Suchergebnisse

In the article we report a series of experiments
with volunteers designed to detect differences in behavioural characteristics among Slovenian, Dutch and
international students. Using eight standard tasks from
experimental economics, we investigate the differences
using experimental measures of solidarity, trust, cooperation, positive and negative reciprocity, competition,
honesty, and risk attitudes. No significant cohort effects
in any of the eight decisions are found when we compare the Slovenian and international cohorts. Still, when
comparing the Dutch and Slovenian cohorts, Dutch
students are found to exhibit lower levels of solidarity,
generosity and honesty. This points to differences in sociality between institutionally similar yet ideologically distant countries like Slovenia and the Netherlands.
Keywords: cross-national study, experimental economics, game theory, sociality

Visoka kakovost upravljanja storitev v posamezni občini pomeni zagotavljanje kakovostnega življenjskega okolja za bivanje. Namen naloge je obravnavati kakovost upravljanja v slovenskih občinah in s pomočjo statistične analize ugotoviti morebitno povezanost z indikatorji uspešnosti občin. V okviru raziskovalne naloge sem opravila anketno raziskavo o kakovosti upravljanja v 31 občinah v Sloveniji. Preverjala sem tri javne storitve: izobraževanje, zdravstvo in redarstvo v primerjavi s kakovostjo, nepristranostjo in korupcijo teh storitev. Naredila sem analizo povezanosti kakovosti upravljanja v občinah z indikatorji uspešnosti občin in pri tem uporabila kot statistično metodo za obdelavo podatkov standardizacijo, metodo rangov in Pearsonov koeficient korelacije. Najpomembnejša ugotovitev raziskovalne naloge je, da so občine iz osrednjeslovenske regije dosegle najboljše rezultate v kakovosti raziskovanih storitev in tudi, da je kakovost upravljanja povezana z indikatorji uspešnosti občin. Dobljeni rezultati kažejo na to, da obstajajo velike razlike glede kakovosti upravljanja znotraj države. Več kot polovica obravnavanih občin ima kakovost upravljanja na področjih izobraževanja, zdravstva in redarstva pod povprečjem. Analiza povezanosti kakovosti upravljanja z indikatorji uspešnosti občine je pokazala, da občine, ki so imele visoko kakovost upravljanja, so imele tudi najboljše vrednosti indikatorjev uspešnosti. Moja analiza lahko služi vsaki obravnavani občini za pregled stanja kakovosti storitev na področju izobraževanja, zdravstva in redarstva in pojasnilo kje iskati vzroke za takšne rezultate. ; High quality of service governance in single municipality means providing a quality living environment. The purpose of the research study is to address the quality of governance in slovenian municipalities and to identify, through statistical analysis, a possible connection with the performance indicators of municipalities. As part of the research study, I conducted a survey on the quality of governance in 31 municipalities in Slovenia. I checked three public services: education, health and city constabulary in comparision with the quality, impartiality and corruption of these services. I made an analysis of the correlation between the quality of governance in municipalities with the performance indicators of municipalities. I used as a statistical method for data processing standardization, ranking method and Pearson coefficient of correlation. The most important finding of the research paper is that municipalities from the central slovenian region have achieved the best results in the quality of the services explored, and also that the quality of governance is related to the indicators of the performance of municipalities. The results obtained show that there are big differences in the quality of governance within the country. More than half of the municipalities discussed have the quality of governance in the fields of education, health and city constabulary, below average. The analysis of the connection between the quality of governance and the performance indicators of municipalities showed that municipalities that had high quality governance also had the best values of performance indicators. My analysis can serve every municipality to review the situation of the quality of services in the fields of education, health and city constabulary, and an explanation of where to find the reasons for such results.

The article is concerned with typology of differentiated author's opinions on the world economy phenomena, as internationalization, integration and globalization. The author examines, from the international political economy point of view, their differences and formulates three phases of internationalization process. The author defines also the relation of these phenomena to the process of integration and regionalization in the world economy and pays attention to frequently discussed topic of global governance as well. The author further examines the possibilities of measuring globalization process intensity on both world wide and national economy levels. The article assigns a set of characteristic features or indicators making possible to define main limits of when a given national economy can be hold as being incorporated and in what rate into the globalization process. This step of identification of globalization intensity rate is very important, as starting point, when a strategy of adaptation to globalization trends is needed to be formulated, evidently, closely with the competitiveness growth and catching-up strategy elaboration. Adapted from the source document.

The primary goals of regional policy in Slovenia are reducing regional development disparities and ensuring balanced development based on the principles of sustainable development. This article examines the performance of Slovenian regions in achieving these goals in the socioeconomic and environmental fields after 2010. For this purpose, four synthetic indicators (gross domestic product per capita, ecological footprint per capita, development risk index and indicator of sustainable regional development) and 32 separate economic, social and environmental indicators, which are also included in the calculation of the indicator of sustainable regional development, were examined. Most of the economic and social indicators indicate progress towards the strategic development goals, while most of the environmental indicators show a shift away from them. ; Zmanjševanje regionalnih razvojnih razlik in uravnotežen razvoj, temelječ na načelih trajnostnega razvoja, sta osrednja cilja regionalne politike v Sloveniji, zato v članku preučujemo uspešnost slovenskih regij pri doseganju teh ciljev na socialno-ekonomskem in okoljskem področju po letu 2010. V ta namen so bili preučeni štirje sintezni kazalniki (bruto domači proizvod na prebivalca, ekološki odtis na prebivalca, indeks razvojne ogroženosti in kazalnik trajnostnega regionalnega razvoja) in 32 posameznih ekonomskih, socialnih in okoljskih kazalnikov, ki so vključeni tudi v izračun kazalnika trajnostnega regionalnega razvoja. Večina ekonomskih in socialnih kazalnikov kaže približevanje strateškim razvojnim ciljem, večina okoljskih pa oddaljevanje od njih.

