Abstract: The relevance of studying the problems of implementing the "city manager" model is due to the high level of complexity in the activities of modern municipalities. This article analyzes the activities of a city manager in the current Russian conditions and identifies the reasons for the low efficiency of this model. The author considers such aspects of the topic as professional training of city managers, ensuring their high-quality selection, as well as making managerial decisions by a city manager in conditions of constant interaction with both regional authorities and the local community. Special attention is paid to the search for mechanisms to improve competitive events within the framework of the functioning of the "city manager" model in the municipal government system, taking into account existing legislative, political, methodological and personnel barriers. The results of the survey of heads of local governments are analyzed. The article uses methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison and classification, as well as systemic, situational and institutional approaches. It is concluded that there are destructive practices of "transition" (inversion) of positive elements of the "city manager" model into its disadvantages, which is due to an inadequate level of elaboration of key selection processes and preparation of candidates for the position of head of local administration. At the same time, the blurring of the criteria for evaluating a city manager leads to the replacement of the competence criterion by an assessment of the level of political loyalty, the presence of stable ties with the regional elite. In this connection, recommendations are offered on the formation of models for assessing candidates' competencies, the role of professional knowledge and analytical skills of a city manager is justified. Additionally, the expediency of taking into account the "residency qualification" in evaluating candidates for the position of city manager as a factor in supporting the actions of the municipal leader by the local population is considered.

Keywords: management decisions efficiency, municipal reform, professionalism of management, territory management, local government, municipal administration, professional manager, city manager, competitive selection, evaluation criteria

Abstract: Social networks are considered by the population as the leading way of communication, therefore public authorities use new technologies to inform and involve citizens in management. The purpose of the work is to evaluate the interaction of citizens and authorities using the official pages of local administrations on the VKontakte social network. The subject of the study is social networks as a tool of interaction between authorities and citizens. The article analyzes the official pages (state publications) of 7 large cities, which are the administrative centers of the subjects of the Central Federal District. Main research methods: analysis, comparison, generalization, methods of descriptive statistics. The author examines the work of Russian and foreign researchers on the problem of the use of social networks in the activities of public authorities. The indicators reflecting the effectiveness of official communities were studied: the activity of citizens on the pages, the level of involvement, the publication activity of the administration, content formats. The data was collected and processed manually and with the help of specialized services. There are few studies in which a comparative analysis of the interaction of local governments with citizens in social networks is carried out, so the article complements the current literature on digital communications in the public sector. An analysis of the indicators that characterize the activity and involvement on the official pages of local administrations shows that the practice of using social networks in the regions is different. All official pages are active, page owners (local administrations) and subscribers (citizens) are looking for ways to interact online. The results will help to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the official pages and offer recommendations for improving the participation of citizens in the management process through social networks.

Keywords: comment, repost, like, communication, local government body, official page, public administration, gosplik, public participation, social network

Abstract: The subject of the study is public participation in solving issues of urban environment development. The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as: the role, significance and benefits of public participation in urban planning, forms of public participation in the development of the urban environment and factors that positively affect the level of involvement of residents, as well as restrictions on participation. The author notes that effective interaction between authorities and the population can help to qualitatively identify the main problems and tasks of management in the field of urban environment development, identify the needs of local communities, public sentiment and in the future minimize urban conflicts.The author's contribution to the research of the topic is to conduct a survey of residents in the city of Tyumen to study their readiness to participate in solving issues of urban environment development. The survey of respondents showed that more than half of the respondents are interested in participating in urban planning and landscaping. The survey also revealed the main reasons limiting participation, such as: uncertainty that the opinion of residents will be taken into account and will affect the final decision, misunderstanding of the forms and methods of participation. The difference between the real and potential activity of residents in relation to the improvement of their yard, area of residence is revealed. The factors that can contribute to an increase in the share of citizens participating in urban development and improvement projects are highlighted.

