculiarities of the legal nature of the established competence of the headman. He, on the basis of a systematic analysis of the established powers of the headman, divided them into five groups: a) the powers are directed to the direct representation of the interests of community members in local authorities; b) the powers are directed to providing direct assistance to the residents of the territorial community: c) the powers are directed to the financial support of the realization of the rights and interests of the residents of the territorial community; d) powers are directed to the organization of implementation of decisions of local authorities and control over their implementation; e) authority to ensure the implementation of own authority. The author proves that the vast majority of the powers included in the selected groups are aimed at ensuring the interests of the residents of the territorial community, which, accordingly, testify to their representative nature. Key words: local self-government, local authorities, local self-government bodies, headman, competence.

APPROACHES TO DETERMINING CONTRACTORSFOR THE COLLECTION AND TRANSPORTATION OF HOUSEHOLD WASTE

The presented article was prepared in connection with the adoption of the Law of Ukraine «On Waste Management» and is directed to the current topic of the formation of a mechanism for determining business entities involved in the collection and transportation of household waste in the structure of household waste management services in territorial communities. The purpose of the scientific research is to establish an algorithm for determining the performers of the collection and transportation of household waste. The article proposes approaches to conducting a competition for the implementation of operations for the collection and transportation of household waste. It is proposed not to set limits on the number of participants in the competition to identify executors for the collection and transportation of household waste. Tender proposals of participants are considered by the tender commission, which is created by the organizer, which can be the executive body of the village, town or city council (subjects of cooperation of the relevant local self-government bodies in the forms provided for by the Law of Ukraine «On Cooperation of Territorial Communities») or the local state administration in the case delegation of powers to it by the relevant councils in accordance with the procedure established by law. The main form of the commission is holding open and public meetings at which the winner/winners of the competitive selection are determined and the minutes are drawn up. The algorithm for conducting the competition begins with the creation of a competition commission with an offer to join its work. The next stage is the preparation of relevant documentation, which should contain information about: the organizerʼs data, the person responsible for communication with the competition participants, the place of the competition, the time and date of the meetings, the requirements for the participants and their proposals, forecast tariffs, draft contracts, a detailed description of rooms and the names of the objects of the competition, explanations regarding all the nuances of the competition. Participants who submitted their bids are subject to registration in the accounting journal and further invitation to participate in the meeting of the bid committee. It is proposed that the tender commission at the meeting chooses the winner/winners of the tender that have the lowest proposed estimated tariffs for the collection and transportation of household waste and possess a greater number of advantages compared to competitors. According to the results of the meeting of the tender commission, the organizer is invited to draw up and approve the relevant protocol with subsequent conclusion of the contract. The main and additional qualification requirements for the criteria for compliance of tender offers with the qualification requirements are proposed.

СОЦІАЛЬНО-ЕКОНОМІЧНА ДОМІНАНТАРОЗВИТКУ ПІДПРИЄМНИЦТВА НА СІЛЬСЬКИХ ТЕРИТОРІЯХ

The article examines the social and economic dominant of the development of entrepreneurship in rural areas. The basic functionality of the entrepreneurship sector in rural areas is substantiated. It has been proven that the economic dominance of entrepreneurial activity in rural areas is a platform for changing the structure of the rural economy, freedom of economic choice, and expansion of rural areas. The social dominant involves restraining migration processes, developing social capital, realizing the potential of an entrepreneur. The growing influence of the social and economic dominant on the activity of changing the vector of the rural economy is substantiated. This makes it possible to expand new forms of business, create conditions for the development of alternative types of economic activity and contribute to improving the quality of life of the rural population. It was determined that the social stability of entrepreneurship in rural areas brings additional income for the people themselves, which contributes to raising the standard of living of the rural population and increasing its well-being. Entrepreneurship is directly the source of the formation of budgets of local village councils to solve the problem of food needs of the population and ensure food security in general. It is substantiated that agribusiness in rural areas contributes to the formation of agricultural product processing chains, procurement of raw materials, repair of agricultural machinery and provision of services. It has been proven that organizational, economic and legal measures are implemented on the state policy of the development of Ukrainian entrepreneurship, taking into account the peculiarities of rural areas, the real impact of the innovation-investment model of the rural economy and world globalization processes. The social and economic dominant factor in the development of entrepreneurship is the logical structure of the interaction of all its elements at different levels, aimed at improving the quantitative and qualitative indicators of small and medium-sized businesses in rural areas.

Creation of machine and tractor enterprises with application of logistics principles in village councils of Kyrgyzstan

This paper deals with the issues of creating machine and tractor enterprises (MTE) using the logistics principles in the village councils of the Kyrgyz Republic. The main restraining factors for creation and construction of the MTE have been identified. The regional peculiarity of this problem is analyzed and solutions with detailed calculations and scientific research were proposed. On the basis of many years of scientific research the problem tree of absence and creation of MTE in the village councils of the Kyrgyz Republic was compiled. The results of the study, specific recommendations on creation of MTE with the application of logistics principles in the village councils of the Kyrgyz Republic are arranged and given in the design matrix of this project. The criteria for success in the successful implementation of this project have been determined.

КРЕСТЬЯНСКИЕ КОМИТЕТЫ ОБЩЕСТВЕННОЙ ВЗАИМОПОМОЩИ КУЗНЕЦКОГО ОКРУГА В 1922-1932 гг.

The article is devoted to the current and littlestudied problem of the activities of the crusades in the Kuznetscom district. With the involvement of documents of the regional archive, the author traces the process of renewal and development of peasant committees of public mutual assistance in the prefarm de reven, determines the role of local party bodies, district and district social welfare departments and district committees of public mutual assistance in organizing the internal life of peasant committees. The categories of recipients of social assistance of the poor peasantry were identified: former Red Army soldiers and Red partisans, disabled and victims of white terror, Red Army families, widows and orphans, Labor soldiers, sick and old who were in material need. The main sources of social power were identified, these are: membership fees; funds of peasant mutual assistance committees, which were replenished by obtaining orphan property, voluntary collection of donations, self-maintenance of their members according to the approved norm from tithing, funds from the sale of crops collected from public farms. Labor assistance to large widows was reduced to you-bringing firewood, hay, spring plowing and other hard work. It was established that in the second half of the 1920s. with the development of free trade, the economic activity of rural mutual assistance societies increased, covering about 50% Crean households, including part of the middle peasants. Their activities became more diverse and were aimed at increasing public supply, organizing joint ventures (mills, rental of agricultural equipment, etc.). The expansion of the possibility of labor cooperation was facilitated by the exemption of peasant committees from taxes and fees, and the provision of loans. The general problem was the extremely unsatisfactory failure by the apparatus of the district and village councils to meet the needs of peasant committees. During the period of mass collectivization, their land and seed funds provided significant material assistance for the economic formation of collective farms.