STUDYING ONLINE COMMUNITIES IN SEARCH OF A NEW PUBLIC SPHERE

Ioana CĂRTĂRESCU PETRICĂ, PhD. Candidate

Faculty of Sociology and Social Assistance, University of Bucharest

POSDRU Scholar (POSDRU/159/1.5/S/141086)

ABSTRACT: Ever since the emergence the internet, people have used it to exchange ideas, values, to communicate on matters of public and private interest. Soon, countless online communication platforms, communities and social networks were created to cater to this need. On the background of a deepening failure of traditional media to promote an inclusive, democratic, reflexive public dialogue, more and more researchers are looking to the more egalitarian new media as a hope for a revitalized public sphere. At the same time, others argue that these new communication platforms are unsuited for generating more than private opinions and pose a great number of challenges of their own. However, regardless of the stance taken, many of these researchers have attempted to solve the problem of the ability of online communities to foster a new public sphere by asking the wrong questions and not asking some important right ones. This paper seeks to draw attention to some crucial elements that must be taken into consideration by anyone who is interested in the subject of a possible online public sphere, shifting focus from the “if” such a reality could be possible and directing it towards the “what would it need in order to happen”.

KEYWORDS: public sphere, online communities, Habermas, public opinion, new media.

BRIBERY AND BUREAUCRACY COSTS IN TRANSITION ECONOMIES - THE CASES OF THE SEE COUNTRIES

Jeton ZOGJANI, MSc. Graduate

University of Prishtina, Fushë - Kosovë, Kosovo

Malësor KELMENDI, MSc. Candidate

University of Prishtina, Prishtinë, Kosovo

ABSTRACT: This research paper focuses on institutional corruption, the level of involvement of bribery and bureaucracy in transition countries, economic growth in these countries. In addition, other important economic issues are being scrutinized (such as: macroeconomic environment, public infrastructure, government effectiveness and judicial independence) in transition economies, with special focus South Eastern European countries. The results of the regression analysis and correlation matrix have shown that economic growth has a positive impact and a positive correlation on bribery and favoritism. Nevertheless, economic growth has shown negative impact and negative correlation on bureaucracy. Finally and quite interesting, all variables in T-statistical analyses have shown non- significance on bribery and bureaucracy cost.

KEYWORDS: corruption, economic growth, macroeconomic environment, regression analysis, STATA program.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL SUBSTANTIVE ISSUE OF THE SUSPENSION FROM OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF ROMANIA DURING TRAIAN BĂSESCU’S MANDATES

Cristina MANOLACHE, PhD. Candidate

Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest

President of the Romanian Association of Young Scholars (RAYS)

ABSTRACT: Provided by few other Constitutions throughout Europe, the suspension from office of the head of state is a form of political accountability. Initiated and approved by the Parliament, with a mere consultative role of the Constitutional Court, this procedure has been unsuccessfully used in post-communist Romania on two occasions: in April 2007, during President Traian Băsescu’s first term of office and in July 2012, during his second term. The aim of this paper is to examine the allegations invoked by the initiators of the suspension from office proposal, which they considered sufficient to trigger the political accountability of the President. In order to do so, the methods of thematic content and discourse analysis will be employed with regard to primary sources such as: the suspension proposal documents drafted by the Social Democrats and the National Liberals, with the support of few other smaller parties, the transcripts of the parliamentary debates on the procedural and on the substantive issue of the suspension proposal, as well as the Constitutional Court’s advisory opinion on both occasions. Finally, this paper concludes that the suspension from office of the Head of State has been used as a political tool and is one of the most dramatic consequences of the dysfunctional cohabitation periods in post-communist Romania.

KEYWORDS: Constitutional Court, political accountability, President of Romania, suspension procedures.