This article focuses on the characteristics and the position of municipal presidential parties in the municipalities in the Silesian region. The article based on the results of the City Council elections in the years 2006–2014. Municipal presidential parties are defined as local initiatives created by independent Mayors. These parties were created as a result of the change in law connected with the mayoral elections. The analysis demonstrates that in the majority of municipalities in the Silesian Voivodeship initiatives that are described are relevant to local politics. Moreover, it presents significant differences among all the cities to their relevance. The article extends the analysis of urban move-ments in the biggest cities of the Silesian Voivodeship by the category of the municipal presidential parties which constitute one of the models of the described entities.
The article analyzes the situation of the Roma people in the Lubuskie Region in the years 1945-1989. Being part of the so-called “Western Territories”, the Lubuskie Region, first as the Zielona Góra Voivodship and later divided into Zielona Góra Voivodship and Gorzów Voivodship, attracted a number of ethnic minorities, including Gypsies. “e article presents how local political and security authorities reacted to the presence of the Roma people, adapting central laws, most notably the 1964 forced settlement bill, to local situation. In their analysis, the authors use documents held in various local and central archives, including the Institute of National Remembrance archive and Ministry of the Interior archive.
The paper discusses the problem of post-penitentiary assistance as a form of support to prisoners who undergo a process of preparation to live at large and need help in their local communities. A major aim of post-penitentiary assistance is not only to prevent social exclusion of prisoners and their families but also their relapse into crime. Various assistance activities are undertaken to achieve this aim including those organised by post-penitentiary and local council institutions and district offices, welfare centres, culture and educational establishments and non-goverment organisations which function at the municipal level. These activities could be observed in particular Polish towns during the partition of Poland when schools and local associations undertook initiatives regarding assistance to prisoners. It is worth noting that in 1918-1939, various forms of support activities were organised by associations such as the ones mentioned above, including ”Patronat” and municipalities, welfare centres, museums, schools and local parishes. Nowadays, local policy plays an important role in post-penitentiary assistance, particularly when a sentence is served. Remand centres, correction institutions cooperate under various projects with local councils and non-government institutions to prepare convicts to live at large.
Public governance constitutes an integral part of the state, and so it cannot be analysed in separation from the whole of the state's political structure. The predominant concentration of power and influence on the highest level of the state’s structure is a threat to diversity, cultural richness and the idea of participation of local communities. It leads to dull uniformity and thoughtless execution of official procedures. The quality of governance depends on the ability of the state to effectively manage diversity. The optimal strategy of a contemporary state is to consolidate the idea of lawfulness with that of service for the interests of the citizens and for the generally understood humanism. This is why we presently witness an increasing interest in improving the quality of administration and developing new ways of governance. Enhancing administrative quality evokes hopes that the citizen can become someone of import to the state official and to the public servant.
Artykuł stanowi część cyklu publikacji poświęconych działalności rad młodzieżowych w lokalnych wspólnotach samorządowych. W niniejszej pracy skoncentrowano się na przedstawieniu funkcji pełnionych przez tego typu podmioty oraz próbie odpowiedzi na pytanie, która z funkcji realizowanych przez rady młodzieżowe, w opinii radnych, pełni kluczowe znaczenie. Artykuł został opracowany na podstawie badań empirycznych (badań ilościowych) z wykorzystaniem kwestionariusza ankiety. Badania zrealizowano w 18 miastach wojewódzkich w Polsce, a ich celem jest poszerzenie dyskusji na temat funkcjonowania rad młodzieżowych jako podmiotów ustrukturyzowanych przy jednostkach samorządu terytorialnego.
EN
The article is part of a series of publications on the activities of youth councils in local selfgovernment communities. It focuses on describing the functions performed by such entities and attempts to answer the question about which of the functions performed by youth councils is of key importance in the opinion of councillors. The article is based on empirical research (quantitative research) conducted using a questionnaire. The research was carried out in 18 voivodship cities in Poland, and its aim is to expand the discussion on the functioning of youth councils as structured entities within local self-government units.