Improvement of democratic governance processes taking into account the social and political activity of members of democratic society

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Lviv Polytechnic National University

Improvement of democratic governance processes taking into account the social and political activity of members of democratic society

Bilyk Olena Ivanivna Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Administrative and Financial Management

Khymych Oksana Volodymyrivna Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Administrative and Financial Management

Blynda Yuriy Orestovych Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Administrative and Financial Management

Анотація

Удосконалення процесів демократичного врядування з врахуванням громадсько-політичної активності членів демократичного суспільства

Білик Олена Іванівна кандидат економічних наук, доцент, доцент кафедри адміністративного та фінансового менеджменту, Національний університет «Львівська політехніка»

Химич Оксана Володимирівна кандидат економічних наук, доцент, доцент кафедри адміністративного та фінансового менеджменту, Національний університет «Львівська політехніка»

Блинда Юрій Орестович кандидат економічних наук, доцент кафедри адміністративного та фінансового менеджменту, Національний університет «Львівська політехніка»

Місцеве самоврядування є політичним інститутом, що займає в системі взаємодії влади і суспільства посередницьке положення між державою і громадянським суспільством, і таким чином, забезпечує реалізацію прямих і зворотних зв'язків в системі державного управління. На муніципальному рівні відбувається найбільш тісний контакт між владою і суспільством і від того, наскільки результативним воно є, залежить ефективність не тільки муніципального, а й державного управління в цілому.

Місцеве самоврядування є також своєрідною школою громадянськості, демократичної організації місцевого життя. Воно привчає суспільство до самоорганізації, необхідної для якісного вирішення питань відповідно до інтересів громадян. У муніципальних утвореннях формується почуття загального інтересу і відповідальності місцевих жителів, які звикають не тільки самостійно вирішувати свої справи, а й контролювати діяльність обраних ними посадових осіб. Від того наскільки населення активно бере участь в ухваленні рішень, що стосуються його життєдіяльності, залежить політична і соціально-економічна стабільність розвитку відповідної території. Саме з розвитком місцевого самоврядування сьогодні пов'язують надії на відродження і зміцнення демократичного громадянського суспільства в Україні.

Дослідники звертають увагу на те, що останнім часом в українській політичній практиці відбувається певна переоцінка цінностей стосовно місцевих автономій і муніципальних свобод, в рамках якої основний акцент став зміщуватися з питання невтручання органів державної влади в місцеві справи в сторону інших, більш прагматичних установок і цілей (таких як раціональність, ефективність, економія). На думку вчених і практиків, місцеве самоврядування все частіше стало розглядатися не стільки як загальнодержавна демократична мета, скільки як засіб вирішення локальних проблем, реалізації інтересів місцевих громад, здійснення на місцях загальнодержавного політичного курсу. Все частіше під терміном «місцеве самоврядування» розуміється лише певна політико-правова якість місцевих установ.

Актуальність і практична значущість наукового дослідження визначається також тим, що в конкретних умовах сучасної Україні як самостійної держави центр ваги політико-правового регулювання місцевого самоврядування природно переноситься на рівень суб'єктів, що вже само по собі робить пріоритетним вивчення регіонального досвіду здійснення місцевого самоврядування та дослідження впливу громадськості на удосконалення процесів демократичного врядування.

Ключові слова: vісцеве самоврядування, процес демократичного врядування, громадсько-політична участь, інформаційно-комунікаційні технології.

Abstract

Local self-government is a political institution that occupies an intermediary position in the system of interaction between government and society between the state and civil society, and thus ensures the implementation of direct and feedback links in the system of public administration. At the municipal level, there is the

closest contact between government and society, and the effectiveness of not only municipal but also public administration in general depends on how effective it is.

Local self-government is also a kind of school of citizenship, a democratic organization of local life. It accustoms society to the self-organization necessary for a quality solution of issues in accordance with the interests of citizens. Municipalities develop a sense of common interest and responsibility of local residents, who are accustomed not only to decide their own affairs, but also to control the activities of their elected officials. The political and socio-economic stability of the development of the respective territory depends on the extent to which the population actively participates in decision-making concerning its vital activity. It is with the development of local selfgovernment today that hopes for the revival and strengthening of democratic civil society in Ukraine are associated.

