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The impact of changes in public procurements law on the behaviour of actors
Procházka, Jan ; Ochrana, František (advisor) ; Zápotocká, Veronika (referee)
The goal of this thesis is to contribute to our understanding of the legislative framework governing public procurement in the Czech Republic. Using data from interviews, applying Game Theory and the Principal-A|gent model, and using the Goal Tree tool I show that individual actors behave rationally. Before submitting a tender they evaluate not only expected profits, but also possible corruption, threat of penalties. I also identify several practices used by actors in order to to manipulate public procurement. After evaluating actors' behaviour, developments inf public procurement legislation and of possible penalties, and drawing on extensive literature search I draw up recommendations for public policy. These t would help improve public procurement in the country, their efficiency, effectiveness and economy, without violating key public procurement principles (non-discrimination, equal treatment, transparency and proportionality). If adopted they would contribute to reducing the level of corruption in the Czech Republic.
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Influence of the interest groups on healthcare reimbursement decree in Czech Republic
Bobula, Peter ; Paulus, Michal (advisor) ; Bryndová, Lucie (referee)
Reference (bibliographic reference of this thesis) BOBULA, P. (2019) Influence of the interest groups on healthcare reimbursement decree in Czech Republic. Prague, 2019. Master's thesis (Mgr.). Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Political Studies. Department of Political Science. Supervisor Mgr. Michal Paulus Abstract Reimbursement decree is an important part of the healthcare policy in Czech Republic. It determines how the resources will be allocated in the healthcare system the next year. According to the Czech legislature, Ministry of Health invites the representatives of insurance companies and healthcare providers to discuss and create a balanced form of reimbursement. When they are not able to agree, it's up to Ministry of Health to determine the reimbursement in corresponding segment. We assume that this kind of organization enables the involved representatives to push their interests in order to get more favorable financing for their profession. Different groups have different positions in the bargaining process so we can expect the existence of winners and losers according to the financial arrangements they were able to enforce. Using the content analysis of final protocols from reimbursement decree conciliations, spending of insurance companies in healthcare segments and...
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eGovernment from the perspective of interest groups.
Šrámková, Adéla ; Kotherová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Dobiášová, Karolína (referee)
This diploma thesis called eGovernment from the perspective of interest groups engages with the current topic of the usage of eGovernment in the Czech Republic. The main goal of the thesis is to identify the main benefits and drawbacks of used eGovernment services from the perspective of selected interest groups. Supportive goals of the thesis are to identify interest groups that can view this issue differentially and characterize the actual status of eGovernment in the Czech Republic. A part of this thesis also focuses on the comparison of eGovernment status among the Visegrad Group countries. Benefits and drawbacks of eGovernment are identified by multiple methods, mainly by quantitative pre-research and qualitative research performed by the author of this thesis in the form of questionnaires and interviews with the representatives of selected interest groups. Prior to both types of research, the author conducted SWOT analyses of eGovernment services is conducted from the perspective of all selected interested groups. Furthermore, the thesis contains the analysis of settled Czech case-law that relates to eGovernment. At the basis of the research, the main benefits and drawbacks of eGovernment services are identified. At the end of the thesis, the potential solutions to the identified...
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Copyright in the European Union: Influence of Interest Groups during the Creation of the Collective Rights Management Directive
Slabyhoudek, Václav ; Šlosarčík, Ivo (advisor) ; Weiss, Tomáš (referee)
The master's thesis focuses on the influence of interest groups during the creation of the 2012 Proposal for a Directive on collective rights management. In particular, the thesis deals with the pre-legislative phase of the legislative process, which began in April 2004. The theoretical framework includes conceptualization of interest groups, lobbying and influence. The mechanisms of influence are analysed using two theories - rational choice theory and rational choice institutionalism. The thesis utilizes process tracing - theory testing as a main methodological approach. Empirical evidence is investigated by analysing primary sources. The main subjects of the analysis are the most relevant documents from the European Commission concerning the pre-legislative phase. Four semi-structured interviews with selected relevant actors were also conducted. The thesis concludes by confirming/ disproving of the main hypothesis: Specific interest groups succeeded in influencing the text of the proposal for a directive on the collective management of copyright.
