Abstract: The subject of this research is the theoretical-methodological approaches towards studying the risks. In broad sense of the work, risk implies threat, occurrence of damage, failure, possible losses including financial. Various research understand risk as the process (process of choosing alternatives), activity (in uncertain situation), event that can lead to some losses. Special attention is given to the risks emerging in social and labor sphere, at the job market. The research method lies in systematized comparison of the sociological concepts of risk that have been gradually establishing within the Western sociology, their genesis and historical evolution. Risk as the subject of study represents a quite complicated concept that requires using the complex approach, methods of statistics, economics, mathematical theory of probability, theory of decision-making, psychological and sociological methods. The level of risks, including in social and labor sphere, is strongly differentiated according territorial logic. Particular place is held by the regions located in dangerous natural conditions, for example Arctic and Northern regions.

Keywords: Region, Unemployment risk, Professional risk, Risk society, Sociological approach, Psychological approach, Rationalist approach, Social and labor sphere, Social risk, Risk

Abstract: The subject of this research is the e-government in France. The article examines the various initiatives (development plans, concepts), as well as normative legal acts of legislative and bylaw levels that regulate the different aspects of electronic (digital) interaction of citizens with the French government and local authorities. The author consider the institutional frameworks of regulation of the e-government in France (departments, committees) responsible for controlling the various aspects of e-government. The main prospects of development of the e-government in France are described. The scientific novelty consists in analysis of the section of normative and program acts of governmental power of France in the area of e-government. The author determines the key prospects of development of the French legislation in the sphere of regulation of the various aspects of digital interaction of citizens with the state and local authorities. A number of institutions (administrations, departments) that directly affect the policy in the area of e-government are subjected to examination.

Keywords: concept, telecommunication means of communication, the Internet, authorities, prospects, digital interaction, E-government, development prospects, France, normative act

Abstract: The subject of this research is the digital management model that replaced the preceding Weber’s model, “progressive era” model, and new public management model. Within the framework of the indicated model, the author reviews the peculiarities of implementation of the digital technologies into the practice of public administration abroad and modern Russia. Using the example of information platforms and mobile applications, the author highlights the benefits of the digital management model, associated with the reduction in economic costs in realization of administrative operations, practice of “repeated use” of the set of government data, increase of transparency of the work of the authorities, improve of the quality of rendering public services, as well as underlines the need for protecting personal data of the citizens and digital sovereignty of the state. Methodology of the study includes the historical and analytical methods that allow tracing the history of evolution of the public administration models, a well as determine the key peculiarities of the digital management model in the digital era. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that based on examination of the contemporary empirical sources and foreign experience, were explored the innovation practices of application of the digital management model in public administration, including the implementation of the open data, open information platforms and mobile applications, crowdsourcing in rendering the public services. 

Keywords: open data, digital management, model, organizational culture, Internet, public services, digital technologies, open information platforms, digital rights, digital sovereignty

Abstract: The subject of this research is the nongovernmental organization as a system integrity, the forming factor of which becomes the goal setting. The author sets a task to analyze the content of the indicated category, as well as comes to a conclusion that it reveals in the following provisions: coordinated and mutually conditioned need of the individuals in joint nonprofit activity; legal means that contribute to exercising legal standing of the nongovernmental organization; methods of practical actions on connecting one with the other. It is proven that goal setting of the nongovernmental organization as a legal entity is specified depending on its organizational-legal form that regulates the structural elements (will of each of the incorporated citizen), as well as determines the key parameters of its functioning. Relevance of this study is substantiated by a special place of the nongovernmental organizations within the institutional basis of civil society; this, the understanding of their concept and organization of activity is the foundation for establishment of the consistent legal regulation of their status in practice. Theoretical importance consists in extension of the scientific representation on the nongovernmental organization as a collective subject of law, which is capable of operating within legal reality through the communicative and dialogical activeness of the volitional elements (people that comprise the volitional foundation of the nongovernmental organization).

Keywords: system integrity, private entity, legal entity, nongovernmental organization, goal, goal setting, element, self-sufficiency, legal means, need

Abstract: At the present time, the states dedicate more attention to the capabilities of “soft power” in foreign policy. Namely this, increases the relevance of establishment of a positive image of Russia in the international arena. This article examines the capabilities of “soft power” and its key components. The main attention is given to the image of the state as the core element of “soft power”. The work also analyzes the methods of adjusting the formed image of the country and significant aspects that must be considered in this regard. The object of this research is the concept of “soft power”, while the subject is the image of the state as the key component of “soft power”. Methodological foundation contains the comparative analysis, induction and deduction, as well as other general scientific methods. The scientific novelty consists in suggesting the relevant methods of adjusting the image of Russia that lean on the theoretical basis of the “soft power” concept. An attempt is made to determine the most efficient ways of advancing the Russian “soft power”. The author concludes that the key aspect of the image optimization can become the promotion of the cultural-humanitarian image of Russia, as well as an essential role is played by application of the mechanism of national branding and constant monitoring of the current status of Russia’s image.

Keywords: Russia, national branding, international relations, brand, image, branding, soft power, strategy, foreign policy, concept

Abstract: This article analyzes the definition and conceptual characteristics of digital inequality as a complicated, multicomponent phenomenon. The factors of emergence alongside the consequences of digital inequality are demonstrated. Special attention is given to the political legal consequences of the phenomenon at hand. The author underlines that disregard of such problem as digital inequality will lead to the establishment of “electronic elite”, while the majority of citizens will become out of touch with the infrastructure of e-government and e-democracy. The article provides the data of various ratings, including the rating of development of the e-government of the United Nations that allow assessing the place of Russia within the global information space. The scientific novelty consists in using the system approach towards examination of the digital inequality. The indicated category is covered in the context of cause-and-effect relation. In conclusion, the author suggests the legal methods for elimination of the digital inequality in the conditions of Russian realities. It is noted that the full support of the information rights of citizens becomes one of the priority tasks of the state.