V zadnjih desetletjih je opaziti močan porast neposrednih investicij v mednarodnem okolju. Zaradi ugotovljenih številnih pozitivnih učinkov, ki jih imajo na državo prejemnico, je v razvitih državah in državah v razvoju posledično prišlo do liberalizacije politike do TNI in zmanjševanja regulativnih ovir na številnih področjih, predvsem z namenom oblikovanja prijaznega poslovnega okolja za tuje investitorje in željo privabiti čim več investicij v državo. Zelo dober primer so države Srednje in Vzhodne Evrope, v katerih je prav na ta račun v zadnjem desetletju prišlo do močnega porasta TNI. To lahko opazimo še posebej na Češkem, Poljskem in Madžarskem. Slovenija pa je kljub svoji razvitosti po drugi strani država, kjer so prilivi vhodnih TNI še vedno zelo skromni. Cilj magistrske naloge je bil ugotoviti, katere so tiste pomanjkljivosti in prednosti slovenskega okolja v primerjavi s konkurenčnimi državami SVE regije, ki odvračajo tuje investitorje od Slovenije. Zanimalo nas je tudi, kako s politiko do TNI, ki jo izvaja država za privabljanje tujih investitorjev ugotovljene pomanjkljivosti popraviti. Politika do TNI, oziroma konkretneje, spodbude, ki jih vlada pripravlja za privabljanje TNI, so šele sekundarnega pomena pri odločanju investitorjev za določeno državo. Te pridejo do izraza, ko se investitorji odločajo med makroekonomsko podobnimi državami, ki že zadostijo njihovim primarnim tržnim potrebam. Kljub temu pa so z vidika države spodbude tisti instrument, s katerim je mogoče relativno hitro in enostavno povečati konkurenčnost poslovnega okolja ali privabiti investitorje v določene panoge. Zato predstavlja pomembno orodje pri izboljševanju elementov investicijske klime. Ugotovili smo, da v Sloveniji kljub majhnemu trgu največje pomanjkljivosti niso v tržnih dejavnikih (kot so dostop do trga ali naravnih virov), temveč v dejavnikih investicijske klime, predvsem ekonomsko-regulatornega okolja države ter podpore podjetništvu. Analizirane države se soočajo z nekaterimi zelo podobnimi ovirami, kot so administrativne ovire za tuje investitorje, nezaupanjem v vlado ter rigidnostjo trga delovne sile. V Sloveniji močno izstopajo še slabo makroekonomsko okolje, visoko obdavčenje delovne sile ter težavno pridobivanje dodatnih virov financiranja. Vendar ima Slovenija na drugi strani zelo kvalitetno delovno silo, inovativno moč, dobro kvaliteto življenja ter dokaj enostavno poslovanje v primerjavi z izbranimi državami, kar povečuje njeno konkurenčnost. Državne spodbude v Sloveniji so naravnane v smeri odpravljanja ugotovljenih tržnih pomanjkljivosti, vendar so te zastavljene preveč široko in so posledično neprilagodljive dejanskim potrebam investitorjev. Z njihovo primerjavo smo ugotovili, da bi jih bilo smiselno prestrukturirati v smeri individualnih paketov spodbud, večjega deleža povratnih sredstev ter jih ciljno usmeriti na nekaj ključnih področij. Zavedati se moramo, da državne spodbude same po sebi ne bodo naredile bistvene spremembe. Lahko pa s ciljno usmerjenim pristopom države in skupaj s preoblikovanjem ostalih elementov poslovnega okolja izboljšajo konkurenčnost in vplivajo na to, da Slovenija postane privlačnejša država za mednarodne investicijske projekte. ; Over the last decades there has been a sharp increase of the direct investments in international environment. In the developed and developing countries the process of liberalisation of policy towards FDI and the reduction of regulatory obstacles have been made in many areas due to numerous established positive effects which have impacted the recipient country. In particular, the aim is to create a friendly business environment for foreign investors and a desire to attract the largest possible number of investments to the country. A very good example of this practice are countries of the Central and Eastern Europe in which there has been an increase of FDI in the last decade. That was observed particularly in the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. On the other hand, despite its development, Slovenia is the country where the inflows of the inward FDI are still very modest. The purpose of the thesis was to determine which are these weaknesses and strengths of the Slovene environment in comparison with competitive countries of the CEE region, which discourage foreign investors from Slovenia. We were interested in knowing if these weaknesses can be improved with Slovenian policy toward FDI. The policy towards FDI or more specifically the incentives established by the Government to attract FDI are only of secondary importance in choosing investors for a particular country. These incentives become important when the investors decide between similar macroeconomic countries that already meet their primary market needs. Nevertheless, from the point of view of the state, the incentives are the instrument that can relatively quickly and easy increase the competitiveness of the business environment or attract investors to certain sectors. Therefore, it represents an important tool in improving elements of the investment's climate. We have noted that the biggest shortcomings in Slovenia are present in the factors of investment's climate and not in the market factors. Analysed countries are facing some similar obstacles, such as administrative obstacles for foreign investors, non-confidence to the government and rigidity of the labour market. In Slovenia there is a strong stand out of poor macroeconomic environment, higher taxation of labour and additional funding sources which are difficult to obtain. However, Slovenia has, on the other hand, a high quality workforce, innovative strength, good quality of life and fairly simple business in comparison with other countries of matter, which increases its competitiveness. In Slovenia, state incentives go in the direction of eliminating the identified deficiencies in the market. But the setting of these is too wide and consequently inflexible of real needs of investors. By comparing these, we reached findings that it would be reasonable to restructure it in the direction of the individual packages of incentives, with greater proportion of return funds and target them to focus on a few key areas. We need to be aware that state incentives by itself won't make any significant changes. But with more targeted approach of the state and together with the transformation of other elements of the business environment, we can improve the competitiveness and influence on Slovenia becoming more attractive country for international investment projects.

