Vol. 20 No. 3 (2018)

This article was prepared on the basis of the results of studies conducted within the Center for Strategic Developments in the Transformation of the Public Administration System since 2016. The concept of ‘State-as-Platform' is considered by the authors not only in terms of technology, but also as a way to offer a model of a full-fledged digital transformation of the public administration system. The main requirements for implementation and technological approaches are described in the article.

The article is devoted to the study of the phenomenon and the concept of homeostasis of the system of public administration. The author describes the general concept of «homeostasis». The article shows the history of the genesis of the homeostasis concept. The author explains the problems of the relevant interpretation and the limits of applicability of this concept to the system of public administration. The author's definition of the concept of homeostasis of the system of public administration is presented. The article describes the properties of the public administration system that determine its ability to maintain its homeostasis. The article is based on the application of research methods of system analysis, synthesis, induction, abduction, classification. Through the application of research methods, the author uncovered the characteristics of the concept of the homeostasis phenomenon of the public administration system and the possibility of applying this concept in the theory of public administration. Maintaining the homeostasis of the public administration system is very important for the purposes and process of public administration. It is imperatives and intentions of retention of the homeostasis of the system of state administration that are the grounds, conditions, and reasons for the prevention of precocious, unreasonable (with calculated risks and consequences), and questionable reforms in public administration.

The article deals with the problems of the theory of introducing artificial intelligence technologies into the system of corporate governance and, in particular, in the work of the boards of directors of corporations. Large systemic changes pose difficult questions for the management of companies in various sectors of the economy; the future of the enterprises they lead depends on timely and rational solution of those problems. In modern conditions, this problem has shifted from the theoretical to the practical one. The strategies and long-term development programs for the Russian public and private companies are being developed. One of the key tasks of the board of directors is to prevent and level out conflicts arising between shareholders and managers, various shareholders within the corporation and other participants in the corporate governance system. Supplementing the competencies and skills of corporate directors with the opportunities of the artificial intelligence technologies can improve significantly the level of management effectiveness in the foreseeable future. The systematic update of the expert level, the study of the external environment of the company to form a strategic review is the most important task of the corporate director. The introduction of artificial intelligence algorithms into the corporate management system will simultaneously increase the transparency of the company's business processes for corporate directors and shareholders and, on the other hand, reduce the costs of exercising control functions by automating reporting processes and relieving management from the need of preparing regular reports for the board of directors. The software algorithms can be implemented in all major business operations of the enterprise, including marketing, accounting, personnel management and production.

The article analyzes the main risks of the appearance of a new financial instrument - crypto currency. It is noted that one of the main difficulties of the current state of affairs, which allows the criminalized segment of the crypto market to grow, is the lack of legal regulation in this area. The author emphasizes that at present neither in Russia nor in the world there is no single approach to a new financial instrument, its characteristics have not been determined, rules for functioning of the market and security have not been developed, moreover, science has not yet presented its vision of problems and has not offered methodical support. All this contributes to the development of crypto-crime, the definition of which was suggested by the author. The work analyzes the crimes related to the use of virtual currency. The main attention is paid to the use of crypto currency in the framework of legalization of criminal proceeds, financing of terrorism and theft of property. Based on expert assessments, the author reveals the main trends in the development of crypto-crime and forms forecasts for its qualitative and quantitative transformation. The author offers priority areas of legal regulation of new financial instruments that could ensure the safety of market participants and its evolution in the interests of the country's development.

The article considers the features of strategic concepts of intensive use of renewable energy in the key leading countries-China, the United States, India, the European Union, the United Kingdom and others - in the use of ‘green' energy, their main parameters, which are planned to be achieved in the medium term. Special attention is paid to a new segment of renewable energy - the market of industrial energy storage, its investment and innovative capacity is estimated. The prospects of using concomitant innovations in renewable energy, such as blockchain technology, microgrids, and digital energy are briefly considered. The current and potential formation of new jobs in the industry is assessed. The generalized principles of state stimulation of the use of renewable energy on the example of a number of countries are considered. In addition, the state regulation of the ratio of renewable and non-renewable energy is being investigated. Recommendations are offered on the use of advanced world experience for its application in domestic conditions. Examples are given of the positive impact of mass use of renewable energy on raising the standard of living of the population and its ability to conduct a more flexible and less differentiated price policy over large areas that are deprived of the possibility of using centralized energy. The reasons of mass exit from investments into non-renewable energy are investigated. Recommendations are given on the localization of the means of production of renewable energy.

