Vol. 28 No. 3 (2019)

Vydrin I.V. 1 1 Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration , Ekaterinburg, Russia

The aim of the research is to identify main limitations of the tools used for the organization of competitions to fill vacancies and personnel reserve of municipal service. As the main method, questionnaire survey in the Administration of the “city of Ekaterinburg” municipal entity was applied. It was observed, that despite the importance of local government in the field of public administration, insufficient attention is drawn to methods to select staff for municipal service due to various factors. Moreover, it is the municipal employees, who provide the efficiency of the local problems solving, the implementation of the general principles of local government and public policy organization in this field at local level, and, finally, are key to the success of the ongoing local government reform in the Sverdlovsk region. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that based on the obtained theoretical and empirical data the authors identify the problem areas of the applied methods and outline the direction to transform the existing procedure. The authors argue, that certain problems in the municipal service staff selection can be cancelled out through the municipal employees selection reform, applying the methods of the given research. Candidates’ personal, psychological and professional qualities assessment to fill municipal service positions is used as part of the unified competitive selection procedure, with quite a limited number of methods applied. As evidenced in practice, the competitive selection implemented in the most successful organizations (of both private and public sector), combination of assessment of qualities, so different in nature, using one or two assessment methods, leads to reducing of the competitive procedures efficiency. Practical significance. The results and conclusions of the research can be used to reform the municipal employees selection system not only in the Administration of the city of Ekaterinburg, but also in other local bodies.

The aim of the research is to study the constitutional and legal foundations of the interaction of public and local authorities as relatively independent public authority systems. To attain the aim, the system analysis method was used, as well as the technical legal method in to research regulatory legal acts and decisions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, adopted on the issues of guaranteeing the constitutional foundations of local government. Results and scientific novelty: according to the research results, public authorities and local government are identified to be relatively independent, yet with public authority types (subsystems) of similar legal nature. So, the state power and local government interaction is understood as the interplay and mutual coordination of their activities in the process of implementation of the assigned functions and tasks. The purpose of such interaction is to ensure a balanced combination of public (federal and regional) and local interests, stable and efficient use of social resources, aimed at creating decent living conditions both for the Russian society as a whole, and for the population at municipal level. The interaction principles (constitutionality, relative autonomy, subsidiarity and compatibility in distributing and exercising public authority) stipulate for using such methods in public-municipal interaction, as joint activity, coordination, delegation of powers with subsequent control of legality and feasibility of their implementation, public guarantee and assistance to local authority, serving to ensure the stable and efficient public authority functions, both at public and municipal levels.

The research aim is to reveal and analyze stages of inception and development of public government conceptual provisions in the science of public law and Soviet construction in the 1918-1991 period. Throughout the given historical period, the leading representatives of the Soviet law school identified its significant characteristics, organizational specifics and competence of local Soviets and their interaction with higher bodies of Soviet power. To achieve this goal, the authors used the method of historical and legal analysis of regulatory legal acts and scientific sources, as well as the comparative legal method in the study of legal and party doctrinal documents. Results and scientific novelty: following the research results, it was identified that significant contradictions were inherent in public government from the moment it was established: the basic principle of its organization was democratic centralism and subordination to a higher state power, with independence in the implementation of the competence of local Councils, not always having clear regulatory limits. The process of public government development in the framework of the Soviet socialist state development featured the successive periods of centralization and decentralization in organization and activities of the local Soviets. Moreover, the Soviet legal science revealed and characterized certain distinctive aspects of public government. They were: moderate decentralization of a single hierarchical Soviet system; expanded competence of local Councils in terms of socio-economic authorities in certain areas of national economy; development of the own financial and material basis of local Councils; creation and development of the normative framework providing the local Councils’ activities regulation. As the key period, determining the fate of public government, the development and adoption of the USSR Constitution of 1977 is noted. Three approaches to determining the future of public government in the latest Constitution of the Soviet Union development and adoption are identified and characterized.