Keywords: comfortable urban environment, citizens' activity, potential of residents, urban environment, public involvement, factors of residents activity, spatial planning, public participation, urban space development, spatial development of the city

Abstract: The subject of the study is the urban environment. The urban environment in which a teenager grows up influences his socialization through the spatial, architectural, and functional characteristics of the city. The specificity of these characteristics may provide opportunities for the inclusion of a teenager in urban life and his active participation in it, or to act with the opposite effect. In the article, the authors note a number of contradictions characterizing the implementation of the participation of a teenager in the life of the city. The main contradictions are connected with the willingness of a teenager to express his opinion, the willingness of adults to take this opinion seriously and the normative elaboration of the issue of children's participation in the life of the city. Expert interviews were used as the main method of data collection. A total of 27 experts were interviewed. They asked questions about the possibilities and limitations of including teenagers in the co-participating design of the urban environment. Experts note that children do not have their own spaces in the city, which complicates the process of personalization of urban space, its active development and, subsequently, transformation. Also in expert interviews, the problem is fixed, on the one hand, ignoring the child's opinion, on the other — expanding the practices of involving children in expressing their opinions. The authors identify the practices of including children in the life of the city, characterizing the gradual nature of this process, which begins with the expression of an opinion with the transition to its accounting and then - the active participation of adolescents in the transformation of the urban environment. Based on the analysis of expert interviews and scientific publications, the resources of participation of teenagers in the life of the city are described. These include: foreign experience, the activities of enthusiasts for the involvement of children and methodological developments.

Keywords: project approach, ownership of the city, practices of complicity, sociology of the city, urban socialization, children's participation, expert interview, co-participating design, teenagers, urban environment

Abstract: The subject of this article is the analysis of indicators that characterize development potential of the institution of the heads of village community (Starosta) in modern Russian municipalities. These indicators include the representations, opinions and attitudes of the residents of different types of municipalities regarding the institution of the headman. The conducted research allows determining the peculiarities of administrative and self-governing processes on the local level, as well as outline the development prospects for the Institution of the heads of village community in Russia. The object of this article is the residents of different types of municipalities in Tver Region. Using the method of structured interview the author provides the data of sociological monitoring carried out in Tver Region in the 2018-2019, as well as the results of sociological survey conducted in rural municipalities in accordance with a specifically developed toolset (2019). The article analyzes the attitude of the population of Tver Region towards implementation of post of headman (Starosta) in the rural areas; examines the awareness of rural residents on the institution of the heads of village community, their representations on the nature of social position of Starosta, legal status and social functions of the institution. The author’s special contribution consists in identification of characteristics that form social portraits of categories of citizens who gear towards the development of the institution of Starosta and participation in its functioning. The acquires results can be used by state and municipal branches aimed at engagement of population in the practices of self-governance.

Keywords: social portrait of the elder, readiness to become an elder, activist attitudes, self-government potential, awareness of the elders, the attitude to the elders, institute of village elders, local self-government, enlarged municipalities, municipalities of the settlement level

Abstract: The subject of this research is the institutional conditions for converting social resource of the local communities into the processes of development of tourism attractiveness of the Russian territories. The authors examine the initial theoretical and methodological prerequisites of studying institutional conditions (key provisions of the theory of social institutions, socioeconomic situation of institutional environment); determine the significance of impact of institutional conditions upon the vector of development of municipal formations; explore the structural-conceptual perception of institutional conditions. Special attention is given to the potential and constraints of conversion of social resource of the local communities to the development of tourism attractiveness of municipal formations, explicated in the established institutional conditions. The following conclusions were made: conversion of social resource of local communities to the development of territory’s tourism attractiveness requires the creation of institutional conditions that incentivize population towards this social action, considering the transformation of formal rules, norms and parameters of interaction. From such perspective, the institutional conditions allow implementation of informal practices, which manifest as the compensators of inevitable limitation of institutionalized systems, imparting them with flexibility, adaptivity and variability of development. The scientific novelty lies in determination of institutional conditions initiating the processes of formalization of social relations, transition towards creation of organizational structures for mobilization of internal sources of territorial development to create competitive advantages and adaptive opportunities of socioeconomic systems.