Researchers note that in recent Ukrainian political practice there has been a certain reassessment of values regarding local autonomy and municipal freedoms, in which the main emphasis has shifted to the issue of non-interference of public authorities in local affairs towards other, more pragmatic attitudes and goals ( such as rationality, efficiency, economy). According to scholars and practitioners, local self-government has increasingly been seen not so much as a national democratic goal, but as a means of solving local problems, realizing the interests of local communities, implementing a national policy on the ground. Increasingly, the term "local self-government" refers only to a certain political and legal quality of local institutions.

The relevance and practical significance of scientific research is also determined by the fact that in the specific conditions of modern Ukraine as an independent state, the focus of political and legal regulation of local self-government is naturally transferred to the level of subjects, which in itself makes priority to study regional experience of local self-government public influence on the improvement of democratic governance processes.

Keywords: Local self-government, the process of democratic governance, sociopolitical participation, information and communication technologies.

Problem statement

Given that the activities of public authorities are often aimed at counteracting the effective work of public oversight, some provisions of the law, combined with the presumption of good faith of the government may level the activities of civil society institutions.

At the same time, the consolidation of civil society institutions wishing to influence public authorities has not taken place around them, which indicates a lack of legitimacy of public control entities and the need to adjust existing legislation.

Thus, the low level of public participation in interaction with the subjects of public control is caused primarily by gaps in the legal regulation of the constitutional and legal institution and controversial legal constructions used in the law.

Therefore, it is important to note that the implementation of public control will determine the mechanisms by which the public can carry out socio-political participation, namely: through public consultations; activities of socio-political structures, public monitoring and public control. It is important today to build a model of public control as a form of socio-political participation to improve the activities of state executive bodies, which reflects: the phasing of the full cycle of policy making, improving the processes of democratic governance; stages of policy at which the public can participate in sociopolitical participation. [1,2]

Analysis of recent researches and publications. Among the main researchers who have devoted their work to the study of the essence of socio-political activity of local communities should be noted V. Averyanov, Yu. Bysaga, Yu. Bytyak, D. Belov, Ya. Bernazyuk, S. Vasiliev, O. Vashchuk, O. Vinnyk, K. Vintsukevych, M. Vikhlyaev, M. Voynalovych, N. Gaeva, L. Deshko, E. Dodina, T. Ermilova, P. Erofeeva, A. Kozyreva, A. Komzyuk, A. Matviychuk, A. Medvid, M. Mendzhula, O. Krutiy, O. Moroz, S. Ponomarev, D. Pryimachenko, I. Rachynska, M. Savchyn, I. Temekha, L. Ushchapivska.

At the same time, despite the availability of thorough scientific research on this issue, there is a need for more detailed study of the issues of improving the processes of democratic governance, taking into account the socio-political activity of members of a democratic society.

The purpose of the article is a study of the role of socio-political activity of members of the local community and its influence in improving the processes of democratic governance.

Presentation of the main material

The current stage of development of Ukrainian statehood makes relevant the study of local self-government as one of the fundamental foundations of a democratic system of government and a necessary element of modern social order. Without full and effective local self-government, Ukraine cannot be a democratic, legal state.

Of particular importance and social significance today is the question of the nature of the relationship between the state and local governments, which in the new environment is not only the subject of scientific debate, but also a matter of real political practice. Today we can talk about the beginning in the country of a complex process of institutionalization of a new model of relations for Ukraine in the system "public authorities - local government - civil society."

The model of public control as a form of socio-political participation to improve the activities of state executive bodies is presented in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 . Model of socio-political participation in the full cycle of improving the processes of democratic governance

However, there are a number of problems with improving the state of socio-political activity. There are the following main causes of such problems: subjective and objective. Subjective problems include: lack of understanding of the need of the public to improve professional training on certain issues of democratic governance processes, to practically implement their own experience for citizens with this knowledge due to indifference to democratic processes in the country and public policy in general; limited time and opportunities to participate in public and political participation in non-working hours; distrust of the authorities.

Objective problems include: organizational vagueness in the absence of clear tasks and procedures for socio-political participation of citizens in improving the processes of democratic governance (at the regulatory level); lack of methodological materials to explain the need for public participation; lack of proper information support; problems with digital literacy and access to Internet resources.