From the early 2015, in Russia in general and in the Sverdlovsk region in particular, there is an ongoing process of transition to the competitive system of the city heads election. The problem is that this process is different: quite peacefully in some municipalities, but scandalized in others. The aim of the research is to study the political situation in the municipalities of the Middle Urals and highlight not only the models of transition to the new election system, but also the factors justifying the particular option. The rational choice theory is the theoretical and methodological basis of the research. The comparative analysis (to identify criteria for distinguishing various transition models) and the case-study method (to consider specific situations in municipalities) were also applied. As the empirical basis, there was data from local election commissions, materials from news agencies, and analytical reports. As a result, the author came to the conclusion, that the process of transition to a competitive system of mayor election is varying. In some municipalities (Ekaterinburg, Sysert) this process goes smoothly, without political excesses, and in others (Degtyarsk, Bogdanovich) is accompanied by political conflicts. The research showed that the options (models) of the transition process and its political results depend on a combination of two factors the degree of the municipal elite unity and the level of conflict between the mayor and the regional leader.

Intellectual property was way back part of ancient Roman and Greek law. In the course of time, this concept was specified, expanded and interpreted. Even these days, the judicial opinion regarding intellectual property is controversial. Moreover, social and economic development often lead to conflict between public property and the author’s exclusive rights. In this article, the author considers certain aspects of intellectual property evolution and the correlation between public law and intellectual activity results. It is no secret that the correctly established correlation allows to clearly distinguish between public and private interests. Based on a deep analysis of judicial practice, the author considers a possible clear balance between public and private interests in the field of intellectual property items emergence and protection, especially when the rightholder of various results of intellectual activity is a municipal entity, a RF entity or a public body.

The aim of the research is to analyze the financing system of healthcare facilities of various organizational and legal forms and the specifics of financing from various sources. To carry out the research, the author used the analytical and statistical analysis methods with their features best referred to the study process. Considering the fact that healthcare services are provided by the facilities of various organizational and legal forms: budgetary, autonomous and private, the specifics of financing and finance management depend on establishing public (municipal) assignment and subsidies allocated for its implementation. However, there are different sources of healthcare financing. The main sources of financing are the federal budget, regional and local budgets and the finances of the compulsory health insurance fund. High-tech medical care, which is not included in the basic program of compulsory medical services, but provided by federal state institutions, is financed from budget allocations of the federal compulsory medical insurance fund. Results and practical importance. The practical relevance of the research lies in the fact that the results can be used in analyzing efficiency of managing income, expenses, and results of healthcare institutions activity. Scientific novelty. The author concluded that it is necessary to change the mechanism of establishing the state (municipal) assignment for medical services; to improve the methodology for calculating medical care payment tariffs of compulsory health insurance; regulation of financial costs per medical care unit and per capita standards.

The article assesses the coefficients considered in calculating the rent for the use of land plots located in the city of Chelyabinsk, state ownership of which is not delimited, and which are owned by the given municipality, approved by the decision of the Chelyabinsk City Duma of 24.06.2008 № 32/7 (as amended on 26.07.2017). The relevance of the research is justified by the lack of unified and clear methods of calculating the adjusting factors for determining rental payment for land plots located on the municipal territory, state ownership of which is not delimited, and land plots are the municipal property. In this respect, it is considered necessary to improve methods of calculating rental payment, taking into account interests of both renters and the municipality as the owner, by adjusting the coefficients, so as, on the one hand, not to further deteriorate the investment climate in Chelyabinsk because of overestimated coefficients and, on the other hand, not to lead to a significant decrease in budget revenues from land lease. The methods of correlation and regression analysis, economic-statistical analysis, analysis of regulatory documents, calculation and construction were used in this research. The developed coefficients received practical approval in the Chelyabinsk municipality. The results, which consist in the development of proposals and practical research recommendations for improving approaches and methods of the municipal land use rent calculating, are of practical importance. The authors evaluated the coefficients considered in calculating the rent for the use of land plots located in Chelyabinsk municipality, state property for which is not delimited, and land plots are the municipality property.