Keywords: financial resources, local community, social resource, social institution, institutional setting, institutional environment, tourist attractiveness, municipality, investment practices, municipal property

Abstract: This article is dedicated to studying the concept of “smart city” as special case of e-government. The specificity and description of the phenomenon of e-government in the various research approaches is analyzed. Particular attention is given to examination of the “smart city” concept, its key characteristics, correlation with the “big data” phenomenon, as well as main tasks, which solution lies in implementation of the “smart city”. The author analyzes the major risks emerging in terms of practical implementation of the “smart city” concept. The conclusions are structured on the analysis of the relevant Russian and foreign publications on the topic of “smart city” and “e-government”. The following main threats to realization of the “smart city” determined within the framework is this work: the growth of digital inequality and occurrence of a new instrument of strict control risk of excluding the townspeople from the process of decision-making; the risk of substituting of actual agenda with interests of the elites; the risk of replacement of social and political agenda by the technical questions; disregards of peculiarities of each individual city; technical risks.

Keywords: urbanization, risk, urban community, city, big data, e-government, e-governance, smart city, information technology, digital society

Abstract: This article aims to examine the key theories and approaches towards interpretation of the concept of social capital in order to determine the new opportunities for the development of local communities. Special attention is given to studying the characteristic features of social capital: its non-monetary nature, proneness to self-expansion in terms of increasing the frequency of usage, consideration of the level of trust and qualitative characteristics of relations between social actors. Special attention is turned to “trust” as the foundation of organization of social interactions, indicators for measuring sustainability of social networks, disruptiveness of the phenomenon of social capital. Comparison of the concepts of social capital allows concluding that the common thesis, currently shared in sociological discourse, is not only the vector towards establishing trust-based relations, but also the need for investing to them and participation in social exchange. Leaning on the research materials, the author assumes the need for institutional reinforcement of the processes of formation of social capital as a mechanism for decreasing destructive manifestations: closed nature of social capital, “freeloading” of short in resources members of social networks, concealment of potential profits by the participants. Possible insurance against losses in social exchange through participation of municipal authorities in supporting sustainability of social networks, reinforcement of intermunicipal forms of cooperation, can become such mechanism that will ensure the development of social capital not as a side affect from interaction between the representatives of local communities, but through reinforcement of personal motivation of the actors of social network.

Keywords: trust, social relation, social interaction, local communities, social capital, social networks, municipality, municipal governments, solidarity, social exchange

Abstract: The subject of this research is the examination of possibilities of implementation of the electoral mechanism in the process of structuring of the municipal branches within the framework of various real and promising models of organization of the system of local self-governance, depending on the level of development of the self-governance potential of population and local territorial specificities. The object of this research is the residents of the cities, towns, and rural settlements of Tver Oblast, as well as the representatives of expert community of the region. The authors explored the attitude of respondents towards implementation of the electoral mechanism within the system of local self-governance. The article determine the level of electoral activity of population during the municipal elections, factors that affect the population, and character of citizens’ relation to municipal elections. Special attention is given to determination of the respondents’ attitude towards the models of electing the leaders of local self-governance, as well as promising models of organizing administration on the local level. The authors’ main contribution into the research of this topic consists in highlighting of the three key models of local self-governance, the application of which is possible various types of Russian territories: 1) paternalistic model; 2) model with implementation of the institution of prefects (but preserving the main elements of classical model of local self-governance); 3) classical model of local self-governance based on the activist political culture.

Keywords: factors of civil activity, potential of self-government of the population, active suffrage, electoral activity, municipal elections, municipal authorities, local self-governance, dynamics of public representations, models for selecting the chief, models of local self-governance

Abstract: The subject of research is the organization of local government in the Russian Federation today. The object of research is the Institute of territorial self-government. The author examines in detail aspects such as the legal status of territorial self-government, foreign experience of territorial self-government. The article also reviewed existing models of territorial self-government and the TOC registration scheme. Particular attention is paid to the modern practice of the functioning of territorial self-government in the different regions and cities of the Russian Federation.The study took the following methodological approaches: general scientific (systematic, materialistic) and methods of scientific knowledge (analysis, synthesis, system comparisons).The scientific novelty of the research is to examine the author of international experience and a wide range of examples of the practical functioning of territorial self-government organizations.The study led to the conclusion that the Russian Federation is currently experiencing an active development of territorial public self-government, and the activities of CBT provides a large-scale social impact.

