The author argues that the theory of national economic security is on the rise again and the qualitatively new phase of its development will be characterized by an increase of scientific and applied ...interest to various aspects of this field.
This trend is consistent with the escalation of internal and external threats to socio-economic stability in major countries, the growing turbulence in the global economy, intensified global competition for natural resources and human capital and the emergence of new types of threats to national economic security, including environmental crises, uncontrolled migration and the coronavirus pandemic.
In the near future, the scientific community will face a number of important research tasks, including the need to shape an updated methodological base, verify acquired knowledge and outline new research priorities. These tasks will be difficult to complete without a set of comprehensive definitions in the field of national economic security.
The ongoing capsulation of scientific schools and their gravitation toward their own conceptual frameworks is a serious problem for the institutionalization and development of national economic security as an independent scientific discipline. This problem makes it impossible to create a common methodological framework for the discipline and undermines constructive scientific discussion between representatives of different scientific schools in this field.
The author attempts to streamline the conceptual apparatus to solve the aforementioned problem. The scholarship of several scientific schools and prominent experts is analyzed to identify and systematize the most important terms and their definitions within the field of national economic security. Based on the data obtained a number of comprehensive and coherent definitions is introduced.
The current stage of the evolution of national economic security is characterized by a weakening of neoliberal ideas and an increased impact of economic concepts within neorealism in the scientific community. These developments need to be reflected in the conceptual apparatus of this discipline. In this regard, the system of current basic definitions requires a significant update.
The article presents conceptual basis and outlines for a new direction in the ecosestate – fiscal security of the state. A range of vital conceptual problems have been addressed in the article, ...including defining the concept of the fiscal security, defining key terms, identification of status of fiscal security as scientific discipline in the ecosestate and distinguishing its institutional boundaries.
The author emphasises, that problems and dysfunctions of the public finance system can create dangerous threats to the economic security of the state. They undermine the stability and effectiveness of basic economic institutions, weaken the country's economic sovereignty as well as reduce financial resources for its development. The author provides update of basic definitions and introduces new ones to outline concept of the fiscal security. According to presented approach “fiscal security of the state” reflects a performance of the public finance system that enable government to carry out its functions and tasks effectively as well as to resist external and internal threats to the economic and social stability in the state.
Some provisions of the theory of economic security of the state have been revised, according to which fiscal security is being considered as part of the country's financial security. The author justifies the thesis, that public finance system itself is one of the crucial factors of the economic security of the state, therefore fiscal security should be considered as an autonomous component of the economic security of the state.
Based on the considerations outlined in the article two separate components of the economic security of the state are proposed to be distinguished – financial security and fiscal security. An internal structure of each component is introduced as well in the article, which allows to define their institutional borders.
The article deals with the issue of the complication and specifics of the theory of economic security of the state as an independent scientific discipline. The author argues for the thesis that ...perpetual verification and revision of main concepts withing ecosestate is distinctive feature of this discipline, because it focuses on very variable phenomena and processes as a research object. On the one hand, this is its significant advantage, because the scientific knowledge has been upgraded all the time that increases their practical value. On the other hand, the high dynamic of transformation of the conditions in which the state operates, as well as the evolution of the institution of the state itself, requires constant verification of scientific knowledge in terms of their compliance with new realities. In such a situation, even the most advanced concepts may lose their relevance and validity in a relatively short historical period.
The key changes that have taken place in the theory of economic security during recent history are studied. Three periods were identified, during which interest in topics related to the economic security of the state fluctuated significantly. Every period has been studied scrupulously to find out main factors that cause periodic rise of the economic security of the state. Based on research results, it has been concluded, that the intensification of scientific research in the field of the economic security of the state is observed during a period of increasing instability and threats to society at different levels (individual, state, global economy) and increasing citizens' belief that the state is able to stabilize the situation. Growing doubts about the effectiveness of the state and strengthening faith in the private sector, on the contrary, slows down the development of theory of economic security of the state.
Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that at the present stage we should expect a new wave of interest in the theory of economic security of the state. This will give impetus to the new qualitative development of this discipline. New objective reality requires deepening and improving approaches to the study of the economic security of the state at the same time.
The author proposes in this article an updated methodological framework for the assessment
and comparison of various models of regional economic integration in terms of assessing their
advantages, ...strengths, weaknesses and effects. Set of criteria has been developed for this purpose
(type, form, methods, mechanism, factors, terms). The proposed methodological approach also
creates a framework, which allows comparing the scale, depth and dynamics of different models
of integration.
