Abstract:   This article is dedicated to the analysis of the concept of balance within the foreign and Russian international political science – one of the most well-known and at the same time controversial concepts. The authors examine the aforementioned concept in the context of the theory of international relations (first and foremost, in terms of realistic paradigm), categories of system approach regarding international relations (dynamic equilibrium in the complex system), as well as historical retrospective (on the example of the “European concert” and bipolar world of the cold war times). Special role is given to the notion of power within the framework of international relations, diverse quantitative methods of its assessment, theoretical game model of the balance of powers and establishment of international coalitions, as well as the notion of asymmetric conflicts. The scientific novelty consists in combination of the classical and contemporary theoretical concepts of the balance of powers with operationalization of this concept within the framework of the applied quantitative analysis in the international political science.    

Keywords: game theory, systemic models, system of international relations, realism, theory of international relations, balance of powers, asymmetric conflict, quantitative methods, applied analysis, international coalitions

Abstract: The growing economic and political value of information opens a question not only about the technological development of the state in this area, but also ensuring security from information leakage and other threats to informations security. This article provides the review of major threats to information security in post-Soviet states, analyses of the basic measures of legislative and organizational character to combat them, as well as examines the cooperation of post-Soviet states in the area of ensuring information security within the framework of such organizations as Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Collective Security Treaty Organization. The authors note the existence of the mechanism of multilateral and bilateral character on preventing cybercrime, distribution of religious-extremist materials through social and telecommunication networks, along with limiting the use of Internet for the purpose of intervening the domestic affairs of the states. At the same time, it is necessary to find balance between the measure on preventing the state hazardous information propaganda and the freedom of civic self-expression.

Keywords: cyber terrorism, cybercrime, information society, information and communication technologies, Post-Soviet area, CSTO, SCO, international security, global politics, globalization

Abstract: This article examines the approached towards studying the phenomenon of sustainability present in various branches of scientific knowledge, which result in an attempt to justify the possibility of using the phenomenon of sustainability as a macroscopic parameter of national security of the Russian Federation. The object of this research is the manifestations of the phenomenon of sustainability in all forms within the systems of diverse nature. The subject of this research is the regulations of Russian Federation National Security Strategy alongside the works of the scholars that explore various aspects of the phenomenon of sustainability. Having generalized the results of the analysis of approaches towards studying the phenomenon of sustainability, the author determines the universal, as well as contradictory positions regarding the parameters of sustainability within the systems of diverse nature. The universal parameters that substantiate the sustainability of the systems include the capacity of the system, speed of the afflux of the substance-energy, versatility of the inner structure and environment, measure of concordance of the managing subsystem to the managed that can be used in structuring the model of sustainability of the social state system. The most contradictory position that results from the content of the analyzed approaches lies in the link between sustainability and balance. A conclusion is made that examination of the phenomenon of sustainability  as a macroscopic parameter of national security of the Russian Federation has certain heuristic and practical potential.

Keywords: national security strategy, instability, balance, national security index, macroscopic parameter, sustainability, national security, diversity, self-organization, legitimacy

Abstract: The subject of this research is the vectors of increasing affordability and quality of food for the regional population. The article examines the questions of regional government policy planning aimed at supplying the population with basic types of food in accordance with the rational consumption norms, as well as course of food import for ensuring the domestic needs of population in food products. Implementation of the proposed measures into the practice of territories is possible in terms of the acting plans of introduction of changes and amendments into the regional and federal programs. Using the statistical and analytical methods, studies of economic regularities, the author made calculations based on the data for the Russian Federation, and particularly Irkutsk Oblast. In terms of the conducted sociological survey, the author confirms the high portion of food purchases by rural population due to decrease in their own production of provisions, as well as determines the key trends of affordability and quality of food in the food market of Irkutsk Oblast. The revealed peculiarities of the organizational and economic mechanisms of supplying population with affordable and safe food products allowed formulating the suggestions on increasing of its affordability and quality for population, the distinct features of which are: the availability of independent food quality test by consumers; organization of consumer unions and commodity markets on sales of food products, agricultural byproducts, and forest resources that is a permissible norm of protection of the consumers and food producers within the requirements of WTO and global legislation.  

Keywords: Population, Security, Food, Agribusiness, Organization of production, Regional economy, Food safety, Strategy, Market, Agriculture

Abstract: This article presents the results of work of the third Siberian Anti-Corruption Forum with international participation “Anti-corruption Security of Electoral process: State and Prospect” that was held on December 7, 2017 in the Siberian Federal University (Krasnoyarsk). Rich program of the event allowed viewing the key problems of examination and prevention of corruption in electoral process form various perspectives. Among the forum participants were the leading Russian and foreign scholars, heads and employees of the law enforcement agencies, representatives of government authorities, mass media, and civil society institutions. The key topics of the scientific practical dialogue became the general questions of corruption control in the Russian Federation, as well as specific issues of examination and organization of prevention of electoral corruption. The forum participants have discussed the major trends in development of the state anti-corruption policy in the area of protection of electoral rights of the citizens; formulated a number of propositions aimed at increasing efficiency of preventing corruption during the organization and conduct of elections; as well as acknowledged the need for implementation of the extensive anti-corruption awareness and education program for the majority of subjects of the electoral process.

Keywords: lobbying power, abuse of law, bribery of voters, electoral techniques, national security, electoral process, elections, corruption, election campaign, dummy candidate