Keywords: municipality, local government, territorial self-government, society, public administration, Foreign experience, landscaping, non-profit organizations, CBT activities, CBT functions

Abstract: The subject of this article is the examination of the real and potential socio-political activity of the Russian citizens. The authors analyze the forms of participation of the citizens in the social practices of local self-governance, as well as reveal the factors that activate and limit the participation of the population in the territorial self-governing practices. A special attention is given to the determination of social groups among the Russian local communities with the highest level of real and potential civic activity. The object of the research is the residents of the cities, townships or rural villages of Tver Oblast. The authors also present the data from sociological monitoring that was conducted in Tver region during the period of 2009-2014, using the method of formalized interviewing. This work studies the level and new forms of participation of the Russian citizens in the existing practices of local self-governance, and defines the potential readiness of the population for civil participation. The authors’ special contribution into the research of this consists in identification of the four categories of respondents: inactive, potentially active, active, and initiative citizens. The last two groups are characterized by the higher potential for self-governance and represent a possible social base and the core of initiatives of the local self-governance.

Keywords: local government, civic participation, forms of civic participation, motivation to participate, Factors of low activity, confidence, local government capacity, poddannicheskoj political culture, activist political culture, initiative

Abstract: Abstract: the Purpose of this article is to study the process of Informatization of education management and identify the existing problems and prospects of its development in conditions of modernization of the education system.In the study, the authors analyze the normative-legal base, regulating the Informatization of management education, studying scientific papers on the problems of Informatisation of education and identify existing problems and prospects of realization of Informatization of education management in modern Russia. The article presents examples of activities in the field of Informatization of education management Department of education of Moscow and other regions.As main methods of research are used analysis, comparison, generalization, the study of legal literature, the principles of consistency and specificity. The study of problems of Informatization of education management has shown that in the conditions of modernization of the education system not only alters its structure and functionality, but also system management, which places special demands to the process of Informatization. Informatization affects not only the technical side of things, but mostly concerns the human factor. It is about the role of information culture in the Informatization of education management.

Keywords: education management, informatization of education, educational information systems, municipal management, Information city, information interaction, the quality of education, information culture, e-government, targeted programs

Abstract: The subject of the present research is the role of information inequality in the implementation of government programs on informational support of municipal management. In our country informational support of municipal administration is being conducted as part of the Strategy of the Information Society Development in the Russian Federation and administrative reform. However, today's information inequality between federal, regional and municipal centers does not allow to effectively implement the informational support of municipal management. In particular, the authors of the article focus on the problems of execution of the government program 'E-government' at the municipal level. The main reserch methods applied by the authors include the methods of analysis, generalization and analysis of statistical data. The research has been carried out according to the general-to-specific principle. In the course of their research the authors have come to the conclusion that information inequality of municipal units of different regional and federal centers put breaks on the informatization of municipal management. The causes of such information inequality are the low quality of life in municipal districts and the low level information culture of municipal units and population. 

Keywords: municipal informatization, administrative reform, computer literacy, E-government, E-services, informatization, informational support, municipal management, information society, information gap, economic inequality

Abstract: This article deals with the origins of, the processes of the formation of, the development of, and changes to the laws of the Kingdom of Poland in the period of its existence as an autonomous ethnic territory of the Russian Empire between 1815 and 1917. The authors show how the division of the Polish state between Austria, Prussia and Russia in the second half of the 18th century brought about changes in the laws of the Polish land. The article considers the introduction of French law - the Napoleonic Code (Civil Code) - and the introduction of the Commercial Code to the Duchy of Warsaw, established in 1807 by Napoleon Bonaparte. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the laws of the Kingdom of Poland and the process of their integration into the legal system of the Russian Empire and the changes to the sources of law, such as the Constitutional Charter of 1815 being replaced by the Organic Act of 1832, changes in the civil law, the preparation and publication of the Penal Code in 1847.

Keywords: history of Russia, Russian Empire, history of law, sources of law, legal system, national law, local law, Kingdom of Poland, Napoleonic Code, legal change

Abstract: This article contains an analysis of the fate of peasant communities in the context of the agrarian policies of the Soviet government of the 1920s. It develops a correlation between the functions and powers of agrarian society and village councils, and provides objective causes for the transition of community functions to the state executive government. Institutionalization of community functions in Soviet government positions led to the omnipotence of the bureaucracy.

Keywords: community, village soviet, peasants, village, Bolshevism, apparatus, envoys, democracy, farmstead, province