The article is devoted to the political aspects of waste management. The present situation with production and consumption wastes is presented in existing economic, legal and moral-psychological mechanisms for implementing environmental policy are shown. State interest to the problem of waste became evident only towards the end of the 19th century when schemes of collection, removal, and burial of waste in landfills began to appear in cities. This system actually remained unchanged until the present day, and only now its modernization begins. The specifics of state policy in the sphere of management of municipal waste are considered. The quantity of waste has increased sharply; it was necessary to allocate huge territories for their burial. In addition, the composition of waste has changed significantly. When minerals are mined, mineral substances that are not typical for a given area are taken out to the surface, and municipal waste began to contain a noticeable percentage of artificially created substances, especially plastics. Thus, waste became the most important polluter of the environment, its influence on public health significantly increased. Ecological prerequisites for the emergence, social discontent and even conflicts, which are beginning to acquire political character, are shown. The activity of the authorities on the implementation of environmental policy is disclosed; its priorities and hierarchy of tasks to be solved in this area are also described. Bottlenecks in the eco-political line of the state are indicated. It is noted, that those who make economic decisions often ignore the political aspect of the problem. The activity of the executive authorities on the implementation of the main requirements of state environmental policy is demonstrated.

The article deals with the main problems of industrial policy. Despite the variety of definitions in Russian and foreign scientific literature, the opinion about the active role of the state in regulating the industrial policy dominates. In this regard, we should consider it as an important factor influencing the effective functioning of the entire economy. The author gives a classification of the main types of industrial policy by the nature of priorities and instruments used, highlights their positive and negative sides. The benchmarking method is used to compare industrial policy in the Russian Federation and in the developed countries. The conclusion is drawn that three directions are priorities for industrialized countries: export expansion, development of scientific and technological potential, introduction of innovative technologies in production. The paper analyzes the current industrial policy pursued at the level of the Russian Federation and Sverdlovsk Region, one of the largest industrial regions of Russia. It is established that only general approaches are formulated at the Federal level, while the subjects of the Russian Federation have a double responsibility: to perform the chosen Federal course accurately and, at the same time, to ensure the account of sectoral and territorial regional specificity, based on the existing advantages and limitations. Based on the analysis of industrial policy priorities in the Sverdlovsk Region, ‘bottlenecks' and promising directions for the development of regional industrial and innovation potential were identified. In conclusion, recommendations for increasing the industrial and innovative potential of both Sverdlovsk Region and Russia are given.

The perspective and principally important state task is to form conditions attracting youth to reside in rural areas. The peculiarities of state programs (aimed at the support of the rural youth) currently fulfilled in the Russian Federation are analyzed in the article. On the basis of the social study the authors discovered factors influencing the activity of participation of the target group in the federal program ‘Stable development of rural territories for 2014-2017 and for the period up to 2020', priority national projects ‘Development of agricultural complex', ‘Education', ‘Healthcare', program ‘Zemsky doctor', regional grants, and loans. The achievements and failures in the fulfillment of these programs on the all-Russian, as well as on the regional (case of the Republic of Tatarstan) and municipal levels are revealed. The recommendations for forming additional measures for attraction of young specialists to live and work in the rural society are given.

The article is a review of the book ‘Times and Law' by Krasheninnikov P. V., in this book the author asks himself a question ‘What, in fact, is the Law... and where it came from'. And although the statement of the question is not new, the author suggests an original approach in the search for an answer. The investigated object (Law) is shown in three dimensions: as an activity system, a set of products and the results of activity of this system. Clearly defined framework of the object and an exhaustive list of its structural elements are important because law, along with violence and suggestion is the source of power, is emphasized in the book, and determines the destinies of a huge number of people and the viability of the results of their activities. So, there must be an exhaustive idea of the boundaries of the legal capacity of this phenomenon and its permissible manifestations. The genesis of Law is shown in the civilizational integrity, and not as a series of separate national histories. This makes it possible to verify the validity of the existing in the legal literature point of view on the nonuniversality of law as a fundamental principle of the social organization of each civilization. This book can be considered as a practical guide, because in it ‘... an attempt is made of an interdisciplinary approach to the consideration of law as a phenomenon that affects virtually all aspects of the social, personal, spiritual and political life of man and society'.