The article analyzes problems and factors affecting the consumer behavior of university students in the city of Ekaterinburg. The priority is justified of researching the consumer dispositions of the youth as the innovative social group, forming the demand for the new-to-market products and establishing consumer standards of the future through the younger generation socialization. Conclusions are made about the new trends in consumer behavior of young people based on data obtained in the course of the authors' sociological research using the original methodology in September 2018. To study the problem, a comprehensive research strategy that includes quantitative and qualitative methods for collecting social information was employed. At the first stage, in September 2018, a written (questionnaire) survey of students was conducted (N = 221), at the second stage, a focus group with postgraduates from the Ural State Agrarian University. Based on the data of the conducted sociological research, the authors confirm the working hypothesis about the influence of environmental consciousness on the choice of food products. The conclusion is made about the conflicting patterns of consumer behavior and the ambivalent environmental awareness of the student youth. The research identified new trends in the model of the youth consumer behavior: disapproval of consumerism, destructive and self-destructive practices and the respondents’ commitment to a healthy lifestyle, hence, the increased demand for fitness services, cooking workshops, sports and tourism goods, natural and organic food, the respondents' awareness of environmental problems both at regional, national, and global levels and the desire to be part of nature protection campaign. The author argues that students are increasingly investing in personal development and sustainable skills of environmental awareness and behavior.

The aim of the research is to analyze the influence of transformations in municipalities in the forms of the urban and rural settlements integration and (or) of the urban entities development, based on municipal districts, on municipal government efficiency. Methodology and methods. The methodological basis of the research was developed regarding dialectical, general scientific (analysis, synthesis, deduction, induction, logical and others) and particular scientific methods. Statistical analysis was applied to reveal the trends in the local government territorial organization. Deduction and induction were used to formulate "the optimization of territorial organization of local administration" concept. Dialectical method was applied to identify the problems of imbalance between the local authorities’ orientation on population and municipal government efficiency. Results and practical relevance. Urban and rural settlements integration and urban districts development based on municipal districts are identified as trends. The article identifies one of the reasons of such transformations, the imbalance between the focus of the local authorities on population and the municipal governance efficiency, in particular. Based on the international and Russian research results, the author draws the conclusion that the transformation of municipalities does not demonstrate any decisive impact on improving the economic and organizational aspects of efficiency of municipal administration. Scientific novelty. The author expresses concern that due to the current municipal and territorial transformations, settlement municipalities, guaranteed by Part 1 of Article 131 of the Constitution, are being abolished in the RF constituent entities. The article provides recommendations on planning the transformations of municipalities in the forms oriented towards settlements consolidation and (or) urban entities development based on municipal districts which would look more attractive to the professionals in the field of local administration. Specifically, the author argues in favor of rejecting the massive implementation of the above said transformations with the only idea of increasing the economic and organizational aspects of municipal administration efficiency.

Non-delimited lands, which ownership is not officially registered, make up about 26% of the land fund of the municipal entity of the city of Ekaterinburg. The Ministry of State Property Management of the Sverdlovsk region is in charge of them. This article considers indicators for the non-delimited land lease, ownership and use, as of January 1, 2018. Most transactions, which are on acquiring property rights, provide the highest profit. Purchase and sale transactions dominate, and only 10-12% of land pass into ownership free. The number of lease transactions is increasing annually. However, the number of transactions for the ownership rights and right for permanent unlimited use is reducing gradually. The transfer of land for rent is exacerbated by the fact that only 70% of the land plots prepared for bidding is sold. There are limitations for providing land for permanent unlimited use. For example, plots can be provided for the road network and metro development, or for urban forests. Non-delimited plots are constantly profitable, with proper use, but the trend is going down with years. This is because the number of non-delimited, meaning unused and abandoned land is reducing, in other words, the land use is efficient.