Usefulness of existing databases on homeless people for policymaking
The article, based on different quality indicators (such as stability of definitions, data accessibility, connectivity and data interchangeability, frequency of data collection, targeting population, exclusivity and data accuracy), explores three types of databases on homeless people. Among analyzed databases, there are: a) database on social care programmes financed by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities; b) database on social care programmes included in evaluation sheme financed by this ministry; c) database on information system of centres for social work. The article's main contribution is a systematic review of databases usefulness, their (dis)advantages, and opportunities for researchers and policymakers.

Obstaja veliko študij, ki se ukvarjajo s primerjalnim vrednotenjem e-uprave. Razlog za tako popularnost primerjalnega vrednotenja je interes različnih držav za boljši vpogled v trenutno specifično fazo razvoja e-uprave na nacionalni ravni. Ta vpogled hkrati razkriva pozitivne in negativne plati razvoja v primerjavi z drugimi državami ter tiste vidike, ki jih je treba izboljšati. Namen naše študije, ki vsebuje analizo razvitosti e-uprave v Sloveniji, Avstriji, Hrvaški, Danski in Estoniji v letih 2014, 2015 in 2016, je ugotoviti, ali v izbranih državah obstaja povezanost med stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave in drugimi izbranimi dejavniki razvitosti države (višina bruto domačega proizvoda, stopnja izobrazbe in stopnja interakcije z javnimi organi). Za opisovanje ključnih pojmov e-uprave in kazalnikov razvitosti smo uporabili metodo deskripcije, s komparativno in statistično metodo pa smo primerjali izmerjene vrednosti izbranih kazalnikov. Ugotovitve analize ne nakazujejo povezanosti med višino BDP in stopnjo razvitosti euprave. Pri nižji in srednji stopnji izobrazbe obstaja negativna povezanost, kar pomeni, da manjši kot so deleži prebivalstva z nižjo oziroma srednjo izobrazbo, bolj se povečuje stopnja razvitosti e-uprave. Delež prebivalstva z visoko izobrazbo pa je pozitivno povezan s stopnjo razvitosti e-uprave. Močna pozitivna povezanost je prav tako prisotna med stopnjo interakcije z javno upravo in stopnjo razvoja e-uprave. Izjema je le Slovenija, kjer se stopnja interakcije z javnimi organi znižuje s povečevanjem stopnje razvitosti e-uprave. S primerjalno analizo smo pridobili boljši vpogled v stanje e-uprave v izbranih državah ter s tem prispevali k boljšemu razumevanju obravnavanega področja in k identifikaciji povezanosti razvitosti e-uprave z drugimi kazalniki razvoja države. ; There are many studies dealing with comparative evaluation of e-government. The reason for such popularity of comparative evaluation is the interest of different countries for a better insight into the current, specific phase of e-government development at the national level. At the same time, this insight reveals positive and negative aspects of development in comparison with other countries and emphasizes those aspects that need to be improved. The purpose of our study, which includes the analysis of the development of e-government in Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark and Estonia in 2014, 2015 and 2016, is to determine whether a correlation between the level of development of egovernment and other selected factors of the country's development (amount of gross domestic product, level of education, level of interaction with public authorities) exists in selected countries. In order to describe the key concepts of e-government and development indicators, a descriptive method was used, and with the comparative and statistical method we compared the measured value of the selected indicators. The findings of the analysis do not indicate the correlation between the level of GDP and the level of development of e-government. At the lower and middle level of education, there is a negative correlation, which means that smaller the proportions of the population with lower and secondary education are, higher is the level of development of e-government. The proportion of the population with higher education positively correlates with the level of e-government development. A strong positive correlation is also present between the level of interaction with public authorities and the level of egovernment development. The only exception is Slovenia, where the level of interaction with public authorities is decreasing by increasing the level of e-government development. With our comparative analysis we gained a better insight into the condition of egovernment in selected countries and thus contributed to a better understanding of the area as well as identified the connection between the development of e-government and other indicators of the country's development.

