Abstract: The subject of the study is the level of civic activity of Vologda Oblast residents in the public life of the region. The research is based on general scientific, interdisciplinary and private scientific methods. In the course of the study, an online questionnaire survey was used as a quantitative research method for data collection; data analysis methods used in the course of studying the subject of the study: statistical analysis, interpretation. The empirical part of the study presents the chi-square method, one-dimensional data distribution and correlation analysis. The methodological basis of the study was societal neo-institutionalism. The purpose of this study is to assess the level of civic activity of residents of the Vologda Oblast. Based on the conducted research and the theory considered, the following conclusions were drawn: the majority of respondents have a significant level of unrealized political activity, while they are distinguished by a fairly high level of readiness for mobilization within civil society, which can be implemented not only in the framework of constructive activities, but also destructive with the accumulation of unrealized political participation. Respondents showed a low level of participation in public life, which indicates incomplete realization of their mobilization potential, social capital is not used sufficiently. There is a connection between the level of knowledge of the authorities in the areas of responsibility of the LSG bodies and the assessment of their activities. Also, the level of knowledge of authority is related to the level of trust in the head of the municipality. Groups of respondents with this knowledge mostly trust the head and evaluate the work of the LSG bodies higher than do the groups of respondents who stated the lack of this knowledge. The civic activity of residents of the Vologda Oblast as a whole is characterized by high indicators of readiness to work in public organizations, but at the same time weak indicators of involvement in public life.

Keywords: political behavior, socio-political activity, protest activity, democratic institutions, civil society institutions, aerobatic research, MSU, Vologda region, Political participation, Civic engagement

Abstract: The subject of this research is the conceptual and financial-legal aspects of project management aimed at implementation of national projects. The goal consists in comparison of the sources of public legal regulation, analysis of the legal mechanism of implementation of national projects, and formulation of recommendations for its improvement. Analysis is conducted on the formation and realization of project management in the Russian Federation, which functional purpose consists in improving efficiency of the national projects. The relevance lies in the establishment of public legal grounds for implementation of national projects. The theoretical framework contains scientific works of scholars and practitioners in the field of law and economics dealing with the project management in public sector. As a result of the conducted analysis on national and international legislation with regards to project management, the author reveals the essential characteristics of project in the area project management, describes the process of implementation of national projects, and outlines the problematic aspects from the perspective of administrative and financial law. The novelty lies in substantiation of the need for improving legal regulation of project management in the Russian Federation. It is noted that legislation in the area of project management is fragmentary, and the law regulates only isolated elements of project management. Practical importance of this work consists in determination of the role of subjects of national project management and state financial bodies, as well in formulation of recommendations on practical application of norms with regards to implementation of national projects.

Keywords: strategic documents, digitalization, national standards, technical regulation, public administration, financing, legislation, national project, financial control, national development goals

Abstract: The object of this research is the Model provision on the commission on coordination of anti-corruption work in a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of July 15, 2015 No.364 “On Measures to Improve the Organization of Anti-Corruption Activities”. The subject of this research is the key tasks of the commission on coordination of anti-corruption work in a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. The author examines the questions of government anti-corruption policy, describes and explains the content of such tasks, gives recommendations on the improvement of work of the commission. Research methodology contains regulatory acts of the Russian Federation and its constituent entities, as well as writings of the Russian scholars. The scientific novelty lies in the statement that passing of regulatory acts on the organization of activity of the commission on coordination of anti-corruption work in a constituent entity of the Russian Federation was not accompanied by any serious scientific developments; and the questions pertaining to the main vectors of activity of the commission of coordination of anti-corruption work in a constituent entity of the Russian Federation have not yet received wide coverage. The conclusion is made that constituent entities of the Russian Federation should consolidate by their regulatory acts the tasks, functions, mechanisms and means of implementation, as well as organization of activity of the commissions on coordination of anti-corruption work, considering the specificity of realization of government anti-corruption policy in a particular constituent entity of the Russian Federation.

