The article analyzes the Punic Wars as a prototypical conflict between two fundamental economic paradigms: the network-based (“flow economy”) model of Carthage and the territorial-administrative (“land economy”) model of Rome. It is demonstrated that this confrontation is not merely a historically localized event, but an archetypal one, shaping the long-term dynamics of the global economy. Particular attention is paid to the theoretical substantiation of this dichotomy as a universal analytical framework. The primary historical reincarnations of these paradigms are identified–from medieval merchant republics to modern digital platforms. The permanence of this conflict is justified, as it manifests in contemporary contradictions between global network actors and nation-states.

Labor productivity is a key indicator of socioeconomic development and an important benchmark for state economic policy. In the context of the implementation of the new federal project “Labor Productivity” and the need to achieve national targets, developing a systems-based approach to managing labor productivity across the entire economy is particularly relevant. The aim of this study is to develop a system-based understanding of the goals and mechanisms of labor productivity management in the Russian Federation at the macro, sectoral, and organizational levels and to substantiate development directions for these systems in the current conditions. The research methods included the analysis of regulatory and policy documents, statistical and comparative analysis of labor productivity and employment indicators by economic sector, and a systems-based approach. The analysis substantiates the need to shift from primarily targeted measures to improve labor productivity to a multi-level management system encompassing the system, sectoral, and organizational levels. A conceptual model of labor productivity management is pro- posed, focused on the institutional synchronization of national projects, industry programs, and productivity-improvement tools, as well as the development of a productivity culture as a prerequisite for the sustainability of achieved results.

The subject of this study is the phenomenon of the validity (reasonableness) and, consequently, the unreasonableness of goals in domestic state governance. This theme is a logical continuation of the study of the problem of achievability of goals, which is closely related to the quality of state governance. A study of the scientific literature on this topic has shown the urgent problem in many areas of state governance. An analysis of the phenomenon’s manifestation in practice has allowed us to identify nine different types of unreasonable- ness that occur in relation to both qualitative and quantitative goals. The main reasons why the unreasonableness of goal setting takes place in the domestic state governance are high- lighted. The most significant consequences of the practice of unreasonable goal setting for both state governance and the Russian economy are described. A theoretical comprehension of goal reasonableness phenomenon facilitates to describe the conditions or components of the validity of goal-setting, that are relevance, achievability and optimality, and the latter as a special case includes effectiveness. In conclusion, recommendations to reduce the severity of the problem of unjustified goals in Russian state governance are formulated. In particular, it is important to understand that the adoption of unreasonable goals often leads to the failure to achieve these goals, so huge amounts of federal and other budgets are spent without proper results. Therefore, increasing the validity (reasonableness) of the goal setting and, accordingly, revising the newly proposed and already approved goals of state governance for their validity (reasonableness) 1) would increase the achievability of state governance goals; 2) would free up significant amounts of the federal budget, significantly reduce the problem of the federal budget deficit.

The aim of this study, which forms the basis of the article, is to assess the level of unmet medical needs in Russia and the factors associated with them. The analysis is based on data from the 2021 International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), the most recent representative data available on this topic. Unmet need was measured by asking whether respondents had, in the past 12 months, been unable to receive necessary medical care due to issues of accessibility (cost), availability (waiting time), or acceptability (time constraints). Waiting time was the most frequently reported reason. Individuals with health problems, as well as young people, were more likely to experience unmet needs for all reasons. Women, single individuals, residents of small towns, and people with low socioeconomic status or without insurance more often faced financial barriers; employed residents of large cities using alternative medicine reported time-related barriers; and people with secondary or higher education, low socioeconomic status, urban residents, and users of traditional or alternative medicine experienced barriers due to waiting times. The identified patterns highlight the need for policies aimed at improving equal access to medical care and the efficiency of the healthcare system.

The purpose of the study is to identify the population groups in the Republic of Dagestan according to the peculiarities of socio-economic behavior and life support strategies. The study was conducted using machine learning methods based on multidimensional data analysis algorithms. Using the cluster analysis on Rosstat’s Household Budget Survey data for 2016–2023, five population types with different behavioral patterns were identified. Among them, the dominant model stands out (42% of the population), in which the economic stability of households located mainly in rural areas is achieved not through the labor market and social transfers, but through the resources of the extended household and subsistence production. The natural income in this group exceeds the national level by 3,5 times. This cluster is organically supplemented by underage household members of the above group, which makes up 62% of the sample. A separate group of the rural population is consisted of rural pensioners, whose well-being relies mainly on federal support, in contrast to urban pensioners, whose incomes depend mainly on regional sources. These two groups are not very numerous (3,8 and 4,5% of the sample, respectively). About 30% of the sample includes the active urban population. The results of the study indicate the low effectiveness of standard social policy instruments (monetary benefits to individuals) for a significant part of the region’s population and the need to move to the development of rural infrastructure, as well as the development of targeted socio-demographic policy, taking into account the identified regional specifics.