V uvodnem delu doktorske disertacije smo opredelili raziskovalni problem doktorske disertacije, in sicer proučevanje vpliva davčne kompleksnosti na davčno skladnost. Zapisali smo cilj, to je proučitev področja davčne skladnosti s posebnim poudarkom na stroških davčne skladnosti ter empirična preveritev lastnega modela merjenja makroekonomskih učinkov stroškov davčne skladnosti. Zastavili smo osnovno tezo doktorske disertacije, in sicer, ali zmanjšanje stroškov davčne skladnosti povzroča makroekonomske učinke ; v povezavi s tem smo zastavili deset hipotez. Uvodoma so predstavljeni še pričakovani izvirni znanstveni prispevki, uporabljene predpostavke in omejitve ter metode raziskovanja, uporabljene tako v teoretičnem kot empiričnem delu doktorske disertacije. V drugem poglavju smo zapisali teoretična izhodišča s področja davčne kompleksnosti v povezavi z davčno agresivnostjo in podali lastno opredelitev davčne kompleksnosti in davčne agresivnosti, pri čemer smo se oprli na znanstveno literaturo s tega področja. Predstavili smo vzroke in kazalnike davčne kompleksnosti ter podali izčrpen kvalitativni pregled dosedanjih raziskav o davčni kompleksnosti in davčni agresivnosti. V drugo poglavje doktorske disertacije smo vključili dve lastni empirični raziskavi, in sicer: raziskavo o spreminjanju davčnih predpisov primerjalno za Slovenijo, Avstrijo, Veliko Britanijo, Hrvaško, Bolgarijo, Madžarsko, Češko, Romunijo in Poljsko ; raziskavo cen revizijskih storitev za Slovenijo. Pomembna nova znanstvenoraziskovalna dognanja predstavljajo tudi nove spremenljivke davčne kompleksnosti, ki smo jih prepoznali za subjekte javnega interesa, katerih delnice kotirajo na organiziranem trgu. Tretje poglavje predstavljajo teoretična izhodišča s področja davčne skladnosti, kjer smo z uporabo znanstvene literature predstavili dosedanje teorije davčne skladnosti in vrste stroškov davčne skladnosti. Dodali smo lastno opredelitev davčne skladnosti. Podali smo izčrpen kvalitativen pregled raziskav davčne skladnosti ter raziskav o merjenju stroškov davčne skladnosti, ki so osnova za izvedbo naše glavne empirične raziskave. Pregled dosedanjih znanstvenih raziskav smo razdelili v tri skupine: raziskave o merjenju stroškov davčne skladnosti ; raziskave psiholoških stroškov, ki so posledica stresa in drugih dejavnikov pri doseganju davčne skladnosti ; raziskave stresa v računovodstvu. V tretje poglavje doktorske disertacije smo vključili lastno empirično raziskavo o organizacijskih in osebnostnih dejavnikih stresa ter zdravstvenih težavah v povezavi s stresom, ki jih imajo davčni zavezanci pri doseganju davčne skladnosti. V okviru istega poglavja smo predstavili makroekonomske učinke davčne (ne)skladnosti. V četrtem poglavju smo predstavili obstoječe modele merjenja stroškov davčne skladnosti in njihovo uporabno vrednost ter predstavili lasten predlog merjenja makroekonomskih učinkov stroškov davčne skladnosti. Peto poglavje predstavlja predstavitev inštrumentov za povečanje davčne skladnosti, kjer navajamo: predpise in orodja Evropske komisije za povečanje davčne skladnosti ; druge mednarodne predpise in orodja za povečanje davčne skladnosti ; sistem ocenjevanja davčnega sistema, kaznovanje davčnih prekrškov kot inštrument za povečanje davčne skladnosti, upravljanje s tveganji davčne skladnosti in ostale inštrumente za povečanje davčne skladnosti. V peto poglavje doktorske disertacije smo vključili lastno empirično raziskavo o vrednotenju zakonodaje. V okviru istega poglavja smo predstavili še značilnosti Indeksa spoštovanja pravne države, ki se v Svetu že uporablja, ter lasten koeficient spreminjanja davčnih predpisov kot novo znanstvenoraziskovalno dognanje. Teoretičnemu delu sledi v šestem poglavju empirični del, v katerem smo predstavili raziskovalno delo. Uvodoma smo v šestem poglavju predstavili cilje raziskave, hipoteze doktorske disertacije, potek raziskave in uporabljene raziskovalne metode ter opredelili temeljne konstrukte znanstvene raziskave. ; In the introductory part we defined the research problem of the doctoral dissertation, namely, the study of the impact of Tax Complexity on Tax Compliance. We have recorded the objective, namely, the study of the field of Tax Compliance, with a special emphasis on the Costs of Tax Compliance and empirical verification of our own Model For Measuring The Macroeconomic Effects Of Tax Compliance Costs. We have established the basic thesis of the doctoral dissertation, namely, whether the reduction of the Costs of Tax Compliance causes macroeconomic effects ; In this connection, we have raised ten hypotheses. The introduction of the original scientific contributions, the assumptions and limitations were used, and the methods of research are presented used in both the theoretical and the empirical parts of the doctoral dissertation. In the second Chapter, we wrote the theoretical background in the field of Tax Complexity in relation to Tax Aggression, and presented our own definition of Tax Complexity and Tax Aggressiveness, based on scientific literature in this field. We presented the causes and indicators of Tax Complexity, and provided an exhaustive qualitative overview of the previous studies on Tax Complexity and Tax Aggression. In the second chapter of the doctoral dissertation, we included two of our own empirical researches, namely: A study on changing tax regulations, comparable for Slovenia, Austria, Great Britain, Croatia, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania and Poland ; a survey of the prices of audit services for Slovenia. Significant new scientific research findings also present new variables of Tax Complexity, which we have identified for Public Interest Entities whose shares are listed on the organized market. The third Chapter presents the theoretical background in the area of Tax Compliance, where, using scientific literature, we presented the current Tax Compliance Theory and the types of Tax Compliance Costs. We have added our own definition of Tax Compliance. We have provided a comprehensive qualitative overview of research on Tax Compliance and research on the measurement of Tax Compliance Costs, which are the basis for conducting our main empirical research. An overview of the current scientific research has been divided into three groups: Surveys on measuring the Costs of Tax Compliance ; investigation of Psychological Costs arising from Stress and other factors in achieving Tax Compliance ; stress research in accounting. In the third chapter of the doctoral dissertation, we included our own empirical research on organizational and personality factors of stress, and health problems related to the stress that taxpayers have in achieving Tax Compliance. Within the same chapter, we presented the macroeconomic effects of Tax (non)compliance. In the fourth Chapter, we presented the existing models for measuring the Costs of Tax Compliance and their useful value, and presented our own proposal for measuring the Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Compliance Costs. Chapter 5 presents a presentation of Instruments to increase Tax Compliance, stating: European Commission Regulations and Tools to increase Tax Compliance ; other international rules and tools to increase Tax Compliance ; the system of assessing the tax system, penalizing tax offenses as an instrument for increasing Tax Compliance, managing the risks of Tax Compliance and other instruments for increasing Tax Compliance. In the fifth chapter of the doctoral dissertation, we included our own empirical research on the evaluation of legislation. In the same chapter, we also presented the characteristics of the Rule of Law Index already in use in the Council, as well as our own coefficient of changing tax regulations as a new scientific and research knowledge. The theoretical part of the trace in the sixth Chapter is the empirical part, in which we presented the research work.