Keywords: the Commission for the coordination of, regional anti-corruption policy, state anti-corruption policy, anticorruption policy, combating corruption, corruption, the tasks of the Commission, model provision, coordination entity, top official

Abstract: This article examines the symbolic practices of formation of Soviet identity in film footages and documentary photographs. The concept of Soviet identity is analyzed from the perspective of emergence of the new type of legal culture, which leans primarily on the doctrinal sources underlying the Marxist teaching on the socialist type of society, as well as in relation to the concept of Soviet constitutionalism. It is underlined that visual practices and representations allowed the Bolsheviks restructure the existing type of relationships between the former nationals of the Russian Empire and state authority based on establishment of the efficient horizontal model of participation in the political affairs, grounded on the mass agitation and propaganda of Soviet values comprising the Constitution of the working class. The research methodology contains the qualitative sociological analysis of visual materials and documentary sources, therewith the concept of Soviet identity is interpreted through the lens of cultural-anthropological concept of symbolic policy and the notion of metanarrative G. Gill).The main conclusions of the conducted research consist in the presence in the official state visual policy of identity of the early Soviet period of key concepts represented in the form of the mass collective actions: proletarian dictatorship, Soviet Constitution, commune, and others. The discourses on the formation of Soviet identity include the opposition to global imperialism, enemies of the revolution, and praise of labor as a community-building force of the proletarian state. The scientific novelty lies in the use of methodology of visual analysis of video footages as a source of interpretation of the Soviet symbolic policy and ideological activity.  

Keywords: dictatorship of the proletariat, Sovietism, metanarrative, public holidays, visual propaganda, Soviet identity, commune, symbolic politics, film documents, October Revolution

Abstract: The subject of research in this article is the processes of legal regulation and the law enforcement practice of establishing, changing and clarifying the borders between the subjects of the Russian Federation. The object of this research is the public relations pertaining to the territory and borders of the subjects of the Russian Federation. Special attention is devoted to determining the general trends and legal issues in this area, starting with the terminological differences of the procedures concerning interregional borders and ending with the search for the solutions to the practical and legislative establishment of the territorial status of the subjects of the Russian Federation. Analysis is conducted on the federal and regional legislation on the issues of borders between the subjects of the Russian Federation, revealing the problems and limitations in realization of some recommendations of federal authorities in this area. Arguments are provided on the balanced approach towards delineation of the processes of establishment, changes and clarification of the borders between the subjects of the Russian Federation, as well as unallowability of destabilization of the situation. It is proved that the borders between the subjects of the Russian Federation are usually established and recognized, but in number of instances require improvements in their description, clarification, as well as potential changes. The author proposes a concept of special federal legislation that would regulate border issues between the subjects of the Russian Federation, as well as clarification of the procedures of changing the borders of the subjects of the Russian Federation.

Keywords: territorial administration, state-territorial process, territorial structure, territory, вorder of the subject, subject of the Russian Federation, establishing borders, changing borders, clarifying borders, border descriptions

Abstract: The Russian Federation launched a pilot program referred to as “Far Eastern Hectare”, aimed at reducing migration of population from the Far East and encouraging Russian citizens to live and work in the Far East Federal Okrug. Based on the analysis of social polling, the article identifies several issues of implementation of the Federal Law No. 119 from May 1, 2016 “About features of provision to citizens of the parcels of land which are in the state-owned or municipal property and located in the territories of the subjects of the Russian Federation which are part of the Far Eastern Federal District and about modification of separate legal acts of the Russian Federation”. The article utilizes the results of Russian national and regional social inquiries, illustrating key problems with implementation of this program. It was determined that the legal regulators at this stage of implementation of the program do not always account for the social factors. The research demonstrates that people interested in participating in this program require certain measures of state support, including coverage of transportation and household expenses for the initial period of settling in the new territory. The current law targets the active portion of the population, while the vast majority of interested citizens require social guarantees from the government.

Keywords: social problems, business, migration, demographic policy, gratuitous use of land, development of the Far East, land right, land relations, provision of land, regional policy

Abstract: This research is devoted to the issues of financial control over the work of state budgetary institutions and municipal budgetary institutions carried out by their founders (Russian Federation, subjects of the Federation, and municipal formations). The authors examine the instruments used by the branches of government and local self-governance, fulfilling the functions and authority of the founder of the budgetary institutions. Analysis is conducted on the positive and negative practice, particularly one pertaining to financial control over the execution of state function through reporting (on the example of the introduced order of delivery/acceptance of work, executed by the institution within the framework of state commission), as well as control in the sphere of procurement and peculiarities of labor agreement signed by the founder and head of the budgetary institution. Due to absence of unified approaches towards the character and depth of financial control by the authorized branches, this area demonstrates broad pluralism, and thus the result of the work of organization.

