scholarly journals On the Possible Deconstruction of the Swedish Drug Policy

2021 ◽  
pp. 129-158
Author(s):  
Henrik Tham
Keyword(s):  
Drug Policy ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Free Society ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
The Government ◽  
Drug Free

Sweden has the strictest drug policy among the Nordic countries. The debate for a change has clearly increased in the last years and public authorities have come out in favour of evaluating the effects of criminalization of use. The government, however, sticks to “Sweden drug-free society” and increases penalization.

scholarly journals Retreat or Entrenchment? Drug Policies in the Nordic Countries at a Crossroads

10.16993/bbo ◽  
2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Drug Policy ◽  
Criminal Policy ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Gateway Theory ◽  
Drug Policies ◽  
Temperance Movements ◽  
The Individual

The drug policies of the Nordic countries have been relatively strict. Since this seems to contradict the internationally recognized liberal criminal policy in general, analyses have been devoted to try to understand this gap. Why doesn’t the “Scandinavian exceptionalism” apply to the drug policies? The new question in relation to drug policy is, however, if and how the Nordic countries will adapt to a situation when several countries all over the world are questioning ‘the war on drugs’ and orienting themselves in the direction of decriminalization and legalization. An analysis of a possible change in drug policies must be undertaken against the background of the existing policies. There are both similarities and differences between the five countries. A common feature is a stress on the demand side through both treatment and punishments directed against the user and abuser. Differences are shown in degrees of toughness in drug policies with Sweden strongest stressing a zero-tolerance stand and Denmark being the most liberal in the Nordic context. The strong welfare state ideology of all the countries is important for understanding the obstacles to a more liberal and permissive drug policy. The welfare state is an interventionist state. To not do anything about what is considered to be a problem both for the individual and the society is just not an option. In most of the countries the traditions from the temperance movements also have influenced the drug policies through the stepping-stone or gateway theory, not making a distinction between soft and hard drugs. At the same time, a number of facts and processes work in the direction of change. The drug policies of the countries have not delivered, including high numbers of drug-related deaths. The debate has opened up in just a short period of time. Many of the political youth parties demand decriminalisation of use of drugs and so have some public authorities. Human rights arguments are increasingly being put forward as a critique of police interventions. A tendency for politicians to meet the critique seems to be to separate the marginal abuser from the recreational user. The first one should be given treatment and care according to welfare state ideology. The second one, however, could be punished since the user in line with neo-liberal theory can choose and by the use contributes to the drug trade and even the killings in poor suburbs. The Nordic countries stand at a crossroads, but what new roads will be taken is far from clear.

Blockchain technologies and their application in governmentadministration

2019 ◽  
pp. 182-190
Author(s):  
Myroslav Kosіak ◽  
Inna Kosіak
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Property Insurance ◽  
Data Registration ◽  
State Management ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
The Government ◽  
Historical Comparative ◽  
Methods Analytical

The purpose of the article. The article considers the Blockchain technology asan innovative tool. In particular, the essence and background of the developmentof blocks, the principles and specifics of the functioning of the system, as well asthe scheme of its work, are determined. The article presents the prospects forusingdistributed registry technologies (blockchain) in various socioeconomic spheresrelated to state administration. Provided examples and forecasts of the use ofblockchain technologies in the provision of state and municipal services forindividuals and legal entities in the following areas: formation of a unified registercontaining the history of the placement of the state, municipal order, as well asprocurement of corporations with state participation and / or control; registers ofdocuments (diplomas, certificates, lost and disavowed passports, policies for movableand immovable property insurance, health, etc.); database of court decisions andexecutive proceedings; public participation portals for citizens of Ukraine district- city – country. The fact that the blockchain technology is, first of all, theprinciples, and not the only possible way of implementing them, allows us to counton maximum openness and multivariate application in a dynamically changingchanging«digital world». Methodology. The research methodology is to use a combinationof methods: analytical, historical, comparative. The scientific novelty. The priorityof state blockchain systems introduction in stationary and distant voting, distributeddocument circulation, medical data registration, land resources registration,electronic auctions (auctions) in Ukraine was grounded. Conclusions. Already today,blockchain systems can change the role and participation of citizens in the conductof the state-management process, by raising the responsibility level, from thetransparent will expression in the elections to regulating the government serviceactivity in the society’s digitization conditions. The main advantages blockchainsystems using by public authorities that will increase the level of citizens trust todigital technologies using in general, namely: reliability and reliability of datastorage, transparency of transactions and virtually absolute protection of informationfrom distortion and unauthorized removal (relocation), are determined. In furtherscientific research it is proposed to consider the promising areas of the blockchaindigital technology usage: service activities of public authorities, legal proceedings,property rights management, implementation of migration control, verification ofgoods and services, registration of data on passing qualifying tests, patenting,intellectual property, digital identification, logistics , taxation, accounting ofbudget funds movement.