V izbranem obdobju 2003–2012 smo s pomočjo nekaterih glavnih ekonomskih kazalnikov uspeli preučiti gospodarske razmere Slovenije in Hrvaške ter ugotovili, da se je po letu 2008 z začetkom finančne in gospodarske krize gospodarska aktivnost začela zmanjševati ter s tem vplivala na poslabšanje vseh ekonomskih kazalnikov. Stopnje gospodarske rasti so tako v letu 2012 bile negativne v obeh državah, prav tako se je v obeh državah zmanjšal pokazatelj gospodarske razvitosti, BDP na prebivalca po pariteti kupne moči, ki je v Sloveniji leta 2012 znašal 84 % povprečja EU-28, na Hrvaškem pa le 62 % evropskega povprečja. Po uradnih statističnih podatkih je nacionalna raven cen v letu 2012 v Sloveniji dosegla 82,9 % povprečja EU-28, medtem ko je na Hrvaškem dosegla 69,9 % evropskega povprečja. V empiričnem delu smo analizirali ravni cen 578 artiklov blaga in 91 storitev, najprej na nacionalni ravni med Slovenijo in Hrvaško, nato pa še med posameznima paroma mest Ljubljana-Zagreb in Maribor-Varaždin. Ugotovili smo naslednje:Raven cen opazovanega vzorca blaga in storitev je v Sloveniji za 13 % višja v primerjavi s Hrvaško. Raven cen opazovanega vzorca blaga in storitev je v Ljubljani za 15 % višja v primerjavi z Zagrebom. Raven cen opazovanega vzorca blaga in storitev je v Mariboru za 12 % višja v primerjavi z Varaždinom. Med Slovenijo in Hrvaško ter med posameznima paroma mest Ljubljana-Zagreb in Maribor-Varaždin obstaja sorazmerno visoka stopnja podobnosti drobnoprodajnih cen. Relativna kupna moč slovenskih plač je v primerjavi s hrvaškimi višja za dobro petino. ; Between the selected period 2003–2012 we were able to examine economic conditions of Slovenia and Croatia with the help of some of the major economic indicators and found out that after 2008 with the beginning of the financial and economic crisis, economic activity began to decline, thereby affecting the deterioration of economic indicators. In 2012 the economic growth rates were negative in both countries, as well as the indicator of economic development has been reduced. GDP per capita in purchasing power parity in Slovenia has reached 84 % of the EU-28 average and Croatia only 62 % of the European average. According to the official statistical data, the national price level in 2012 in Slovenia reached 82,9 % of the EU-28 average, while in Croatia it has reached 69,9 % of the European average. In the empirical part, we have analyzed the price levels of 578 goods and 91 services, at first on the national level between Slovenia and Croatia, and then by individual pairs of cities Ljubljana-Zagreb in Maribor-Varaždin. We have found out the following: The price level of the observed sample of goods and services is 13 % higher in Slovenia as compared to Croatia. The price level of the observed sample of goods and services is 15 % higher in Ljubljana as compared to Zagreb. The price level of the observed sample of goods and services is 12 % higher in Maribor as compared to Varaždin. Between Slovenia and Croatia, and between pairs of cities Ljubljana-Zagreb in Maribor-Varaždin, there is a relatively high degree of retail price similarity. Slovenian relative purchasing power of wages is higher by about one fifth in comparison with the Croatian.

Predstavniška demokracija se je v zgodovini soočala s številnimi izzivi. Kljub temu da je izjemno fleksibilen pojav in da se je ob pojavu krize poskuša prilagoditi, pa se zaradi krize predstavniške demokracije pojavljajo različne ideologije. Osnovni namen dela je predstaviti razvoj predstavniške demokracije in populizem kot pojav, ki je nastal kot posledica težav znotraj predstavniške demokracije. V prvem delu bodo prikazani predstavniška demokracija, različni modeli ter ključni aparati predstavniške demokracije. V drugem delu sledijo kazalci krize predstavniške demokracije v Evropi ter izzivi, s katerimi se sooča. V zadnjem delu bo govora o ideologiji populizma, ki je predvsem v zadnjih dveh desetletjih doživel razcvet, zlasti v evropskih državah. S primerjavo levičarskega populističnega primera in desničarskega populističnega primera bo laže razumeti koncept populizma, ki ima v evropskem prostoru velik pomen. Ugotovili smo, da je populizem pomemben člen demokracije, in sicer predvsem na področjih participacije in mobilizacije ljudi. Populizem na oblasti pokaže drug obraz, takrat lahko postane dejavnik, ki kakovost demokracije slabša. ; Representative democracy has faced many challenges in the past. Despite the fact that it is an extremely flexible phenomenon and that it seeks to adjust in the event of a crisis, various ideologies occur because of the crisis of representative democracy. The main purpose of the master's thesis is to present the development of representative democracy and populism as a phenomenon that emerged as a result of problems within representative democracy. In the first part representative democracy, various models and key apparatus of representative democracy will be presented. The second part shows the indicators of the crisis of representative democracy in Europe and the challenges it faces. In the final part, we will discuss the ideology of populism, which has been booming particularly in the last two decades and especially in European countries. By comparing the left-wing populist example and the right-wing populist example, it will be easier to understand the concept of populism, which has great significance in the European area. We have found that populism is an important part of democracy, especially in the fields of participation and mobilization of people. Populism in power shows another face, then it can become a factor that worsenes the quality of democracy.

