Vol. 13 No. 2 (2011)

The article is based on the minutes of the panel discussion 'Development of innovations in the regions - the Russian economic strategy', which took place in the framework of the International Research and Practical Conference 'Russia and the world: in search of innovative strategy'. Governors of member regions of the Russian Association of Innovative Regions participated in the discussion of the current situation and prospects for the activity of regional authorities and businesses.

Post-crisis Russia requires a new economic growth model based on the stimulation of goods and services supply. The author substantiates the necessity to create prerequisites for successful operation and development of economic agents

The leader of a large Russian region describes the experience of structuring the management goals for Perm Territory based on a scientific understanding of their interconnection and the competence to decompose the process down to a level which allows setting specific tasks to performers.

The article exposes the reasons for the imperfect formation mechanism of the highest level of public service personnel. The author believes that the solution to the problem lies in the establishment of unified qualification requirements for public servants, providing a list of requirements to knowledge, personal and professional qualities of executive personnel.

The article considers the issues of legal regulation of organization and carrying out of competitions to fill a vacant position in the state public service. The author analyses various normative acts in this sphere. In conclusion, the author emphasizes the necessity to introduce amendments in relevant normative acts.

The author proves that informational monitoring of innovative processes is an efficient form of control over innovative activities of a large corporation, formulating a number of suggestions for its implementation aimed at the development of an innovative corporate strategy.

The main idea of this article is to identify and describe the most important issues in social protection and social insurance of military men in the Russian Federation. Modernization of current social protection and insurance by effective policy realization is investigated in the paper. The main items mentioned in this article are money allowance, housing conditions, deficit of pension benefits, life and health insurance of military men. Within this framework a wide range of possible solutions are proposed by the author.

The author analyzes procedural features of risk in public service, explores legislative aspects of its legitimacy as well as its application in extreme situations. Special focus is on the grounds for criminal liability of a public servant in the case of injurious action in a risky situation.

Some methodology issues are identified in the formation of both the institute of restricted access to information as a whole and the institute of official secret, as well as gaps in legislation concerning the circulation of information in public authorities and local governments.

Abakar Amirkhanov interviews Volgograd Region Governor Anatoly Brovko. Questions discussed include information openness of the region's authorities, mechanism of community relations, аnd evaluation of efficiency of government services.

Consistent feedback from the population is an indicator of the maturity of political relations in society. Such feedback has become possible due to the emergence of governors' personal blogs. The article provides an analysis of positive and negative aspects of such blogs.

Artyom Karlov interviews Alexander Skvortsov, 27th ISS expedition commander, about the research activities of cosmonauts and participation of crew members in terrain management and emergency recovery.

The author believes the following factors may contribute to the creation of an efficient and competitive securities market infrastructure in Russia: codification of the Russian financial market regulation framework; centralization of regulation; in-depth consideration of decisions made by leaders of the most advanced countries of the world concerning the transformation of global financial markets.

The article outlines key trends of westernization, proving that the processes of innovation and modernizations in modern Russia are a form of expression of the national sustainable development strategy

New book: M. Mizulin, Yu. Fedulov, A. Yusov. Applications of Systems Theory in Politics and Economics

The authors substantiate the importance of scientific design of the future for public administration. This should be based on strategic forecasting, fundamental research, training of personnel, decriminalization of the country, protection of sovereignty and national security.

Possibilities for Russia to move away from a raw material economy through innovative development are considered. Innovative technologies increase competitiveness, therefore production stays inside the country.

The author analyzes the history of China's transition from monarchy to the modern form of governance, identifying key aspects of the transformation: gradual transfer of power and positions. General principles of authoritarian political modernization are outlined; a comparison between the practice of state building in Russia and China is provided.

An interview with Raymond Taras, a professor of political science at Tulane University, addresses such topics as migration and its impact on the European identity, the role of political narratives in the formation of xenophobia, suggestions on best ways to integrate Russia into the new globalized world. We also provide an excerpt from his book «Europe Old and New: transnationalism, belonging, xenophobia», which previously has not been translated into Russian.

The article explains the differences between the Eastern-European and the Anglo-Saxon approach to preparation of materials for scientific publications. It also provides recommendations for PG students on how to choose specific scientific journals in English.

A multifaceted understanding of Space and its connection to Man has set the foundations for a multitude of diverse approaches to the study of this connection. The images of sky are reflected in myths, legends, tales of different peoples, religious and state symbols; the influence of Space remains an object of politics as well as science.

The author identifies peculiarities of the projection of society attitude to public service on the legitimacy of political authority in contemporary Russia and the level of impact on the personal, structural and ideological aspects of legitimacy.

The article gives a definition of government relations (GR), analyzes the reasons and the history of its origin, methods and technologies of GR communication. The static principle of communicative activity of the legislative, executive and judicial powers is presented in contrast to the dynamic process of individual initiative.

The author analyzes various approaches to the study of the term citizenship: its structure, key components, connections of the legal phenomenon, exposing the peculiarities of this institute in modern Russia.

A study of the connection between language, power and ideology based on speeches made by political leaders allows to identify and describe latent phases of international contracts. This conclusion is corroborated by a study of speeches by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.

The article considers the impact of informal activity on the configuration of the system of values in the context of modern Russian society development. The author explores the phenomenon of mass social/political mimicry, namely, the actor declaring the necessity to follow formal rules and regulations while personally relying on informal relations.

The article discusses the migration processes, including processes of integration of migrants into the host society as one of the main factors in the formation of expatriate communities. It is noted that state immigration policies in most advanced countries of Western Europe are expected to effectuate a radical turnaround from a multiculturalist approach to policies aimed at deeper integration of immigrants into the host society.

Challenges and prospects of cultural policy in Russian society, development of institutional foundations for its formation and implementation are considered, taking into account the globalization factor.

In the article, the author considers the implementation of knowledge management in the municipal administration system. The author defines the term knowledge management, describes the benefits of using a system of knowledge management at the municipal level.

The article offers the author's interpretation of the mechanism of institutionalization of political conflicts under the conditions of political institutions' transformation in Finland. Some actors of institutionalization of a political conflict are defined. They are rationally thinking and qualified representatives of the elite, declaring interests of the constitutional state and civil society. The means of providing institutionalization of a political conflict is a competitive multiparty system that makes it impossible for a single political force to seize power and an agreement to a state's international legal personality that allows to maintain sovereignty. The author states that the process of institutionalization of a political conflict tends to vibrate due to some influences of international, economic, institutional and normative character which lead to a conflict's deinstitutionalization. Then, after a certain period of time, due to the actors of institutionalization's activities a kind of reinstitutionalization of a political conflict takes place.

This article analyzes the subjective indicators, and characteristics of status and effective institutional and regulatory sphere of the Astrakhan region, such as corruption, political activism and protest potential of the population, ranking institutional trust, respect and violation of human rights and freedoms, which allow local authorities to improve and adjust management processes.

Activities of the Russian parliament are carried out both on the basis of is legal regulation, and by means of customs of parliamentary activity. In the article, examples of current parliamentary customs operating in the Russian parliament are considered.