The Right to Information in India Implementation and Impact

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
_______ Naveen ◽  
_____ Priti
Keyword(s):  
Public Life ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Know How ◽  
The People ◽  
The Government ◽  
Right To Information ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

The Right to Information Act 2005 was passed by the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government with a sense of pride. It flaunted the Act as a milestone in India’s democratic journey. It is five years since the RTI was passed; the performance on the implementation frontis far from perfect. Consequently, the impact on the attitude, mindset and behaviour patterns of the public authorities and the people is not as it was expected to be. Most of the people are still not aware of their newly acquired power. Among those who are aware, a major chunk either does not know how to wield it or lacks the guts and gumption to invoke the RTI. A little more stimulation by the Government, NGOs and other enlightened and empowered citizens can augment the benefits of this Act manifold. RTI will help not only in mitigating corruption in public life but also in alleviating poverty- the two monstrous maladies of India.

scholarly journals How did Sweden Fail the Pandemic?

2021 ◽  
pp. 002073142199484
Author(s):  
Finn Diderichsen
Keyword(s):  
Elderly Care ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
The Other ◽  
Differential Survival ◽  
Adequate Care ◽  
Differential Exposure ◽  
The Government ◽  
Differential Immunity ◽  
Inequalities In Mortality

Sweden has since the start of the pandemic a COVID-19 mortality rate that is 4 to 10 times higher than in the other Nordic countries. Also, measured as age-standardized all-cause excess mortality in the first half of 2020 compared to previous years Sweden failed in comparison with the other Nordic countries, but only among the elderly. Sweden has large socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 mortality. Geographical, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequalities in mortality can be due to differential exposure to the virus, differential immunity, and differential survival. Most of the country differences are due to differential exposure, but the socioeconomic disparities are mainly driven by differential survival due to an unequal burden of comorbidity. Sweden suffered from an unfortunate timing of tourists returning from virus hotspots in the Alps and Sweden's government response came later and was much more limited than elsewhere. The government had an explicit priority to protect the elderly in nursing and care homes but failed to do so. The staff in elderly care are less qualified and have harder working conditions in Sweden, and they lacked adequate care for the clients. Sweden has in recent years diverged from the Scandinavian welfare model by strong commercialization of primary care and elderly care.

Education for art librarianship in the Nordic countries

1994 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-8
Author(s):  
Charlotte Hanner
Keyword(s):  
Educational System ◽  
Education System ◽  
Art History ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Research Level ◽  
Close Cooperation ◽  
The Government

Big changes in the educational system of Sweden took place in 1992/1993 because of political changes in the government. Earlier the government and parliament made decisions about course details at the different universities, and research education was offered only by the universities, and not by the colleges. In the early 1970s the College of Librarianship in Borås was commissioned by the government to offer a two-year academic level supplementary course in librarianship. Until the spring term in 1993, education for librarianship in Borås changed course several times, and five years ago courses in art and music librarianship, which had given students some insights in art history, were discontinued. Beginning in the autumn of 1993 the education system in Sweden will be much freer, implying that every university and college will be permitted to make its own decisions about courses. And from now on courses in librarianship will be offered by the universities in Umeå, Stockholm (starting spring 1994) and Lund, as well as in Borås. Librarianship at the research level was established three years ago at Göteborg University in close cooperation with the college of librarianship in Borås

Corporate social responsibility between public policy and enterprise policy

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Bredgaard
Keyword(s):  
Market Integration ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Business And Society ◽  
Employment Policy ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Social Partners ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Unemployed

In spite of – or maybe precisely because of – its inherent vagueness, ambiguity and multidimensionality, CSR has increasingly come into vogue with the EU institutions, national governments and numerous European companies. This article identifies four types of CSR approaches: (1) CSR between business and society (e.g. the US approach); (2) CSR in business (e.g. HRM within firms); (3) CSR between business and government (e.g. the European Commission's approach) and (4) CSR between employment policy and business (e.g. the Danish approach). Denmark, which provides the case study of the article, typifies an approach to CSR in which the government and social partners have played an active role in promoting CSR and where initiatives have focused narrowly on employers’ responsibilities for the recruitment, training, development and dismissal of labour. The Danish case thus allows for a discussion of the role of public authorities and social partners in CSR, a discussion often neglected in mainstream CSR literature. The main question addressed in the article is how links can be created between policy instruments and business interests in order to reduce workplace exclusion and promote the labour market integration of the unemployed and inactive. We propose a framework that transcends the dichotomy between voluntarism and coercion that characterises much of the CSR discussion by suggesting different, but complementary, roles of public authorities and social partners in CSR.