One of the most important questions is how to develop a new democracy in such a difficult environment that it fits the way people think and act. To ensure this, citizens with all their collective actions and willingness to influence public affairs must be placed within the general framework of e-transformation in politics. [3]

The task of democratic theory is to provide analytical tools for understanding the new requirements arising from profound changes in society, as well as expanding the horizons of "people governance" in the information society. [4] Let's translate this dilemma into how to overcome one-dimensionality, in particular, how to assess the contextual role of information and communication technologies as part of e-democracy practice. The following aspects should be taken into account in such frameworks:

- Contextual pressure and challenges of democracy. The first task is to contextualize the sphere of influence and participation of citizens. In practical terms, this means that changes in social structures, institutions and mentalities must be identified and taken into account when assessing the processes and results of democratic systems. The main problem is that with increasing complexity, corporate power and global interdependence, it makes no sense to argue that the revitalization of democracy lies in electronic voting or the creation of electronic discussion forums.

- Institutional mechanisms of mediation of the democratic system. This element determines how and to what extent citizens influence and control collective decisions.

These mechanisms play a crucial role in the operationalization of different models of democracy.

- Tools of technological mediation. These tools as such are causing a transformation in this area. This particular dimension went through a revolution in the second half of the 20th century. Modern societies rely heavily on various means of mediation and channels of influence, from letters to the editor to the use of cable television, network computers and mobile phones.

- Varieties and levels of political issues. Politics concerns almost everything that has a collective character or a corresponding social dimension. Thus, political issues are very different, as are our abilities and willingness to influence them regarding the nature of these issues. An indicative classification of types of policy issues with special reference to local policies is presented in Table 1. This shows that the nature of the issues to be addressed and the scale of the issues directly affect the appropriateness of the mechanisms of citizen influence.

- Different phases of the democratic process. This dimension is based on a procedural view of democracy. The act of decision-making itself, for obvious reasons, was given priority as a key element of the democratic process. However, other elements of this process are also vital. Thus, in the ideal model, all stages from agenda setting, planning and preparation, decision-making, implementation (including service delivery) and monitoring and evaluation of collective action have a role, none of which should be underestimated when theorizing about new forms of democracy. [2, 6]

Table 1

Types of issues to be addressed in a democratic-political community

The relevance of the analysis of the main factors of constraints is that they demonstrate the impossibility of designing one-dimensional solutions to public problems. Thus, the issue in question requires much more than the development of electronic means to enable direct electronic communication of citizens with the executive. The construction of an improved model of democratic governance processes is illustrated on Figure 2.

Fig. 2. Model of institutional and technological means of mediation in a democratic system

The essence of Figure 2 is that the traditional state gives citizens two main roles, both participants in the process of democratic governance and service users. Politically, they form the electorate, while the rest of the process is controlled by political and administrative technology. This simplified picture illustrates how this "democratic" system contains separate subsystems that are to some extent isolated from civic influence. Another aspect that becomes apparent is that new forms of institutional and technological mediation have the potential to transform the entire political system. Next, we briefly discuss two framework elements that focus on forms of institutional and technological mediation. It is also important today to intensify cooperation between citizens and the government. Mechanisms of socio-political influence. It goes without saying that democracy requires mechanisms that make it a "rule of the people." There are alternative ways of arranging political processes, in which people can set the agenda, discuss, make decisions and control effectively. As for the decision-making process itself, the influence of citizens can be directed through representative systems based on elections, associations or public organizations based on common interests and memberships, direct decision-making by citizens by voting in referendums or attending city meetings, and participation mechanisms in which decision-making arises from various forms of discussion and participation. This means that there are different types of socio-political mechanisms that can be used to turn demands into legitimate political outcomes. In practice, the representative system is the core of every Western democracy. [3]

Along with its advantages, the executive also has undeniable disadvantages, but despite the many issues discussed, it cannot be easily replaced by an alternative. Instead, the future looks set to strengthen the complementary institutional mechanisms that operate somewhere between the executive and pure direct democracy. An example of early innovation in this area is John Bernheim's concept of "demarchy", which is based on the use of representative and authoritative committees working in specific areas of activity, such as transport, social assistance and health care. Members will be elected statistically to ensure that committees represent different interests. [6]

This idea contains some practical problems, but it points in the direction in which new forms of democracy are sought. The same applies to public juries, scientific advisory surveys, e-city meetings and innovative Internet applications, which are likely to play a role in the new democracy, as Becker and Slaton have convincingly concluded. [3] In short, the mission is to determine the right mix of mechanisms that meets the requirements of a new democracy. Clearly setting up new democratic practices requires an understanding of people's preferences and orientations as political actors. Perhaps at the present stage is the formation of a mosaic of democratic governance, in which much of the decision-making takes place in various public forums in the third sector, in the field of civil society, and sometimes through a market mechanism. On the other hand, the formal socio-political influence is such that it testifies to the participation of democracy in events and the development of new forms of participation - advisory and associative, and perhaps even direct. There is also a profound transformation in the field of user democracy, supported by reforms in line with consumerism and the new doctrine of public administration. We will analyze the interaction of socio-political participation and information policy to improve the processes of democratization of government.

