Social Experimentation and Economic Policy

Introduction. In the periods from 2014 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2022, Ukraine implemented various economic and social policies that resulted in diverse socio-economic consequences. This article aims to conduct a comparative analysis of specific aspects of social and economic policy during these periods. Analysis of scientific research. Research on specific theoretical and practical aspects of state economic and social policy implementation in Ukraine during the periods from 2014 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2022 has been conducted by prominent scientists including S. V. Mocherny, Yu. S. Shemchushenko, O. P. Orlyuk, and others. The examination of the socio-economic consequences resulting from the implementation of economic and social policies in Ukraine during the periods from 2014 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2022 remains insufficiently explored, necessitating comprehensive scientific research in this field. The purpose of this scientific article is to investigate specific aspects of economic and social policy implemented in Ukraine during the periods from 2014 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2022. The main tasks of the article are to provide a theoretical and mathematical description of specific aspects of economic and social policy during the periods from 2014 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2022, as well as to analyze their consequences in Ukraine. Research methodology and methods. During the writing of the article, several special research methods were employed. These methods include direct observation, which involved gathering information on various indicators such as the number of points in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in Ukraine from 2013 to 2022, changes in real gross domestic product (GDP) from 2016 to 2020, the amount of state and state-guaranteed debt from January 2016 to January 2022, and Ukraine's position in the democracy rating from 2014 to 2022. Information processing methods were used to develop tables for calculating the growth and changes in the number of points in the CPI in Ukraine from 2013 to 2022, as well as the amount of state and state-guaranteed debt from January 2016 to January 2022. Graphical analysis was conducted to examine the dynamics of the CPI in Ukraine from 2013 to 2022, changes in GDP from 2016 to 2021, the size of the state and state-guaranteed debt from January 2016 to January 2022, and Ukraine's position in the democracy rating from 2014 to 2021. The time range for analyzing changes in GDP and the national debt was chosen by the author to minimize the impact of the acute phases of the conventional Russian-Ukrainian war during 2014-2015 and after February 24, 2022. Similarly, the time range for the CPI from 2013 to 2022 was selected to demonstrate that the conventional war does not have a decisive influence on the fight against corruption. Additionally, the time range for Ukraine's position in the Democracy Rating from 2014 to 2021 was chosen to mitigate the impact of the large-scale conventional Russian-Ukrainian war that began on February 24, 2022. Research results. According to the data from the Corruption Perception Index, it was found that effective measures were taken by the Ukrainian authorities to combat corruption during the period of 2014-2018. However, from 2019 to 2023, the progress in the fight against corruption slowed down. The analysis also demonstrates that following the cessation of active hostilities that took place between 2014 and 2015, the economic policies implemented by the state authorities facilitated consistent economic growth for sixteen quarters, spanning from 2016 to 2019. However, after a change in power occurred in 2019, economic growth shifted from positive to negative starting from 2020. During the period of 2016-2019, the government's economic policies not only focused on fostering economic growth but also aimed at reducing the external debt burden on the economy. Conversely, following the change in power in 2019, the new leadership pursued an active policy of foreign borrowing, resulting in an increase in the debt burden on the Ukrainian economy. Scientific novelty of the research results. A comparative mathematical analysis was conducted to examine specific aspects of state economic and social policies in Ukraine during the periods from 2014 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2022. Practical significance of the obtained research results. The author believes that conducting a qualitative comparative mathematical analysis of specific aspects of state economic and social policy in Ukraine during the periods from 2014 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2022 will facilitate the identification of more effective methods for implementing economic and social policies. This, in turn, will contribute to the establishment of an independent and efficient state. The article contains: formulas: 3, fig. 8, tab. 5, bibl. 24.