Keywords: state budgetary institution, municipal institution, state institution, budgetary institution, institution, financial control, lower organization, founders control, founder, executive body

Abstract: Based on the analysis of a number of documents (Biotechnology Development Policy of 2007; Law No.9279 of May 14, 1996 “On the Industrial Property”, revised in 2001),implementation of several projects of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), this article examines the experience of development of biotechnologies in one of the BRICS countries – Brazil. It strongly depends on the international legal regime of biotechnologies; thus, when Brazil joined WTO in 1995, the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) became obligatory, although the provisions significantly differed from the current at the moment legislation in the area of intellectual property of Brazil. The author explores the issues it caused from the perspective of the American practice of settlement that is foreign for both, Russia and Brazil. The scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive analysis from the standpoint of law on intellectual property of Brazil’s approach to organizational and legal arrangement of biotechnology development in the context of international legal regime created by TRIPS, with consideration of the American experience. It is concluded that the provisions of the acting Biotechnology Development Policy of 2007 testifies to the fact that the Brazilian government understands the need to enhance protection of intellectual property for the development of biotechnological sector.

Keywords: industrial property, TRIPS, WTO, biotechnology development, scientific information, Brazil, BRICS, patents, ONSA, FAPESP

Abstract: The subject of this research is the scientific sources characterizing the system of traffic security. The object of this research is the legal relations, occurrences and processes that form in state provision of traffic safety. Having analyzes the scientific literature the author expounds a brief content of elements that characterize the concept of state administration of the traffic security through examining administrative relations between the subjects of the system of traffic safety and objects of administrative influence, as well as mutual connections between them. The author turns attention to the fact that despite the systematic use of the term of the system of traffic safety in scientific literature, this category is not defined by a legislator, and the existing scientific positions are either contradictory reflect the characteristic of the explored public relations from the perspective of the separate branches of law. The scientific novelty is expressed in the suggested classification of the system of traffic safety that consists of a number of subsystems formed by functionality attribute, analysis and determination of the functions inherent to the examined system. A conclusion is made that the system of traffic security suggest not only a simple objective existence of the government authorities, self-governance, and civil society institutions (in broader meaning, the legislative and judicial branches), which are the subjects of the administrative impact on public relations in the area of traffic, but rather their stable, organized, mutually conditioned activity, which is based on strategic administration and aimed at implementation of achieving the goals of traffic safety that in general sense are reduced to prevention of the causes of traffic accidents and mitigation of their consequences by means of the unified state policy.

Keywords: subjects of administration, state administration, system functions, system attributes, traffic safety, system of traffic safety, objects of administration, legal relations , traffic, provision of safety

Abstract: The subject of this research is the political leadership; the object is the divided into segments society, particularly the Democratic Republic of Nigeria. The author meticulously reviews the issues of political leadership within a divided society, concept of Arend Lijphart, and segmental differences. Leaning on the Lijphart’s concept of multicomponent societies, the article assesses the prospects of establishing democracy in Nigeria, as well as argues that the existing at the basic level segmental differences can be overcome through cooperation of the leaders of various groups. Using the formalized survey of Nigerian experts, the author analyzes the peculiarities of political leadership in a divided into segments society. According to A. Lijphart, one of the key issues ought to be resolved by the by the leaders in a multicomponent society is the integration of segments. Nigeria’s example is relevant due to the fact that the country remains to be a strongly segmented society. Summarizing the results of the conducted analysis, the following conclusions were made: the successes of democracy retain an ultimate level of instability; one of the key causes of the failure of democracy is the persistent segmentation (religious and ethnic) of society and the absence of strategically planned and sequential policy for solving this issue.

