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Aims and Scope

The Polish Political Science Yearbook (PPSY) is an international, open access, and peer-reviewed journal publishing high-standard research on political science, international relations, and public policy. The PPSY serves as a forum for academic scholars and professionals to support the latest analytical and methodological advancements and promote current work in political science and Polish studies.

For full aims and scope please visit section "About the journal"

Administration is a very important mechanism for implementing tasks of the state, which consists of various types of bodies and institutions. As a collection of mechanisms it is responsible for the practical implementation of the functions of the state. This means that the way the administration is organized, especially its functioning, affects the quality of the performed tasks and translates into the image of the state in the eyes of the citizens. Dysfunctional administrative apparatus of the state is unable to solve problems and social needs, satisfy the aspirations and can even inhibit the development of civilization and culture of entire societies. In modern democracies, the administration carries out not only those tasks that are part of the classic catalog of its functions, but also fulfills the additional responsibilities of membership in supra and international structures that shape the contemporary social order. Such various range of tasks clearly shows that the meaning of the administration existence is undertaking relevant organizational, managerial and planning actions. Administrative apparatus is to be helpful in solving social problems and to serve the public – Lat. administrare. In the context of the changes and transformations of contemporary states and societies that are taking place under the influence of various factors (globalization, regionalization, integration processes, economic crises, armed conflicts), the right to good administration begins to be an issue of a particular importance. Nowadays, it is not only a fundamental right of every citizen and the principle of European administrative law, but, above all, it becomes a condition for efficient satisfaction of still growing needs and aspirations of individuals, social groups and whole societies. 

The European Union supported Kazakhstan in carrying out political, economic and social reform twice. For the first time EU did so within the framework of the TACIS program in the years 1991–2006 when Kazakhstan has received $ 166 million mainly for the restructuring of state-owned enterprises, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, transport, environmental protection, administrative reform and health care and education. Again, the European Union has granted funds to Kazakhstan in the framework of the Strategy for Central Asia in 2007–2013. The main burden of support has been designed to prepare for institutional reforms for good governance and human rights protection. There were implemented 17 projects within four sectors: legal services and the judiciary; human rights, economic policy and development, strengthening civil society. In assessing the changes in some regions of the country reported good practices in the field of dialogue between local authorities and non-governmental organizations, increase the efficiency of public services and the transparency of budgetary expenditure. It was emphasized, however, that the authorities of Kazakhstan do not show understanding for the concept of good governance and democratization processes.

This article aims to indicate the sources of problems in the field of governance and politics in the African Great Lakes Region. The countries of this region play an essential role in the global socio-political and economic system. Their development is hampered by numerous external and internal conflicts resulting from both the historical and contemporary problems of the countries. Colonialism had a major impact on the development of African countries. It manifested itself, among other things, in the spread of political domination. Adopting state management patterns from European culture and attempt to transplant them on African ground without understanding local cultural conditions contributed too much post-colonial fresh and modern conflict. Examples of this are failures to establish liberal democracy and its crises in the African Great Lakes Region.

Youth councils and their participation on the decision-making process on a local level in Poland

Youth Councils in Poland have been operating since 2001. According to the Act on commune self-government, these councils are consultative entities whose purpose is, inter alia, giving opinions on normative acts issued by local government bodies. The article presents the results of research carried out as part of the project ‘From dialogue to deliberation. Non-public entities as (not) present participant in the local decision-making process’. The research covered Youth Councils and the participation of these entities in the decision-making process at the local level in Poland.

After the post-communist transition, decentralisation and subsidiarity have become one of Poland's major principles of political organisation. Moreover, especially the original 1990 reform and establishment of self-governing communes are regarded as a success story, not only in improving the quality of governance and public service provision but also in the civil society and citizen participation, as evidenced by the development of modern urban movements. The article explores legal possibilities for further decentralisation of municipalities, analysing the role of ancillary units in regional capitals. Ancillary units in Poland have developed differently in the countryside and urban communes. Relying on publicly available information and data provided by the respective municipal offices, the article describes the ancillary units' statutory role, competencies, and actual activities. The findings enable the assessment of the application of the sublocal decentralisation solution in Polish cities and the identification of its benefits and shortcomings.

The fact that our country belongs to the European Union, an integration organization of such an advanced character and multilevel construction, necessitates deeper insight into the issue of our political system. As Poland is a new member state, it is currently “learning how to participate” in the integration process, which refers both to its authorities and society. However, it is not an easy task because the Union is the most structurally advanced international organisation in the world, with unique construction and methods of operation, which develops the framework for legal mechanisms finding no direct analogy in national systems. One of these mechanisms is the fact that judicature of an international court, i.e. the Court of Justice, is constantly used for executing current internal tasks of the state. It seems justifiable to note that the Court’s judicature is becoming a factor which may and should be taken into consideration in the policy decision-making process in the Republic of Poland. Thus, we should widely inform about the consequences of the fact that the Court of Justice has become an immanent part of the Polish system.

Plastic pollution has emerged as a significant environmental and public health concern globally, with detrimental effects on ecosystems, human health, and socio-economic development. One way to a safer global environment is encouraging rural communities to manage solid waste and reduce plastic pollution. This study aims to explore the environmental governance and political economy of plastic pollution management in rural communities of Ogun State, Nigeria. By examining the interactions between governance structures, political actors, and socio-economic factors, the study seeks to provide insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with plastic waste management in rural areas. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, to obtain comprehensive and detailed findings. The results of the study indicate divergent interests among stakeholders regarding the management of plastic pollution and environmental concerns in rural communities of the Ijebu region in Ogun State, Nigeria. The research emphasizes the importance of supporting community-led environmental initiatives that adhere to established environmental guidelines for effective solid waste management, with particular emphasis on plastic waste, in rural areas of Nigeria.

The article aims to define the role of institutions in shaping competitiveness in certain European states. The research problem to be addressed through this study is to what extent does the level of competitiveness in world economy depends on Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) in particular countries. The study was conducted using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods of data analysis. A cross-country comparative analysis, based on data from 32 European states in 2021, revealed that the level of competitiveness is determined by institutional environment. The higher the WGI percentile ranks, the better place in the World Competitiveness Ranking. The results of the study enabled to fully confirm the 1st hypothesis, i.e. the institutional governance quality and control of corruption have a noticeably positive impact on competitiveness. It was revealed that the 2nd hypothesis could not be confirmed because of statistical insignificance, i.e. countries with political stability, absence of violence/terrorism and quality of law are typically more competitive among world economies. Meanwhile, the 3rd one was partially confirmed, i.e. the quality of regulations leads to higher competitiveness of economies, while freedom of expression, free media and ability to participate in national elections have not a significant impact on competitiveness.