Rates of preterm birth and infant mortality are alarmingly high in the United States. Legislated efforts may directly or indirectly reduce adverse perinatal and infant outcomes through the enactment of certain economic and social policies. We conducted a narrative review to summarize the associations between perinatal and infant outcomes and four state-level US policies. We then used a latent profile analysis to create a social and economic policy profile for each state based on the observed policy indicators. Of 27 articles identified, nine focused on tax credits, eight on paid parental leave, four on minimum wages, and six on tobacco taxes. In all but three studies, these policies were associated with improved perinatal or infant outcomes. Thirty-three states had tax credit laws, most commonly the earned income tax credit (n = 28, 56%). Eighteen states had parental leave laws. Two states had minimum wage laws lower than the federal minimum; 14 were equal to the federal minimum; 29 were above the federal minimum; and 5 did not have a state law. The average state tobacco tax was $1.76 (standard deviation = $1.08). The latent profile analysis revealed three policy profiles, with the most expansive policies in Western and Northeastern US states, and the least expansive policies in the US South. State-level social and economic policies have the potential to reduce adverse perinatal and infant health outcomes in the United States. Those states with the least expansive policies should therefore consider enacting these evidence-based policies, as they have shown a demonstratable benefit in other states.

So what's social policy got to do with economic growth? Quite a lot, it would appear, if one takes the results of cross -country growth regressions at face value, as they are by many social policy analysts, even as they criticize the findings of the economic policy part of the very same regressions. I have argued that these regressions are deeply problematic, and are antithetical to social policy analysts' normal instincts on the importance of country and community specificity. At the same time, attempts to distinguish social policy from economic policy in terms of policy objectives is not very successful, while classifying policy instruments into economic or social also leaves a significant grey area. But the economic and social policy analysis literatures can indeed be distinguished in their approaches to understanding the mechanisms of policy transmission. Despite the difficulties of defining social analysis, except in contradistinction to economic analysis, both types of analysis are needed to advance understanding of policy impact and design of policy. The Bank should (i) play a lead role in developing and assessing such multidisciplinary approaches, (ii) move to a much more outcomes based system of aid allocation in recognition of the country-specific complexities of linkage between (economic or social) policy and outcomes, and (iii) understand itself better as an institution, and its institutional footprint in countries where it is big player.

This article re-examines existing interpretations of the ANC's economic and social policy choices during the negotiations that led to South Africa's democracy. The divergence but also convergence crucially in economic policy thinking of key policy actors within the ANC and the National Party (NP) led apartheid regime is contrasted. The National Party's economic policy agenda is discussed with attention to its key ‘technocratic’ policy actors and how they influentially negotiated neo-liberal policy positions with the ANC. The economic and social policies of the ANC must be seen in contrast as part of a series of attempts historically at advocating social democratic oriented policies. The ANC leadership however marginalised and abandoned these ideas and policies in a social democratic vein in the consensus seeking transition era. The paper tries to explain these shifts and to come to grips with the complexity of the actors, history and politics of ANC policy thinking in the transition era.

The role and place of the ethical approach in Russia’s social and economic policy are shown; ethical aspects of economic policy are considered; basic ethical principles which should be taken into account in the process of development of social and economic policy are offered. Ethical requirements to such basic directions of state economic policy as fiscal and price policy, labor policy, social policy, institutional policy, etc. are described.

This study reflects on reforms in health systems and social policies within the framework of the so-called public sector reforms. The point of departure is a review of various explanations for the crisis in the Welfare State, present in the literature from the 1990s. Social policies, at the heart of the crisis, are heavily challenged. What we intend to demonstrate is that this argument plays a specific role, that of introducing neoliberal changes into economic policy, in which the economic tools used generate abstention by the state from the social sphere, deregulation of national economies in favor of the free market, and the fundamentally oversized role of the international financial market. Within this context we analyze the social security and health system reforms. The final part of the article deals with current difficulties in social policies, focusing the debate on a mapping of possible alternatives for developing social and health policies.