Keywords: Nigeria, Africa, devided society, segmented society, multicomponent society, political leadership, democracy, religious segmentation, political elites, tribalism

Abstract: This article is dedicated to substantiation of the possible use of ideology in public administration. The current situation in public administration is described as an information crisis that is a result of a large volume of information used in adoption of an administrative decision. In the course of social development, the character of such situation will be complicated due to the acceleration of information production. At the same time, the existing means of optimization of administration, for example mathematical modelling, can be applied in the everyday administration. In terms of considering the public administration from the perspective of the theory of decision-making, its optimization can be achieved through the reducing the entropy of the situation of choice of goals aimed at solution of the problematic situation. It implies that the chain of decision-making contains an additional section – the establishment of correspondence between the goals aimed at solution of the administrative problem and the positions of ideology. The author believes that in order to ensure optimization of public administration, the ideology must be viewed from the perspective of the systemic-information approach, as it can form the scientifically substantiated representation on the degree of orderliness, information capacity, and possible clarification and adjustment of the ideas comprising the conceptual foundation of ideology. The interrelation between the administration goals and values contained in ideology can be considered as a dynamic system, within the framework of which the goals form a factor of variability in such system, while the value forms a factor of sustainability. A conclusion is made that the desire to exclude ideology from public administration is the measure that increases the difficulty of administration.

Keywords: self-organization, optimization, information crisis, target-value system, system-information approach, public administration, goal-setting, ideology, decision-making, automated control systems

Abstract: The subject of this research consists in ensuring openness and accessibility of the municipal normative legal acts for citizens, organizations, state authorities, local self-government, and independent experts. The authors examine the merits and flaws of the possible ways for obtaining legal information by the concerned parties, among which are: search for the official printed publications of local self-government bodies in the archives of libraries; search on the official websites of the local self-government; search in the register of municipal normative legal acts of constituents of the Russian Federation on the website of the Ministry of Justice of Russia; sending of personal request to the bodies or officials of the local self-government. The conducted allows establishing that none of the existing methods of obtaining normative and legal information regarding the activity of local self-government does not ensure fast and convenient access to the total volume of the municipal normative legal acts of a specific municipal entity in existing version. The authors conclude that it is necessary to create an electronic information system that allows the local self-government bodies to store, systematize, and update the normative legal acts, as well as provide open access to all parties concerned.

Keywords: updating, systemization, storage, electronic information system, openness, accessibility, municipal division, normative legal act, anti-corruption expertise, anti-corruption

Abstract: The subject of this article is the globalization and integration processes, which affect the overall atmosphere of development of China’s investment law. The author believes that globalization is the actual foundation of integration of the modern international economic activity. Integration, in turn, manifests as the highest level of international interaction on the basis of globalization. Due to these processes, there is a need to create a universal multilateral international investment agreement that will be the foundation for the international investment activity, as well as conduce the uniformity in the area of legal regulation of the investment relations. Using the historical, logical, and formal method alongside the comparative legal approach, the author conducts the analysis of development of PRC’s investment law in the context of globalization and integration processes. Based on the examination of development of legal regulation of the WTO’s investment relations and content of the national legal acts of modern China, a conclusion is made that the normative legal acts in the area of investment activity in modern China still has multiple flaws; and thus, it is necessary to carry out major reforms and create a new system of the investment law.

Keywords: investment agreement, WTO, international integration, investment legal relationship, legal system, globalization of law, globalization, integration, development of legislation, investment in China

Abstract: The subject of this article is the examination of scientific methods of assessment of the political risks in political parties’ activity. The author ranges the methods and methodologies of assessment of the political risks into qualitative (humanitarian), quantitative (statistical), and hybrid. Special attention is given to the macro-sociopolitical models, as well as methods of social forecasting: extrapolation and analogy, scenario planning. The article also reviews the relevant research methods of assessment of the political risks, among which are the content analysis, analysis of social media, and analysis of social networks. The conclusion is made that the hybrid methods are the most efficient in assessment of the political risks in political parties’ activity. The study of factors affecting the political situation, as well as formulation of forecasting assessment based on the accumulated information, is of prime importance. The author determines and substantiate the need for comprehensive and gradual implementation of the method of assessment of the political risks in political parties’ activity.

Keywords: Scenario planning, Analogy, Extrapolation, Social media analysis, Social networks analysis, Content analysis, SWOT-analysis, Expert assessment, Political parties, Political risks