The purpose of this article is to offer a common vision of a significant increase in cooperation in the field of education between Russia and Spain in recent times, as well as the great opportunities that are opening up in this area in the near future. In my two years as an attaché for the Spanish Embassy in Moscow, I saw a great desire from both the Russian and Spanish sides to further expand and develop our relations in the field of education, as well as to promote new initiatives that give in-depth character and stability to our joint projects. Throughout this period, my admiration for the enthusiasm and professionalism with which the teaching of Spanish takes place in educational institutions at all levels of the Russian educational system, as well as the motivation and genuine enthusiasm with which the administration, the teaching staff, students and their families learn the language of my country and more than twenty other countries where Spanish is a state language, grew. I constantly see this during my visits to schools and universities, conversations with students and teachers, and it is obvious - it is not only the interest of a strictly linguistic nature, but only an integral part in the overall context of the great affection for Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, their culture, geography and history. Without any doubt, other important factors play an important role here, contributing to the fact that in recent years there has been growing interest in the Spanish language, as can be seen from the number of students studying it in Russia.

The article notes that the existing educational programs of higher professional education, despite the fact that provide graduates of master's programs and graduate school the ability to conduct research, do not allow students to gain an understanding of the goals, objectives, methods and methodology of scientific research. The author raises the question of the need for the introduction of system in the teaching of scientific activity in legal science and the addition of curriculum science course. The analysis allows to speak about the imperfection in the organization of scientific research of young legal scholars. Thus, the need to study certain aspects of legal science is determined by them intuitively, not in accordance with the actual needs of society. The methodological tools used by law students are diverse and not structured, in most cases unknown to methodological science, which requires the establishment of a unified terminology and classification of terms in the methodology of legal research. It is also noted that according to the results of the defended candidate's theses in the field of law, many proposals for improving the current Russian legislation and law enforcement practice are formulated. However, the majority remains an empty formality, despite the support of the scientific community, obtained by the dissertation during the defense of his work. There is no official record of such proposals, they are mostly not sent to the legislative and law enforcement bodies, the practical results of scientific research remain on paper, which ultimately adversely affects the motivation of undergraduates and graduate students to research

The article deals with the problem of the development of the system of sources of civil procedural law in the first years of the Soviet-era, provides an analysis of the main approaches to understanding the categories ‘source of law' and ‘form of law' in Soviet procedural thought. The author analyzes the aspects of the discussion around the idea of dividing the sources of law into formal and material sources. On the basis of the study of the legislation of the designated period, it is concluded that the main source of procedural law was the Code of civil procedure of the RSFSR of 1923, which established its basic organizational and functional principles. The adoption of the Civil Procedure Code of the RSFSR, which was brought to life by the country's development as a result of the new economic policy, was a significant step forward. The civil procedural legislation was separated from the criminal law, there was a more detailed regulation of the procedure, the reference to the revolutionary sense of justice as a source of law was excluded. At different times the sources of law received various interpretations, the scientific discussion on this issue was quite lively and its course was influenced not only by the development of social relations, but also by the existence of dogmatic attitudes.

The article is devoted to the 40th anniversary of the USSR Constitution 1977. It concentrates on political, ideological and historical matters which were the basic values of the whole constitutional draft since the middle of the 1950's till 1977. The author determines how the creators of the Constitution took into account Lenin's ideological heritage and those conceptual provisions, which were the basis of the «Stalin Constitution» (by this phrase, contemporaries often meant the Constitution of the USSR in 1936). Those provisions were very important because the process of «destalinization» in the society and the state was associated with the name of N.S. Khrushchev, so, they were reflected in the draft of the constitution. It is also of vital importance because this serious question about the ruler's role in history of the country was controversial during L.I. Brezhnev's term of service, and this fact influenced the drafting of the basic law of the country. The work shows how Lenin's ideological heritage was taken into account when creating a constitutional draft. At the same time, despite taking into account both Lenin's and Stalin's ideas in the new Constitution, it was undoubtedly innovative for its time both conceptually and in some of its provisions.

