Vol. 22 No. 5 (2020)

Childhood problems need to be studied to timely identify and resolve them at an early stage, with the interaction of both the state and society. The author gives a general description of the main approaches to assessing the quality of childhood. The author considers the world experience of comparative analysis of child well-being, which is reflected in the concept of social exclusion suggested by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); it is based on parameters similar to the Child Well-being Index developed in 2004 by the United States Child Development Fund. We also examine the approach proposed by the World Health Organization to the specifics of the population’s quality of life. The essence of this approach relates to the individual’s perception of position in life in the context of the cultural environment and the value system in which this individual lives, considering his/her goals, expectations, standards, and views. The article mentions both the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches in the context of protecting the interests and rights of minors. It is noted that due to the lack of common criteria for understanding the well-being and quality of life of children, there is a variability in the proposed definitions, within which researchers mainly focus on two approaches: the first uses the category of «well-being», the second - the category of «quality». In public discourse, the category of «well-being» is mainly applied to families of certain type or to deviant behavior of adolescents. At the same time, terminological blurring and evaluative character are observed, which translate the discussion into a moral and ethical plane. The author sees the reason for this shift in the absence of legal definition for the «well-being of childhood.» The quality of life, and childhood in particular, can be determined through integrated approach that combines an objective assessment based on official data and a subjective one that reflects the opinion of the people themselves. Taking into account the existing practical experience in the protection of the rights and freedoms of minors, the author proposes her own multidimensional model of “Quality of childhood”. It is a system for structural assessment of state policy in the sphere of childhood to create conditions for the realization of rights and legitimate interests of minors in the Russian Federation, which also considers objective and subjective indicators in this sphere.

The article presents the analysis of the state youth policy as an instrument of influence on the state and social development of youth, its social activity. The contradictions that exist between the performance indicators declared by the state policy and the real problems of youth, determined by the living conditions, are indicated. Based on the results of all-Russian and regional sociological studies and statistics, the motives of migratory movements of youth from their territories of residence to the centers of gravity of the country and foreign countries that have more attractive living and employment conditions for youth are justified. Using the example of the Russian Far East, the dysfunctional consequences of the clerical-bureaucratic approach laid down in the state youth policy to quantify the state of youth ignoring its large-scale migration outflow from the territories of residence are substantiated. Scientific and practical recommendations on improvement of indicators of the state youth policy promoting strengthening of its role in providing the basic needs of youth in various spheres of activity, especially in development of youth business are offered.

The article assesses the impact of national projects to change the structure of expenditures of the Russian budgetary system and describes the basic concepts, regulations, tools for the implementation of national projects. The current macroeconomic situation is analyzed. The paper shows the importance of national development goals concerning budgeting policy. The work describes the structure of expenditures of budgetary and extrabudgetary sources aimed at the implementation of national projects; the study also touches upon the role of national projects affecting budget expenditures of the funds of the Russian Federation. The author defines national projects, the implementation of which has a priority character for the federal government or subjects of the Russian Federation. The work contains information concerning changes in the volume of productive expenditures aimed at the development of human capital and infrastructure - expenditures on health care, education, transport infrastructure, and on the spending of budgetary funds in general. The analysis revealed structural changes in expenditures and their shift from unproductive to productive ones, which is directly related to expenditures on national projects and the transition to a policy of stimulating supply.

The existing approaches to quality assessment, based on ranking and rating, perform a control function but do not give government bodies at various levels, local governments, and public sector organizations the necessary tools to improve their performance. The article is devoted to one of the modern models of quality management in the field of public administration - the European model for improving the activities of public sector organizations through the self-assessment - the Common Assessment Framework (CAF model) and the possibilities of its implementation in Russia.

The article is devoted to the research of the criterion of rationality, its content and interpretation at the international level and in national systems. The author analyzes the role of rationality in the system of antitrust regulation and its impact on the acceptability of transactions that affect competition. The article outlines the criteria of a reasonable approach to permissible actions restricting competition in the conditions of Russian law, as well as the peculiarity of regulating conditions restricting trade in common law countries. Two basic models for the interpretation of rationality are based on assessment of the form and content of the principle. The qualification of rationality is based on existing precedents that gave legal interpretation to this term. A reasonable approach to determining the admissibility of actions that restrict competition is possible for a certain list of actions in the presence of mandatory criteria - no harm (at the moment) and the presence of a positive general economic effect. The author considers the issues of changing the legal content of reasonableness depending on the type of restrictions. There are three approaches to the definition of rationality - utilitarian, pragmatic and formalist, which are used to varying degrees in certain industries, but it is possible to distinguish the use as the main utilitarian approach in tort obligations and some obligations of the administrative order, a pragmatic approach in contractual relations and a formalist approach in a public relationship. The author considers the issues of changing the legal content of rationality, depending on the type of restrictions.