Fig.3. Interaction of socio-political participation and information policy to improve the processes of democratization of government

The future directions of information and communication technologies remain open, but it is obvious that their development is due to such comprehensive changes as increasing interdependence, technological multimedia, partnership management and individualism. Democratic governance must be set up to really give citizens the tools to achieve power "by the people, from the people and for the people." These perspectives are illustrated on Figure 3.

A key component of the e-state should be the introduction and active use of information and communication technologies, both in the state apparatus and in the relationship of government agencies with business and citizens. At the same time, modern technologies, having become an official means of accounting, will stop duplicating "paper" technologies, replacing them. This will increase the speed of administrative and business processes, increase their efficiency, and in the public sector will make the actions of the authorities more transparent and controllable for civil society. power society management self

The changing role of the executive in the system of public administration, the state's focus on open partnership dialogue and the increasingly active participation and influence of civil society institutions in public decision -making processes, suggest the need to find effective technologies for their interaction. To solve this problem, it is not coercion that comes to the fore, but cooperation in relations with civil society structures, including private business.

The positive development capabilities of a government are determined not by its strength but by its ability to create and maintain "network structures" within which it, together with private group interests, develops and implements an effective, coherent and purposeful system of governance inside and outside borders. The main advantages of improving information and communication technologies are presented on Fig. 4.

Fig. 4. Advantages of improving information and communication technologies

The current pace of development of the information and communication sphere opens up new opportunities to increase the efficiency of the executive branch through active cooperation with public institutions. In this regard, as a rule, use the concept that has recently become widespread "e-government".

The purpose of e-government is to minimize the distance and number of intermediaries between public authorities and citizens, including in the process of coordination and development of certain decisions, to accelerate and improve the quality of services provided to the population, and to provide ample opportunities for appeal to public authorities without direct presence.

Thus, we group the proposals developed by us to study the socio-political activity of the local community and its role in improving the processes of democratic governance (Table 2).

Table 2

Proposals for researching the socio-political activity of the local community and its role in improving the processes of democratic governance

Conclusions

The implementation of the components of "e-govemment" increases the openness of the government to public initiatives and proposals, which contributes to the establishment of fundamentally new relations between society and government, the democratization of the political process. Until the openness and accountability of the government becomes a legally established reality, the fight against bureaucratization and corruption, public control and active participation of citizens in governing the state will remain only formal declarations. It is these necessary qualities of the executive branch that will make it possible to turn it into a flexible, efficient and responsible system that protects human rights and freedoms in the modern information age. Thus, in the field of interaction between the executive and civil society institutions, the traditional mechanism of public relations of the government is technologically transformed and built into a more complex in terms of functionality and technological capabilities of network mechanisms of interactive information and communication interactions, which eliminates many costs civil society institutions. Summing up, a hybrid model of democracy is being formed, in which new technology is being developed together with public and governmental structures. Technology can indeed be one of the crucial elements that will help create this hybrid model, as it is a powerful tool for increasing transparency and facilitating information and communication processes. In addition, in terms of the future model of democracy, in which increased complexity will be an acute issue, the potential of information and communication technologies is that they help to integrate the various forms and mechanisms of democracy. Information technology in the political process can be considered a universal tool used in information processing and information and communication processes of public authorities for managerial influence and achievement of political goals.

References

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Література

1. Денисюк С. Ф. Сутність громадського контролю: співвідношення понять у теорії та законодавстві / С. Ф. Денисюк // Актуальні проблеми державного управління. - 2008. - № 2. - С. 357- 363.

2. Barber B. Strong Democracy--Participatory Politics for a New Age / B. Barber. - Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994. - 356 p.

3. Becker T. The Future of Teledemocracy / T. Becker, C. Slaton. - Westport, CT.: Praeger, 2000. - 248 p.

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