The review article is devoted to the Round Table, which took place in the walls of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation and was timed to the 20th anniversary of the existence of the scientific and political journal «The State Service». Various points of view on the nature of the development of the publication in modern conditions are presented. The main ways of its further development, the possibility of entering the world information, educational and scientific space are indicated. The main formal and content features of publications in connection with the new requirements of international bibliographic systems and databases (SCOPUS, Web of Science) are considered in detail. Analysis of the publication significance of the results of scientific research, based on citation, reveals a positive trend. The publication of the publication to the international level, attraction of foreign authors - colleagues and scientists from the countries of the near and far abroad - is of great importance. The magazine has a permanent rubric dedicated to international relations of Russia with the CIS countries. It discusses the problems of interaction between countries on issues of public administration, the creation of a modern system of training public service personnel, etc. Many publications of participants of the annual Gaidar forum are also devoted to international cooperation, which are regularly posted on the pages of the publication.

At the present time, there is a transformation of the process of promotion of the content of scientific journal articles. Their target audience ‘divided' into small groups depending on the scientific specialization of readers. The circulation of such magazines is from 500 to 1000 readers. Only some Russian periodicals exceed this range. Placement of electronic versions of magazines allows to increase the number of readers significantly. If the content of the magazine gets into social media, the number of readers is even more increasing. Open electronic access not only increases the number of readers, but also provides them with access to research and survey results for discussion, reproduction and, if necessary, denials. The main criterion for the correspondence of scientific journals to world standards is the high index of citation. This is achieved by including the publication in the leading international databases of scientific periodicals. Unfortunately, Russian journals are inaccessible to a foreign reader, and as a result, they are almost not referenced. There are practically no quotes of domestic authors in those publications that are highly rated in international databases. In Russia, ‘open science' is a phenomenon that is only nascent. The role of scientific journals in the development of this concept is significant.

The article is devoted to analysis of the legislation and implementation of Azerbaijan's legal obligations towards its ethnic minorities. The author analysed the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which determines the state's policy towards minorities, such as the Constitution, laws reflecting the government's policy towards ethnic minorities and also the debates around the implementation of Azerbaijan's legal obligations towards its ethnic minorities. The article explains the state's policy towards protection of languages of national minorities. The relevant provisions, laws, and instructions provide for the right of the people who do not speak the Azerbaijani language, to use their native languages in places where they receive legal or social aid or hold cultural or religious events. In accordance with the Criminal Procedural Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, persons participating in the criminal process, particularly witnesses, victims, suspects, and defendants shall have the right to testify in their mother tongue. In addition, the author looks at legal protection of human rights of minorities. There are different opinions about practical application of the laws and treaties concerning Azerbaijan's ethnic minorities. Thus, the government assumes that ethnic minorities experience no problems. However, according to some media reports, human rights activists and reports from non-governmental organizations, these minorities are subjected to discrimination and attempts of assimilation. Debates around the implementation of Azerbaijan's legal obligations towards ethnic minorities create the impression of irreconcilable differences.

The article is devoted to the study of theoretical aspects of the formation of the organization's personnel management system. With the help of literary analysis, elements of effectively functioning personnel were identified. Taking into account the acceleration of structural transformations of the economy, increasing the importance of intellectual assets and knowledge, the author notes the complication of employers' requirements for professional training of workers and, conversely, the reduction of workers' requirements to the content of work. The article points out that in order to fully staff the company, it is necessary to take into account all possible features of the sources and methods of searching for employees, to compare the relevant information with the needs, financial position, nature of the enterprise's activities for making decisions about using a relatively successful search and attracting professionals with extensive experience and high qualification. Human resources are a specific and most important of all types of economic resources, which encompasses professional skills and knowledge that can be used in the labor process. The study highlights the importance of studying a number of interrelated categories for assessing the labor market and developing appropriate demographic policies with the aim of influencing the processes of population reproduction and employment.

This article deals with the management of real estate in St. Petersburg as a source of income. Using the analysis of methods for determining prices and statistics of the use of objects, problems in the management of real estate of the city are characterized. For their solution, it is proposed to move to active involvement of immovable property in circulation. As the main tool of this process, it is proposed to use the database of real estate objects; the author outlines the ways of its creation. The conducted calculations show that more than a third (2 million m2) of all non-residential real estate of the treasury is not used. More than half (about 100 million m2) of all land plots that can potentially generate income also do not have a user. Thus, the city faces the problem of shortfall in potential income. To overcome these difficulties, it is advisable to create a qualitative database of free properties of public real estate that contains information on all free objects. This information should be as complete as possible, reflect the characteristics that are important when choosing a particular object, and facilitate the simplest search and selection in the current time mode.