The article analyzes the problems and formulates proposals aimed at improving regulation and developing the digital economy. The problem of information security and privacy protection is especially acute when considering Big Data, which are the most important object links. Russian legislation specifies certain legal aspects for special processing of information with particular value. The national program “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation” analyzed in the article covers all spheres of economic and social life, has a detailed roadmap, the implementation of which is provided until 2024, and involves scientifically based selection of resources, training professionals, developing talented youth, as well as increasing interest and improving the computer literacy of the population on the Internet. The article outlines public and private prospects for the implementation of the digital economy in all areas of production, economic activity, and the service sector. It was determined that it is necessary to standardize data processing, create adequate data storage facilities, ensure their uninterrupted operation, create conditions under which digital data cannot be lost, and also create tools for assessing the services provided. It was revealed that there is a shortage of both highly professional personnel and personnel providing education and training of specialists. Existing educational programs and standards need to be improved. The problems of introducing the digital economy are outlined. The author proposes a number of changes to the current legislation in order to improve the regulation of the development of the digital economy.

The article considers the development of methodology for assessing the contribution of corporate structures of the construction business to the economic development of territories. In the article, a specific theoretical approach is used, i. e. when choosing the instruments of regional administration, it is required to use precisely those, which with a minimum impact will lead to maximum effectiveness. When working on this hypothesis, appropriate estimates are used to assess the contribution of large corporate structures of the construction business to the creation of the Gross Regional Product with the usage of correlation-regression models. The adoption of effective management decisions to a large extent depends on the selection of the right areas of impact on those types of businesses that form the largest share of value-added. This approach allows us to highlight the tools to support the corporate structures of the construction business in developing the economic policy of the region.

The article is devoted to the current state of digitalization aimed at solving urgent problems of combating corruption in the field of public administration and private business sector. The work considers the experience of foreign countries and the influence of digital technologies on the fight against corruption. It is noted that the digitalization of public administration is becoming one of the decisive factors for increasing the efficiency of the anti-corruption system and improving management mechanisms. Big Data, if integrated and structured according to the given parameters, allows the implementation of legislative, law enforcement, control and supervisory and law enforcement activities reliably and transparently. Big Data tools allow us to analyze processes, identify dependencies and predict corruption risks. The author describes the most significant problems that complicate the transfer of offline technologies into the online environment. The paper analyzes promising directions for the development of digital technologies that would lead to solving the arising problems, as well as to implement tasks that previously seemed unreachable. The article also describes current developments in the field of collecting and managing large amounts of data, the “Internet of Things”, modern network architecture, and other advances in the field of IT; the work provides applied examples of their potential use in the field of combating corruption. The study gives reasons that, in the context of combating corruption, digitalization should be allocated in a separate area of activity that is controlled and regulated by the state.

The article provides the review of the specifications of the 5G, which determine the possibility of its use in qualitatively other areas compared to previous generations of mobile communication systems. Besides, areas of application of 5G, as well as examples of the potential implementation of it in them were singled out. It is shown that such a link can be used for both private and public needs, and when implemented in the defense sector - and for the state. 5G has a number of competitive advantages. Its implementation opens up new opportunities for the full development of the Internet of things, smart cities, unmanned vehicles and a number of other areas. However, along with opportunities there are certain threats, including the national security of the state. In particular, the 5G network may be attacked in order to disrupt its functioning. This can potentially lead to paralysis of part of the economy. The subject of such an attack can be both state and non-state actors. The author identified threats to national security that may arise as a result of the use of 5G. It was proposed to divide them into two categories: direct and indirect. The first one is connected with the communication itself, its software and hardware, the second - with certain areas of its application and socio-economic sphere. The untimely introduction of fifth-generation communications could exacerbate the country’s technological backwardness. The use of 5G exclusively in large cities will create a risk for the spatial development of the state.

The article studies the necessity and features of transformation of the educational system under conditions of accelerated development in the digital economy. Particular attention in the context of this transformation is given to significance and possibilities of digital literacy, which forms the whole complex of fundamentally new requirements for all participants in the education system. The authors argue that the current stage of development of the digital economy requires the education system not only to digitalize its individual elements and links, but to apply a fundamentally new integrated approach that would transform the education system while taking into account new goals, structure and content of the educational process. The authors define digital literacy as the ability to form and apply educational content through digital technologies. The article gives particular emphasis on the significance and potential of individualizing the educational trajectory and the concept of continuing education. The authors consider the main factors in the development and achievement of the level of digital literacy, considering the requirements that the digital economy is currently imposing on the educational system.

The article considers the policy for “poles of competitiveness” - a French method of implementing cluster strategies, which serves as an example of the interaction between science, education, and territorial entities to ensure sustainable development through the creation and launch of innovative products and training of in-demand personnel. The modern development of regions and territories in many countries is carried out through the use of cluster technologies. These technologies are based on the relationship of educational, research, and entrepreneurial resources. Cluster technologies serve to develop and implement innovative products and solutions in various fields of activity. These approaches are becoming the most popular in the implementation of state policy: regional, industrial, and technological systems are combined in cluster strategies to increase competitiveness, attractiveness, economic and technological indicators of territories and the nation as a whole. The central definition of the poles of competitiveness is “joint innovation projects”; implementation of these projects requires various participants to be involved. This approach should create an incentive for interaction at the local level and cooperation between the parties, increase the efficiency of all involved structures, develop the innovation sphere, and create new data in the related network.

