DOI: 10.32609/j.ruje.11.163408

Authors: Dao Van Le, Tuyen Quang Tran

Abstract: This study presents fresh evidence on the impact of social unrest on the subjective well-being of approximately 400,000 individuals worldwide from 1981 to 2022. Utilizing data from a media reports platform allows us to capture the effects of unrest with a lag of about one month, as opposed to conventional national-level data. The results provide clear evidence of a growing negative effect of regional instability — causing a decline in people’s welfare. Notably, examining government actions during this period using the Integrated Macroprudential Policy (iMaPP) Database reveals that governments may mitigate the adverse effects of social unrest on citizens’ satisfaction through policies concerning liquidity adjustments and relaxed reserve requirements. Still, most other actions appear to exacerbate the situation. The findings of this study suggest practical implications for the design of prudent policy measures during periods of instability to enhance the subjective well-being of their citizens.

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DOI: 10.32609/j.ruje.7.78432

Authors: Leonid M. Grigoryev, Marina F. Starodubtseva

Abstract: Brazilian economic reforms in 21st century have great importance for the international community, especially for other countries of the middle level of development. The authors­ believe that, in spite of all the difficulties and crises, Brazil has made a decisive step forward by reforming its social structure and retaining democracy. Social reforms (especially­ minimal wage) led to strengthening middle class, but also to elevating its social aspirations. At this dramatic junction the economic development of the country was aggravated by external shocks and unsuccessful budget policies. The complex interaction of social macro­economic policies in Brazil with strong external shocks gives lessons to countries with similar characteristics. The pandemic and recession of 2020–2021 have made the path of development more complicated but there is room for optimism for Brazil in the long run.

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DOI: 10.32609/j.ruje.5.47348

Authors: Leonid M. Grigoryev, Lyubov Popovets

Abstract: Sociology and psychology closely study the phenomena of homicide and suicide among countries of the world, but both remain little studied in the context of the levels of countries’ development and international comparisons. Developed countries (in terms of GDP per capita) show a decrease in the relative rate of homicides, but the case of suicides is not so explicit. This paper examines the relative levels of suicides and homicides all around the world in the context of socio-economic indices as well as indicators of mental health among the population. Addressing the example of the BRICS countries, the authors discuss the impact of economic imbalances on homicide and suicide levels. The analysis demonstrates that social inequality determines cross-country differences for relative levels in terms of homicide rates, including the course of events in the post-Soviet countries. And in the case of Russia, it is possible to make a conclusion not only about the presence of deep inter-regional differences, but also about a large-scale reduction in the frequency of two tragic phenomena between 2000 and 2017 during the economic recovery.

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DOI: 10.3897/j.ruje.4.30170

Authors: Marek Dabrowski

Abstract: The last decade brought increasing attention to income and wealth inequalities in advanced economies because of their increase in several countries and negative social and political implications. However, this debate is often limited to the single-country perspective, disregarding decreasing global income inequalities, i.e. inequalities between individuals in the entire world. This paper focuses mainly on the global dimension of the inequality trends but also tries to update statistics on national inequality trends which, contrary to the dominant narrative, seem to go in various directions depending on a concrete country. Finally, an attempt is made to analyze the potential interrelation and trade-off between decreasing global inequalities and increasing national inequalities and the role of globalization, in its various forms, in such a trade-off.

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DOI: 10.1016/j.ruje.2017.02.003

Authors: Ivan Lyubimov

Abstract: This paper compares two popular views on the evolution of income inequality. The article by Simon Kuznets, which was published in American Economic Review in 1955, considers inequality as a byproduct of economic growth and suggests that a relatively rich economy should also be less unequal. In contrast, Thomas Piketty indicates that inequality is progressing, and an internationally coordinated policy is required to bring inequality under control. My paper applies the arguments of Kuznets and Piketty to the problem of income inequality in modern Russia.

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DOI: 10.1016/j.ruje.2015.05.004

Authors: Rostislav Kapeliushnikov

Abstract: The paper provides a critical appraisal of the normative program of behavioral economics known as ‘new paternalism’. First, it explores the theoretical foundations of behavioral economics, describes major behavioral anomalies associated with bounded rationality of economic agents and discusses its normative principles and political implications. It then discusses the main empirical and conceptual drawbacks of new paternalism and provides arguments for the alternative non-welfarist normative tradition based on the idea of freedom.

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