Magistrsko delo v ospredje postavlja razvojno tematiko, ki predstavlja enega izmed najpomembnejših področij Organizacije združenih narodov. Zametki oblikovanja organizacije segajo že v čas druge svetovne vojne, ustanovljena pa je bila po koncu vojne z namenom ohranjati mir in varnost v svetu. Čeprav je organizacija najbolj prepoznavna po mirovnih operacijah, pa največji delež sredstev nameni ekonomskemu in socialnemu razvoju. Razvojna desetletja, ki jih je organizacija postopno oblikovala in uresničevala, so prinesla velik premik v razumevanju koncepta razvoja (od strogo ekonomskega do multidisciplinarnega). Ta desetletja so nasledili Milenijski razvojni cilji. Bili so prvi merljivi cilji – s kazalniki je bilo mogoče meriti in ocenjevati njihov napredek. Leta 2015 so jih nasledili Cilji trajnostnega razvoja. Ne razvojna desetletja ne Milenijski razvojni cilji niso uspeli v celoti uresničiti zastavljenih ciljev. Vzroki za to so različni, magistrsko delo pa ponuja še dodaten vidik razumevanja delovanja Organizacije združenih narodov in njene nezmožnosti uresničevanja zastavljenih ciljev. Izmerjeno elektromagnetno polje organizacije pokaže, da organizacija zaradi nepretočnosti energij ni zmožna delovati skladno z zastavljenimi načeli in cilji, zapisanimi v Ustanovni listini. Ta problem pa je mogoče rešiti le s transformacijo zavesti ljudi in s srčno (ne le razumsko) zavezanostjo k uresničevanju ciljev. ; The Master's thesis focuses on the topic of development which represents one of the most important areas of the United Nations. The organization was formally established after the Second World War with the aim to preserve peace and security in the world, but its conception had already began during the war. Although the organization is best known for peacekeeping operations, it devotes the largest share of resources to economic and social development. The development decades, that the organization gradually developed and realised, were a major contribution to the understanding of the concept of development (from a strictly economic to multidisciplinary). These decades were followed by the Millennium Development Goals. They were the first measurable goals – with the help of indicators it was possible to measure and assess their progress. In 2015 they were replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals. Neither the development decades nor the Millennium Development Goals were able to fully realize the set goals. There are various reasons for this, but this Master's thesis offers an additional aspect of understanding the functioning of the United Nations and its inability to meet the set goals. The measured electromagnetic field of the organization shows that it is unable to function in accordance with the principles and goals written in the Charter due to a lack of energy flow. This problem can only be solved by transforming the people's consciousness and by a heartful (not only rational) commitment to the attainment of goals.

V današnjem času se soočamo s številnimi varnostnimi grožnjami, med katerimi se pojavljajo tudi naravne nesreče, (ne)nalezljive bolezni ter lakota in žeja. Vpliv na manifestacijo teh groženj je moč posredno ali neposredno pripisati tudi stanju v našem okolju. V Evropi Zahodni Balkan izstopa s slabšim stanjem okolja in z višjo stopnjo okoljske degradacije v primerjavi s preostalimi regijami na kontinentu. V tem magistrskem delu sem preučeval stanje okolja v državah Zahodnega Balkana ter njegovo povezavo z varnostno paradigmo. Pri tem sem uporabil kombinacijo različnih raziskovalnih metod: analiza primarnih in sekundarnih virov, deskriptivna metoda, metoda primerjalne analize ter analiza statističnih podatkov. Prek analize sem ugotovil povezanost med stanjem okolja in varnostnimi grožnjami. Najvišjo stopnjo ogrožanja zaradi stanja okolja sta po indikatorjih imeli BiH in Črna gora, medtem ko sta najnižjo stopnjo ogrožanja zaradi stanja okolja imeli Severna Makedonija in Albanija. Pozitivni del okoljske varnostne paradigme Zahodnega Balkana, v primerjavi s preteklostjo, so zvišanje kakovosti vodnih virov ; gradnja sanitarne, vodne in okolju prijazne energetske infrastrukture, ter izboljšanje pravnih in regulativnih okvirjev za zaščito in varovanje okolja. Kljub napredku se Zahodni Balkan še vedno sooča z nekaterimi okoljskimi izzivi, kot so slabo stanje ozračja, slabo upravljanje z odpadki, ter slaba implementacija okoljskih strategij in pravnih aktov. Države Zahodnega Balkana bodo tako v prihodnosti morale še veliko postoriti za izboljšanje stanja svojega okolja, s čimer bi se znižala ogroženost ljudi, ki na tem prostoru živijo. ; We are currently facing numerous security threats, including natural disasters, diseases, hunger, and thirst. Some of the influence for the manifestation of these threats can be ascribed, either directly or indirectly, to the condition of our environment. In Europe, the region of the Western Balkans stands out as being in one of the worst environmental conditions and having some of the worst levels of environmental degradation, when compared to other regions. In this Master's thesis I studied the condition of the environment in the states of the Western Balkans and its connection with the security paradigm. I utilised the following research methods: primary and secondary source analysis, descriptive method, comparative analysis, and statistical analysis. Through this analysis I established the connection between the condition of the environment and security threats. According to the indicators, the two states with the highest security risk due to environmental conditions were Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, while the two states which had the lowest risk were North Macedonia and Albania. The positive parts of the environmental security paradigm of the Western Balkans, when compared to the past, are the increase in the quality of water sources, the construction of sanitation and water treatment infrastructure, the construction of environmentally friendly energy infrastructure, and the improvement of legal and regulatory frameworks for the protection of the environment. Despite this progress, the Western Balkans are still facing problems such as poor air quality, inadequate waste management, and poor implementation of environmental strategies and legal acts. The states of the Western Balkans, therefore, still have a long way to go in order to improve the condition of their environment, which would also lower the security threat to the people who live in the region.