MECHANISM OF PROVISION OF SOCIAL SERVICES AS AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR OF SELF-ORGANIZATION OF SOCIETY AND CIVIL INITIATIVE

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kosukhina K.V.
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
Essential Factor ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Government

The article is devoted to the analysis of the development of public initiatives in Ukraine, as well as their role in building a dialogue between the government and civil society. The connection of the public initiative with the provision of social services is considered. The interaction of civil society institutions with public authorities is determined.

scholarly journals Barriers and facilitators to adherence to national drug policies on antibiotic prescribing and dispensing in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fosiul Alam Nizame ◽  
Dewan Muhammad Shoaib ◽  
Emily K. Rousham ◽  
Salma Akter ◽  
Mohammad Aminul Islam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Policy ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Drug Shop ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
National Drug ◽  
National Drug Policy ◽  
Drug Policies ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background The National Drug Policy in Bangladesh prohibits the sale and distribution of antibiotics without prescription from a registered physician. Compliance with this policy is poor; prescribing antibiotics by unqualified practitioners is common and over-the-counter dispensing widespread. In Bangladesh, unqualified practitioners such as drug shop operators are a major source of healthcare for the poor and disadvantaged. This paper reports on policy awareness among drug shop operators and their customers and identifies current dispensing practices, barriers and facilitators to policy adherence. Methods We conducted a qualitative study in rural and urban Bangladesh from June 2019 to August 2020. This included co-design workshops (n = 4) and in-depth interviews (n = 24) with drug shop operators and customers/household members, key informant interviews (n = 12) with key personnel involved in aspects of the antibiotic supply chain including pharmaceutical company representatives, and model drug shop operators; and a group discussion with stakeholders representing key actors in informal market systems namely: representatives from the government, private sector, not-for-profit sector and membership organizations. Results Barriers to policy compliance among drug shop operators included limited knowledge of government drug policies, or the government-led Bangladesh Pharmacy Model Initiative (BPMI), a national guideline piloted to regulate drug sales. Drug shop operators had no clear knowledge of different antibiotic generations, how and for what diseases antibiotics work contributing to inappropriate antibiotic dispensing. Nonetheless, drug shop operators wanted the right to prescribe antibiotics based on having completed related training. Drug shop customers cited poor healthcare facilities and inadequate numbers of attending physician as a barrier to obtaining prescriptions and they described difficulties differentiating between qualified and unqualified providers. Conclusion Awareness of the National Drug Policy and the BPMI was limited among urban and rural drug shop operators. Poor antibiotic prescribing practice is additionally hampered by a shortage of qualified physicians; cultural and economic barriers to accessing qualified physicians, and poor implementation of regulations. Increasing qualified physician access and increasing training and certification of drug shop operators could improve the alignment of practices with national policy.

William Gibbs McAdoo, the Emergency Fleet Corporation, and the Origins of the Public-Authority Model of Government Action

1999 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail Radford
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Political Development ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
American Government ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Corporations ◽  
The Government ◽  
Regulatory Commission ◽  
Organizational Principles

American government officials experimented with a variety of tools for public administration in the early twentieth century. The regulatory commission became the best known of these new institutional forms, but another Progressive Era innovation with profound and ambiguous implications for U.S. political development was the government-sponsored corporation. Often called “public corporations,” these instrumentalities were created to carry out public purposes, but they were established as separate legal entities to function outside the standard departmental structure of government (and its organizational principles and restrictions). Today, these structures are most prolific at the state and municipal level, where they are generally termed “public authorities.” Since World War II they have been the fastest growing kind of government unit, with, at present, around ten thousand in existence. While everyone perceives these institutions as important players in local affairs, even well-informed citizens are frequently puzzled when it comes to knowing exactly what they are or what they do.

Expansion of Public Law into the Sphere of Private Interests: Strengthening State Regulation as a New Management Paradigm

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 677
Author(s):  
Vladimir E. USANOV
Keyword(s):  
Russian Federation ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Public Law ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
Actual State ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Private Interests ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
The Government

Relevance. The article is relevant since the recent events have revealed the illusory nature of democratic principles and the independence of private interests in the Russian Federation. The illusion of free choice and democratic procedures disappeared when public authorities declared a state of emergency or self-isolation regime (quarantine during the COVID-2019 pandemic) facing a force that exceeded the resources and capabilities of the government systems. Objective. The article aims at studying a new global model of expanding public law into the sphere of private interests due to strengthening the state regulation of public relations as a new management paradigm. The current model typical of many countries, in particular Russia, can be called a model of an actual emergency. The Russian Federation did not declare de jure state of emergency. Otherwise, public authorities would have to take on big obligations and be responsible for losses (damages, contract failures, suspended trading and production, downsizing, unemployment) of their citizens and businesses. Methods. The main research method was deduction used for studying the legal specifics of expanding public law into the sphere of private interests. The author of the article also used the inductive, comparative-legal and historical methods, as well as the method of systematic scientific analysis. To solve the task, it is necessary to consider the legal foundations and features of strengthening state regulation as a new management paradigm. Results. Analyzing the actual state of emergency experienced by most countries and considering the actions of the Russian authorities, the author claims that public law serves as the basis of public administration but invades the sphere of private interests. It begins to manage it in a state of emergency to preserve the existing state system and its integrity. As a result, private law ceases to be independent and must obey the rules of public law. At the same time, the democratic traditions and principles proclaimed in the Constitution and other laws, human rights and civil freedoms are instantly absorbed by public law and become a legal fiction for a certain time.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document