Vauban came from a family of minor Burgundian nobility. Like many young nobles, he began his military career at the age of 17 and during his lifetime rose to become a marquis and a Marshal of France, the highest rank in the French army, never before attained by a military engineer. There is little known about his early education although it was probably rudimentary. Vauban, never unsuccessful in a siege, captured 48 fortresses and was associated with at least 160 building projects. An indefatigable traveler who crisscrossed France in his many tours of inspection as Commissioner General of Fortifications, he also was a prolific writer on matters dealing not only with fortifications but economics and taxation, social policy, and politics. His reputation in France continues undiminished to this day. Royalists saw him as the faithful but never servile servant of a powerful monarch. Revolutionists saw his ideas on social and economic policy — calls for equitable taxation, improvement of the living standards of the peasantry, religious toleration of Protestants, and promotion through merit — as heralding the agenda of the French Revolution. Today, Vauban's heart rests in the Invalides in Paris near the tomb of Napoleon, who ordered that it be placed there.

In the conditions when Ukrainian statehood is facing the most serious challenge in its recent history, issues regarding state policy priorities in the social and economic sphere are becoming relevant. The goal of the article is to study the place and role of social policy in the process of ensuring the sustainability of the state. General scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, generalization, classification, system analysis, as well as a graphic method for visualization of the obtained results were used to form the main theses of the study. The work analyzes the modern scientific and theoretical platform and basic definitions of the concept of «sustainability», investigates the specifics and permanent context of the use of terms related to it — viability, stability and resilience, offers a systemic view of the state’s viability and identifies its components. Social policy is considered as an element of the management system of social processes, which directly affects the sustainability of Ukrainian society. At the current stage of development of the global economy, human is the main source of economic growth, and the quality of human potential is the key to the state’s competitiveness. Taking this into account, the importance of social and humanitarian policy is growing many times over. In economic policy, making a profit does not become a self-sufficient activity, instead the policy should be aimed at the person, unlocking the potential of the individual and forming the quality human potential of the state. Therefore, when assessing social policy, one should remember the value of a person, in particular the economic one, and the need for appropriate investments — in safety, health care system, and improving working conditions for the development of this resource. The work highlights the main elements of the state’s sustainability, shows the connection between its higher-level elements, such as the sustainability of the economy and the sustainability of society. It is in society — in the family, community, at the place of study — that the personality is formed and acquires a certain physical condition, education, professional skills and qualifications, and social connections. In this way, human and social capital is formed as a resource for the development of the economy and, accordingly, its stability and sustainability. At the same time, the economy generates material and financial resources that are necessary for both physical existence and development of an individual, as well as for the existence of society as a whole, in particular, social and engineering infrastructure facilities. The conducted analysis clearly demonstrates the importance of social policy as a social institution of sustainability in the state.

Drawing from their experience as government insiders, George P. Shultz and Kenneth W. Dam show how economic policy is shaped at the highest levels of government. They reveal the interconnections between economic, social, and international policy, covering issues such as the advocacy system and the role of the individual in shaping policy. new chapter, 'A Changed World,' explores the various influences of our increasingly global economy on economic strategy. With rare candor, authority and breadth of vision, Shultz and Dam have produced a brilliant introduction to economic policy, its principles, and practice. A model of brevity and lucidity . . . [ Economic Policy Beyond the Headlines ] incorporates a unique and rewarding blend of economic reasoning with a high level of political awareness . . . enriched by the wide personal experience in government of the authors.—Albert T. Sommers, Across the Board [Shultz and Dam] help foreign readers to understand why the world looks so different from Washington. . . . This book should provide the model.— The Economist A wise and valuable book showing great insight into the realities of economic policy making.—Henry A. Kissinger

This study was applied in ECOWAS countries where mortality rates still remain a concern and this correlates with the low level of social protection despite the numerous social protection policies and systems implemented to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable populations. The objective of the paper is to analyze the link between social protection and economic growth in ECOWAS countries. Using data from the World Bank WDI (2022), the econometric approaches used are causal analysis based on Granger causality and the DOLS estimation technique. On the one hand, there is a unidirectional relationship between social protection and economic growth in ECOWAS countries. On the other hand, social protection improves economic growth through per capita income in the ECOWAS zone. In conclusion, social protection significantly improves economic growth. Therefore, the implications of economic and social policies should be to emphasize social protection which could improve human capital capable of guaranteeing sustainable development. JEL classification: H55, O47, E24, C51. Keywords: Social protection, Economic growth, Human capital, Granger causality.