Obnovljivi viri energije so viri prihodnosti. Hidroenergija je pomemben obnovljiv vir energije, treba pa je vzeti v zakup, da ima izgradnja hidroelektrarne določen vpliv na okolje. Slovenija na področju rabe električne energije še zdaleč ni samozadostna in je v veliki meri odvisna od uvoza. V Sloveniji imamo velik potencial pri obnovljivih virih energije, vendar ga na žalost premalo izkoriščamo, predvsem zaradi različnih birokratskih oziroma slabo argumentiranih razlogov. Eden večjih, premalo izkoriščenih obnovljivih virov energije je tudi hidroenergija. Reka Sava je naša najdaljša reka, ki je energetsko že izkoriščena v zgornjem in spodnjem delu, srednji del pa je trenutno energetsko neizkoriščen. Predvideva se gradnja verige hidroelektrarn na srednji Savi, v nalogi sem ekonomsko preučil gradnjo prvih treh hidroelektrarn v verigi, in sicer HE Suhadol, HE Trbovlje in HE Renke. Vse tri obravnavane HE so pretočno-akumulacijskega tipa. V nalogi sem finančno ovrednotil prihodke od prodaje električne energije in odhodke, vezane na financiranje naložbe ter samo obratovanje. Naložba izkazuje pozitivne ekonomsko merljive kazalnike, prav tako interna stopnja donosnosti presega določeno z uredbo. V nalogi je za naložbo izdelana tudi analiza občutljivosti za najpomembnejše parametre. Naložba je vsekakor ekonomsko opravičljiva in potrebna za zagotovitev energetske neodvisnosti in hkrati za izpolnitev obljube o samozadostnosti. Treba se je zavedati, da neizpolnjevanje obljube EU o rabi obnovljivih virov energije, pomeni plačevanje kazni, ki pa vsekakor ni zanemarljiva. ; Renewable energy sources are the sources of the future. Hydropower is an important resource, but we have to keep in mind that the construction of a hydroelectric power plant has a certain environmental impact. Slovenia is still far from being self-sufficient in the field of the use of electrical energy and largely depends on imports. Our country has a great potential for renewable energy sources, but they are unfortunately underutilized, mainly for various bureaucratic reasons. One of the larger underutilized renewables is hydropower. River Sava is our longest river and is already being exploited for energy in the upper and lower part, but the middle is still neglected and currently underutilized. There is a plan of a construction of a chain of hydroelectric power plants in the middle Sava region. In my thesis, I economically examined the construction of the first three power plants in the chain, namely HPP Suhadol, HPP Trbovlje and HPP Renke. All three considered are of the flow-reservoir type. In the assignment, I financially evaluated the revenue from the sale of the electricity and included the expenses, related to the financing of the investment, and the operation itself. The investment shows positive economically measurable indicators and the internal rate of return exceeds the stipulated by the regulation as well. The thesis also includes a sensitivity analysis for the most important parameters. In any case, the investment is economically viable and necessary for ensuring energy independence, while fulfilling the promise of self-sufficiency. It is crucial to keep in mind that failure to deliver on the EU's promise to use renewable sources means paying penalties, which is certainly not insignificant.