The article presents the outcomes of the research concerned the issue of the European Union’s foreign economic policy, as well as its models and instruments. The EU applies various approaches ...inrelations with third countries, that is determined by differences in aims it intends to achieve in everyspecific case. The EU acquis constitutes only general framework of the European Union’s foreigneconomic policy, that results in disorderliness and incoherence of European Union in relations withthird countries. The Author identified key determinants, that actually shape current models of theEuropean Union’s foreign economic policy towards various groups of states. Significant problemsand failures have been found. Analysis carried out in the article leads to the conclusion that currentmodels and instruments of foreign economic policy, used by the EU, are not sufficiently efficient and often do not allow to meet new challenges effectively. New approaches and solutions have beenproposed by the Author can help to improve the foreign economic policy of the EU and to adjust itto the contemporary global challenges.
The article presents the outcomes of the research concerned the issue of the European Union’s foreign economic policy, as well as its models and instruments. The EU applies various approaches in ...relations with third countries, that is determined by differences in aims it intends to achieve in every specific case. The EU acquis constitutes only general framework of the European Union’s foreign economic policy, that results in disorderliness and incoherence of European Union in relations with third countries. The Author identified key determinants, that actually shape current models of the European Union’s foreign economic policy towards various groups of states. Significant problems and failures have been found. Analysis carried out in the article leads to the conclusion that current models and instruments of foreign economic policy, used by the EU, are not sufficiently efficient and often do not allow to meet new challenges effectively. New approaches and solutions have been proposed by the Author can help to improve the foreign economic policy of the EU and to adjust it to the contemporary global challenges.
The article focuses on essential theoretical difficulties in the field of public finance’ studies. A set of them relates to the correct using of key scientific terms. Based on the results of the ...analysis of prominent Ukrainian scientists’ scientific papers in this field, the author drew attention to three important theoretical and methodological problems. The first of them is the lack of consensus among national experts on how to describe the public system of mobilization, redistribution and use of financial resources in the country. Some experts still use the term “state finance”, rejecting the option “public finance”, other ones treat the concepts of "public finance system" and "state finance system" as synonyms. There is a group of scientists that goes its own way, proposing the introduction of the definition “social finances of Ukraine”. Taking into account the fact, that public finance’ theoretical research is closely connected with practical application of its results, such terminological chaos is inappropriate. The second problem is that among Ukrainian specialists there is a certain arbitrariness in the use of the terms “public finance” and “public finance system”. Two concepts are treated often as synonyms, which is a significant methodological mistake. To resolve this problem the author delimits these terms and outlined the specifics of each of them. The third important theoretical and methodological problem of national scientific thought in the field of public finance is that most experts cannot come to a common vision of what exactly includes the concept of “public finance system”. The approaches of the main scientific schools are very different. The impreciseness of the institutional boundaries of concept “public finance” leads to huge problem of misleading, confusing and misunderstanding among Ukrainian researchers. A lot of them dispute about different topics using the same concepts terms. Analyzing these problems, the author makes an attempt to solve them. To complete this task, the author introduces a new definition of the basic terms into this field of research, defines an institutional distinction between them, and proposes logical internal structure of public finance.
The author states, that the theory of economic security of the state as a scientific discipline today is at the beginning of its new stage of development. A marked surge of interest in this topic is ...expected in the nearest future, that will intensify research activity in this scientific field. To meet these expectations scientific community needs a strong methodological platform, which should be based on universal and coherent categorical apparatus.
However, a set of essential methodological problems may deteriorate a rise of the economic security of the state. One of the key problems is a significant number of scientific schools within the discipline. Most of them has developed their own categorical-conceptual apparatus. The author draws attention, that terminological chaos in the theory of economic security of the state as one of a serious problem for its institutionalization and development as an independent scientific discipline. It makes impossible to create a common methodological framework for discipline and undermines constructive scientific discussion between representatives of different scientific schools in this field.
The huge differences between scientific schools are observed already at the stage of defining the basic definition of this scientific discipline - “economic security of the state”. A plenty of various approaches can be identified withing this scientific community. The differences between defining concept of “economic security of the state” are very deep indeed. This is a significant obstacle to create a common platform for numerous groups of scientists, who are working on various aspects of this topic.
To resolve this problem and find common solution the author has analysed a majority of approaches of various scientific schools and individual scientists regarding the definition of the concept of “economic security of the state”. Their advantages and disadvantages have been identified. Based on knowledge obtained the author has proposed his own definition. According to it, “economic security of the state” should be treated as a state of the economy, that is intentionally and purposefully adjusted by public authorities in order to ensures the state's resilience to external and internal systemic threats and aggressive actions undertaken by other states. The author has justified the practicability of using this definition in the scientific research as well as policy-making.
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