The responsiveness of motor vehicle death rates of youths aged fifteen through twenty-four to variations in the cost of beers as reflected by differences in State excise tax rates on beer is investigated. Evidence for this age group is provided on the extent to which declining real beer excise taxes have contributed to increases in fatal motor vehicle crashes and on the extent to which increases in real beer taxes can serve as a potent instrument in the antidrinking campaign. The effect of an increase in the legal drinking age on youth motor vehicle deaths is also examined.

Politicians’ support of or opposition to concrete policies is uniquely consequential for policymaking, public opinion, and a host of other societal outcomes. Explaining their policy positions is therefore a major research agenda in political science. Here, we evaluate the role of politicians’ personality traits, measured with the Big Five typology, in shaping how liberal or conservative their economic and social policy positions are. While existing research establishes this link among nonelites, it is far from obvious that the same holds for politicians, who have systematically different personality profiles, and whose positions are constrained by party lines. Using an in‐person study of 893 legislators in five countries who completed personality questionnaires and provided detailed issue positions, we find that Openness to Experience is strongly and positively predictive of politicians’ liberal positions on both economic and social policies, but a null relationship for Conscientiousness. We also find that Extraversion predicts more conservative economic (but not social) policy positions. We discuss implications for the role of elites’ individual characteristics in policymaking.

Is Japan enigmatic because it is unique? Problems of social and economic policy in contemporary Japan challenge myths about uniqueness. By focusing on comparable problems, this essay notes the limits of world views about Japanese uniqueness and the exceptionalism of countries. An aim is to unbundle areas that illustrate the policy process and reflect on models of policymaking. In the diversity within Japan, policy-making in specific areas reflects on the approaches of corporatism, pluralism, and state-centered theorists. Across policy areas, instructors will discover problems of Japan's industrial society that are nonetheless comparable to elsewhere. Throughout East Asia, scholars note the distinct social, ideological, and historical contexts that challenge past social theory. A leading Asian country can offer rich additions to a course on comparative politics and public policy. In Japan, one also can emphasize familiar features of industrial society, economy, and polity that test various approaches and models of policymaking. Using areas of labor, welfare, agriculture, and education as examples, instructors may pursue these and additional topics found from the bibliographies and readings.

Social housing for socially vulnerable segments of the population is a significant component of governmental social policy, as it is directly linked to demographic and migration processes, socially vulnerable groups and people with special needs, poverty alleviation, social integration, and community development. The study conducts a bibliometric analysis (using VOSviewer tools) of the scientific literature on social housing policy and management. The study filtered more than 6,000 research papers indexed in the Scopus database from 1983 to 2024. The purpose was to structure the global scientific knowledge on governmental management of social housing as an element of the state’s social policy, focusing on the following directions. The first is the evolution of scientific thought. The analysis revealed a rapid growth in scientific interest starting from 1991; the earliest articles were published in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and the United States, while scholars from Spain, Mexico, and Italy joined after 2020. The second is the complexity or conversely – concentration of research networks. The top five countries by the number of works are the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, Italy, and the United States; the most powerful research schools are in the Netherlands, Australia, and the United Kingdom; the most extensive scientific connections are held by the Netherlands, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, and France. The third is the content-thematic orientation of the research. The paper identified the predominance of works from social sciences; social housing issues are most frequently studied in connection with public health and inequality issues.

Innovation has been a key component in economic policy, and its importance has been ever-increasing. In recent years, since many argue that social inequality has been the most important obstacle to growth and innovation, the role of social policy has been put in the spotlight. Korea and East Asian economies are regarded as highly innovative, but they suffer from elite-led innovation and the tremendous productivity gap between large and small-medium enterprises. By contrast, Nordic countries, famous for its comprehensive social policy, have been highlighted as 'the next supermodel' in terms of their economic success. What is distinctive about their model is the virtue circle between their inclusive innovation and inclusive social policy. This chapter aims to discuss why social policy and innovation could reinforce each other by introducing the Nordic model; and then to critically review the Korean case and discuss what to learn from the Nordic welfare states.