Over the past three decades, the Arctic has shown an unprecedented pace of international cooperation. Work in this direction takes place within the framework of the Arctic Council, the Barents Euro-Arctic Region Council (BEAC), the Northern Forum, the International Arctic Science Committee, the International Conference “Arctic Frontiers”, the Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Countries, the University of the Arctic, etc. Cooperation and integration of the Arctic regions are of great importance for the social and economic development of this macro-region. United, the Arctic countries will preserve and develop territories on the principles of sustainable development. While studying the topic of the article, the author realized that the existing initiatives are not enough to meet the growing needs of the region. Today, the circumpolar region faces geopolitical, socio-economic, and environmental challenges. Changes in economic development and global warming are a serious threat to the population of the Arctic. Governmental and non-governmental organizations associated with activities in the Arctic, as well as its direct residents, are interested in international cooperation in various areas that are related to the problems of the region. The participation of countries and organizations is needed for an immediate response to changes, as well as to solve emerging problems, to pursue common interests, and to find effective mechanisms for managing emerging changes. In the article, the author also offers practical recommendations for the proper use of the potential of the Russian Arctic.

This article aims to discuss the process of liberalization of the natural gas market in the European Union (EU). The purpose of this research is to show the fundamental characteristics of the gas industry, the process of reconstruction of the European gas market, taking into account the ongoing changes in the context of geopolitical, ecological, and technological determinants of the international and European energy and gas sector. The article describes the structure of the modern European natural gas market, compares the competitiveness of gas transportation methods through trunk pipelines and gas tankers transporting liquefied natural gas. The article examines the impact of the increase in the supply of liquefied natural gas on the situation with the turnover of gas trade in the European market, in particular, how it affects the delivery of hydrocarbons and the growth in the scale of exchange trading. The article examines the Groningen model, which influences the development of gas exchange trading and natural gas trading through long-term contracts. The evolution of the European policy in the field of natural gas, the established strictly regulated version of the “well-functioning” gas market, remains as one too political and unstable experiment. The importance of natural gas changes all the time, depending on economics, the security of deliveries, and sustainability. Furthermore, the focus on that importance and its practical application vary in different parts of Europe. The conclusion is made that a “well-functioning” gas market is characterized by the presence of a large number of suppliers, and competition leads to a noticeable decrease in prices for natural gas. However, in the current situation, the demand for gas turns out to be unstable, and difficult conditions for pipeline supplies are emerging for traditional suppliers. In the long term, the “well-functioning” gas market scheme will remain highly politicized and unstable, with increased competition in supply and a downward trend in gas prices. Thus, the European gas market is transforming towards the formation of a “buyer’s market”.

The article considers the point of view of the Russian philosopher Ivan Alexandrovich Ilyin concerning the idea of a strong state, reveals the specifics of his scientific work. The scientist showed that the formation of an effective nationhood is possible in the presence of such important conditions as a powerful spiritual potential of social and political life, a developed civil culture and democracy. I. A. Ilyin substantiated the postulate that a strong state is a decisive factor in the survival and successful renewal of society as a whole. The author correlates the philosopher's theoretical positions on the nature and specifics of the national statehood with the actual tasks of the country's development. The article emphasizes the importance of Ilyin's conclusion that the spiritual and moral state of society and the need for the development of legal consciousness are the basis for the effective functioning of the Russian state. The importance of the concept of organic democracy, based on the unconditional right of the individual to his free development, is emphasized. The author of the article reveals the relationship of the provisions under consideration with the current political agenda, which focuses on the search and development of ways to improve the efficiency of the Russian state. Attention is focused on the fact that the modern conceptualization of a strong state is possible taking into account two main factors: the specifics of the historical experience of state-building in Russia and the leading trends of the modern stage of development of the country at the national and global levels. For I. Ilyin, one of the most important factors of a strong legal state is social justice. In such a position, the ideological and moral influence of the Slavophil ideas is clearly felt, the identity of which he emphasized.

The article examines the formation of the statehood of modern Turkmenistan through the prism of historical changes that have occurred in the post-Soviet countries. It is noted that after 1991 all former republics of the USSR built new independent states on a fundamentally different basis - interaction between government and society. The authors emphasize that the establishment of trust between the state as an institution and citizens is possible under certain conditions, among which a special place is occupied by a clear organization of civil service and the professionalism of civil servants. The measures that have already been implemented and are being taken by the leadership of Turkmenistan at the present time to solve these problems are considered. It is noted that Turkmenistan acts within the framework and in accordance with the key world-class standards regarding the requirements for the organization of civil service. The measures taken in the country to combat corruption are analyzed.