This study introduces a novel methodology for assessing well-being, based on analyzing leisure time allocation among working-age individuals. The research constructs a latent well-being variable using measures of human capital (health and education) and material conditions (income). Applying a MIMIC model to the Sample Observation of Daily Time Use by the Population data (N = 52,177), we demonstrate a robust relationship between the latent well-being variable and leisure time allocation decisions. Our analysis classifies lei- sure activities into those positively, negatively, and nonlinearly associated with well-being levels, also revealing gender-based differences in well-being determinants during both workdays and weekends. The findings can be utilized in developing measures aimed at enhancing the quality of life and well-being of the population.

The West’s desire to maintain global economic dominance and curb the growth of developing countries has made the global energy market, and the oil market in particular, an arena of geopolitical confrontation. The study found that, under sanctions pressure, a key element of Russia’s energy strategy was the reorientation of oil exports to fast-growing Asian markets, which helped offset the loss of European customers. Despite the introduction of price caps and logistics restrictions, export volumes remained stable thanks to existing and established infrastructure, as well as long-term contracts with partners. A combination of market diversification, a flexible tax policy, and strengthened partnerships with countries considered undesirable by the West ensured Russia’s resilience under sanctions. At the same time, it is important to recognize that pressure on Russia, as well as the risks of further fragmentation of global energy markets, are increasing. In this regard, there is a rising need to take measures to minimize these risks, including the development of alternative financial mechanisms that reduce dependence on the dollar system.

The article presents an analysis of foreign trade’s development of the EU for the last decades. The main tendencies including the weakening of the EU positions in world trade are shown. Using the Revealed Comparative Advantage Index (RCA), trends in export competitiveness of the EU member states have been assessed. The key differences between groups of countries including the emergence of new leaders and relatively stable positions of large economies are identified. Based on RCA’s dynamics the conclusion is made that the EU integration of the Visegrad countries hasn’t had a clear positive effect on its export opportunities in terms of competitiveness. It is demonstrated that the most competitive export goods of the EU member states are not always goods of their main traditional global sector specialization. Taking into account three indicators (Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, share of key goods in total export, quantity of export goods) groups of countries with different tendencies in its export diversification are identified.

The article analyses the evolution of economic structures in the Arctic regions of the European Union – Northern and Eastern Finland, Central Norrland and Upper Norrland (Sweden) – in comparison with national economies in 2000–2023. The essential features of the EU’s northern periphery are established, manifested in low population density, resource dependence, and limited sectoral diversification. Indicators of overall structural divergence and localization coefficients of regional economies are calculated. The results show that all three regions maintain differentiated economic sector profiles compared to the national economies. A conclusion is made about the reasons for the structural divergence due to deep specialization in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and extractive industries. The economies of Northern and Eastern Finland show moderate convergence with the national economy as a whole, as well as gradual diversification, while Central Norrland exhibits stable but moderate divergence. Against this backdrop, the sectoral structure of Upper Norrland is the most structurally unstable, reflecting its deep dependence on extractive industry and sensitivity to global resource market cycles. Based on these results, the author concludes that there is inertia in the development paths of the EU’s Arctic regions, with economies remaining resource-dependent and a ‘treadmill effect’ complicating the implementation of structural policies to diversify peripheral, sparsely populated territories. The results of the study also provide insight into the continuing regional comparative advantages and resource dependence, which are key topics in the field of regional economic development and Arctic policy research.

This study examines the need to regulate investment Telegram channels that publish not only financial news but also signals. A sample of five Russian channels with recommendations, strategies, and portfolio demonstrations was used for the analysis. The impact of publications on the share profitability of public companies was assessed using text processing methods, machine learning (Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Neural networks) and econometric approaches (ARIMAX, Event Study). The publications were classified into four types of signals: no signal, buy, sell or hold. Four types of publications about stock price changes were identified. In 11% of cases, publications with a signal caused a change in the share price. This confirms that large channels can influence the market, but the pro- portion of such cases is small. The authors conclude that the need for strict regulation of Telegram channels is still insignificant.