Abstract: The subject of this article is the analysis of the specify of delivering of the relevant information to society in the regional newspapers, and particularly how it deforms compared to the materials of central press. The authors analyzed the peculiarities of covering by central and regional press of a remarkable information occasion – Navalny’s March of March 26, 2017. In the course of this study, the authors questioned to what extent the presentation of information in the regional press differs from its broadcast in the central press. This research leans of the following scientific methods: thematic analysis of the text, which allows identifying the maximal amount of topics covered in publications; 2) semantic analysis, which allows detecting the differences in covering the same topic. The scientific novelty consist in revealing the new perspectives in examining the specificity of the existence of regional press, types of information representation, and character of emergence of the empty sets. The results of the analysis prove that the information policy of regional press is aimed at lowering the magnitude, importance, and political component of the event. This is realized through a series of tendencies discovered by the authors, which combined can lead to the decline of trust in the regional press.

Keywords: information, text, information policy, empty set, theme, regional press, broadcast, newspaper, transformation, information flow

Abstract: The “national question” relates to such spheres of social life in which the October Revolution demonstrated the most drastic gap with the “old order”; the Soviet government has acquired the anti-colonial, anti-imperial language of self-description. However, the academic studies of the recent twenty five years mark the prevalence of representations on the imperial natural of the Soviet State (image of USSR as the “last empire” has become ingrained in the academic discourse; the post-colonial studies apprehend the post-Soviet space as a legitimate sphere of their scientific interest). The author sets a goal to problematize such approach, thus analyzes the very concept of the “empire”, examines separate aspects of the history of Soviet period, and reconstructs the identity of a Soviet person. A conclusion is made that in a number of cases, the application of the imperial paradigm in describing the Soviet realities rather impedes the adequate comprehension of the latter, because the practices of dominance and administration in USSR, language, cultural, and economic policy, identities of people and their everyday experience cannot be reduced to the imperial and colonial.

Keywords: Communism, postcolonial studies, nationalism, nation, Soviet Union, colonialism, empire, revolution, the Bolsheviks, identity

Abstract: The subject of this research is the role of African Union in humanitarian sphere and its relevant contribution into ensuring humanitarian security in the region of Tropical Africa. The goal of this work is the versatile assessment of genesis of the humanitarian security concept, the existing legal and institutional frame of African Union, as well as the operating capabilities on responding to various threats to humanitarian security emerging in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the comparative-historical method, the author analyze the emergence and development of the humanitarian security concept at the UN level and Organization of African Unity / African Union respectively. The typological method helps to consider the main groups of threats to humanitarian security. The article also applies the comparative method. The policy of responding of the African Union to the current complex humanitarian crises is being examined. The scientific novelty consists in the following results: 1) the potential of African Union in the area of ensuring humanitarian security in Africa depends is developed unevenly; at the same time, the most influential are the developed by African Union legal mechanisms of protecting the personal and social rights; 2) the efficiency of policy of the European Union aimed at maintaining the humanitarian security depends on multiple factors, primarily the financial capacity of the Union, level of coordination of its action with other international organizations; nature of the crisis. The main conclusion consists in the thesis that despite the objective difficulties, African Union plays a key role in ensuring humanitarian security in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords: Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Campala Convention, forced migration, complex emergency, humanitarian security, African Union, Central African Republic, Somalia, food security

Abstract:   The subject of this article is the examination of genesis, history of development and evolution of the relations between the United States and Pakistan at different stages of contemporary history in the context of war in Afghanistan. First and foremost, the author reviews the impact of Islamabad’s policy upon the situation in the neighboring Afghanistan during the active phase of the armed conflicts (2001-2008). The war in Afghanistan became the first large armed conflict of the XXI century. Terrorist acts on September 11, 2001 against the United Stated were the major attach of the terrorist underground in history. The response to the Al-Qaeda attack became the military campaign against the organizations of terrorist acts who found asylum in Afghanistan. For the objective scientific-historical study was used an entire set of methodologies, including narrative, historical-genetic, historical-system, as well as anthropological and sociological. This work is the first comprehensive research within the Russian historiography aimed at examination of the impact of Pakistan–United States relations and Islamabad’s policy upon the situation in Afghanistan in 2001-2008, demonstrating the role of “Pakistani factor” in development of the military-political processes in Afghanistan.  

Keywords: history, The Middle East, Al-Qaeda, Taliban, Pakistan, terrorism, United States, Afghanistan, East, science

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the analysis of exercising rights of the incarcerated disabled people to accessible environment and improvement of living amenities in detention facilities. Prior to the ratification by the Russian Federation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the correctional facilities were not properly equipped for the disabled people, nor there were instructions on the need for providing the technological infrastructure and accessibility of the objects of the penal system. After the ratification of the aforementioned convention, has been adopted a federal program “Accessible Environment” about the rights of the persons with disabilities within the correctional facilities, considering their needs. Based on the analysis of the Russian legislation, legal precedent of the European Court on Human Rights, foreign experience of organizing incarceration for punishment, the author underlines the existence of gap in definition of the “improvement of living amenities” within the Penal Code of the Russian Federation, and suggests to amend the corresponding penal legislation: in engineering and reconstruction of the buildings, constructs, and other complexes to ensure the requirements in observance of rights of the incarcerated disabled people to accessibility of the facilities and objects; train the penal system personnel in working with the incarcerated disabled people; create the specialized penitentiaries for the disabled people in the Russian Federation.

Keywords: improved living amenities , work of convicts, imprisonment, accessible environment , rehabilitation, incarcerated disabled people, serious illness, correctional facility, convention, ratification