Izziv za raziskovanje predstavlja analiza, koliko denarnih sredstev Latvija in Slovenija prispevata v proračun EU ter koliko se v izbrani državi vrne preko evropskih skladov. Namen analize v magistrskem delu je analizirati področja, ki jih ti dve državi prednostno obravnavata in njuno učinkovitost pri doseganju zastavljenih ciljev v finančni perspektivi 2014 - 2020. Opisovanje dejstev in pojmov ter njihovo preučevanje na podlagi tuje in domače strokovne literature temelji na metodi deskripcije. Zbiranje številčnih podatkov in statističnih analiz je izvedeno s kvantitativno metodo. Z metodo komparacije je bila izvedena primerjava med državama, z metodo kompilacije pa je bila izvedena potrditev oziroma zavrnitev hipotez. Z analizo je bilo ugotovljeno, da prebivalec Latvije prejme več sredstev iz skladov EU kot prebivalec Slovenije, kljub temu, da prebivalec Slovenije prispeva v proračun EU več kot prebivalec Latvije. Prejeta sredstva kohezijskega sklada na prebivalca so odvisna od BDP na prebivalca in tako vplivajo na razvitost države. Latvija iz kohezijskega sklada prejme več sredstev kot Slovenija, ima pa nižji BDP na prebivalca kot Slovenija. Slovenija uspešneje črpa sredstva Evropskega socialnega sklada in sredstva za področje razvoja in inovacij. Analiza pripomore k temu, da bo pri naslednji finančni perspektivi omogočena večja učinkovitost pri pridobivanju in koriščenju sredstev EU. Analiza je pokazatelj uspešnosti držav pri črpanju sredstev, ugotavlja pa tudi kazalnike porabljenih sredstev. Z uspešnim črpanjem sredstev iz evropskih skladov je mogoč razvoj in rast v državi, predvsem na področju gospodarskega, ekonomskega in socialnega stanja. ; A challenge for the research is mainly to analyse how much money do Latvia and Slovenia contribute to the European Union's budget and how much money do they recompensate from the European funds. The purpose of the analysis is to find out which areas do the two countries treat with the highest priority and also to find out how effective they are in achieving the set goals of the 2014 – 2020 financial perspective. Description of facts and concepts, as well as their study on the basis of foreign and domestic scientific literature, was based on the method of description. Collection of numerical data and statistical analyses were carried out using the quantitative method. The comparison method was used to conduct a comparison between the countries, whereas the compilation method was used to confirm or reject the hypotheses. The analysis showed that a resident of Latvia receives more financial means from the EU funds than a resident of Slovenia. Furthermore, the latter also contributes more to the EU budget than the resident of Latvia. Cohesion fund's received financial means per capita depend on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and thus affect the country's development. Latvia receives more such means and also has lower GDP per capita than Slovenia. However, Slovenia is more efficient at using the resources of the European Social Fund and Funds for research and innovation. The analysis that was carried out aids in the improvement of next financial perspective to be more efficient in gaining and using the EU funds. It is also an indicator of how successful both countries are when it comes to using EU funds and what are the indicators of the funds used. The successful absorption of European funds enables the development and growth of the country, especially in the economic and social perspective.

Staranje prebivalstva v Sloveniji, Evropski uniji (EU) in v drugih državah po svetu zahteva določene prilagoditve in spremembe v družbi, ki bodo omogočale kakovostno življenje vseh generacij. Namen članka je predstaviti koncept srebrne ekonomije in aktivnega staranja, ki vplivata na javno in individualno porabo treh skupin starejših; tistih, ki so dejavni, tistih, ki so krhkega zdravja in tistih, ki so v stanju odvisnosti. K spremembam demografske slike prispevajo tudi novi vzorci, kot je večje število enočlanskih gospodinjstev, selitve v mesta, ki vodijo v depopulacijo podeželskih območij, beg možganov in tudi v migracijske tokove. Z raziskavo smo ugotavljali stanje aktivnosti starostnikov v pretežno podeželskih občinah Pesnica in Kungota, ki sodita v ruralno območje Podravske regije. Anketirali smo starejše občane in zbrane podatke primerjali s prosto dostopnimi podatki statističnih baz in z rezultati indeksa aktivnega staranja v državah EU. Po indeksu aktivnega staranja se slovenski starostniki, v primerjavi s starostniki v EU, starajo precej neaktivno. Na slovenskih podeželskih območjih, kjer je delež starejših oseb višji kot v mestih, so starostniki sicer aktivni, vendar ne na vseh obravnavanih področjih. Ena izmed vzpodbud za aktivno staranje je srebrna ekonomija, ki hkrati predstavlja tudi odlično priložnost za gospodarski in družbeni razvoj. Z vključevanjem in upoštevanjem starejših generacij, z vzpodbujanjem aktivnega staranja in s pričakovanim razvojem dejavnosti srebrne ekonomije se bo povečal delež aktivnega prebivalstva na podeželju, ki bo vplival na izboljšanje gospodarskih razmer in dvig kakovosti življenja. ; The age structure of a population is changing, in Slovenia as well as in many countries of the EU and other regions of the world. The process of population ageing requires adjustments and social and economic changes that will enable the quality of life for all generations. The article is based on an economic and social analysis of existing resources and on our own research. A critical review of the literature, secondary sources, and websites dedicated to demographic problems, the silver economy, and the quality of life of the elderly was conducted. We conducted a survey of the elderly population of the municipalities of Pesnica and Kungota, which lie in the Podravska statistical region in the Republic of Slovenia. The silver economy enables the social and economic development of individual geographical areas with potential for new markets and economic activities. In this context, it is necessary to ensure access to sustainable long-term care systems for active and healthy ageing. The concept covers lifelong learning, intergenerational cooperation, research and innovation, and institutional change. In 2017, Slovenia with Strategija dolge družbe (Active Ageing Strategy) accepted the conceptual framework of the proposed changes in the areas of: the labor market and education of the elderly; independent, healthy and safe living; involvement and participation in society and the creation of capacities and environments for activity in all stages of life. All these areas coincide with the scheme of an internationally comparable system of active ageing index indicators. The research was used to determine the activity status of 81 older people in the Podravje region, in the predominantly rural municipalities of Kungota and Pesnica. There were no employees among the respondents. The survey involved active pensioners who were mainly engaged in gardening, hobbies and farming. We note that the respondents are quite independent, physically active and in good health. While independence or autonomy of the elderly is not called into question, financial security is a matter of concern, as most respondents receive low monthly incomes. The analysis of the state of activities of the elderly shows the potential for the development of the silver economy, which would help increase the income of the elderly through active policies and projects of all participants at the local and regional level (Quadruple Helix). An important area is capacity and the environment, which enable active ageing. The research showed that some respondents use ICT for educational purposes or they learn to use a computer, while others use ICT to communicate. We did not perceive social exclusion, isolation or loneliness among the respondents. The most common forms of communication are getting together with relatives and friends. The identified characteristics of the rural area in question provide insight into the situation and opportunities in the field of active ageing and at the same time indicate areas where there is potential for the development of the silver economy.