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Lobbying as a tool for shaping European legislation: the case of a ban on animal testing of cosmetics
Krhlová, Martina ; Vymětal, Petr (advisor) ; Štěpánek, Petr (referee)
This diploma thesis looks at lobbying as one of the tools for shaping European legislation. Lobbyists are often perceived as carriers of valuable information that make it possible for decision-makers to get expert opinions and perspectives directly from the industry. Lobbyists can therefore make a significant contribution to policy making and to improving European legislation that meets the needs of stakeholders. The main objective of the thesis is to find out in what way and at what stages the interest groups participate and intervene in the EU decision-making process and identify the access points through which they can enter into the legislative process. For the sake of clarity, this research is applied to a particular case of lobbying in the field of animal testing of cosmetics, which has greatly influenced the legal regulation of the area.
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NRA and Its Influence on American Politics
Havlíčková, Marta ; Sehnálková, Jana (advisor) ; Čapinská, Barbora (referee)
The topic of this thesis is the National Rifle Association (NRA), an interest group in the USA. The aim of the thesis is to analyze NRA's influence on American politics. To achieve that it describes NRA's membership, organization, public image and financing. It describes NRA's functions and political goals and analyzes the method it uses to achieve them on the U.S. federal level. The thsis concludes that the NRA sees any regulation of the ability to buy, keep and bear arms as a breach of constitutional rights. It states that any further regulation is a step towards the creation of a national arms registry and towards weapons confiscation. It succesfully prevents stricter regulations by efficient voter mobilization, lobbying and financial contributions to election campaigns. Although it claims to be bipartisan, it mainly contributes to Republicans.
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Networks of Interest Groups - Interest Groups, their Positions and Relations in EU Legislative Process
Bubeníčková, Veronika ; Karlas, Jan (advisor) ; Parízek, Michal (referee)
This diploma thesis examines networking of interest groups. It presents potentional entrance points for influencing legislative processes in the EU. The thesis focuses mainly on European Commission's public consultations. It tries to answer the question whether the interest groups cooperate strategically or whether they try to reach their goals on their own. This thesis is grounded in the framework of the network theory and uses the method of graphic modeling. For the research we have selected three areas of European Commission's consultations. The participating interest groups were chosen based on their characteristics and the consultations they took part in. We have found out that among the interest groups gathered around European Commission there is no close collaboration taking place. Furthermore, the interest groups act rather spontaneously as they are generally only taking part in individual consultations. Only 12.3% of them participated in more than one consultation and they were mainly registered organizations.
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Political and Economic Reasons for Energy Cooperation between the EU and Russia
Evgrafova, Elena ; Svoboda, Karel (advisor) ; Romancov, Michael (referee)
In this paper I investigate the energy cooperation between the EU and Russia from the political and economic points of view. The relevance of the issue is due to the growing role of energy sector, the need for security of energy supply and demand and for political and economic balance of power in the region, and closer economic integration. Two theoretical approaches, geopolitical and bureaucratic, guiding the research, explain the behavior of protagonists. To better understand the present level of cooperation I analyze the background and dynamics of EU - Russia energy trade relations. As a case study, I investigate the Nord Stream project as an example of successful cooperation of Germany as an EU member state and Russia in this field. I discuss challenges for the healthy mutual partnership in the energy sector, namely, high politicization of the issue, monopolization of Russian energy sector and low sustainability of Russian economic development, and mistrust between the protagonists. I attempt to identify possible policy changes aimed to improve this cooperation and achieve fruitful partnership, security and stability. Key words: Russia, EU, energy, cooperation, Realpolitik, international relations, oil, gas, energy dialogue, ECT, security, balance of power, geopolitics, interest groups,...
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Rent-seeking in the Czech legal system
Ševčík, Miroslav ; Urban, Jan (advisor) ; Bažantová, Ilona (referee)
Diploma paper "Rentseeking in the Czech legal system" is focused on the analysis of interest groups, their forms, procedures and instruments, which they use for rentseeking activities in the Czech Republic. The first section explains the concept rentseeking, the second part redefines this concept into national environment, the case studies are analyzed in the third part and the fourth is concentrated on specific interest groups in the Czech Republic.
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Reflection of group interests in political decision-making processes: an institutional approach
Kotlas, Petr ; Novák, Miroslav (advisor) ; Čmejrek, Jaroslav (referee) ; Mlejnek, Josef (referee)
Ing. Petr Kotlas Reflexe skupinových zájmů v procesu politického rozhodování: institucionální přístup Disertační práce Praha 2012 Annotation PhD thesis "Reflection of group interests in political decision-making processes: an institutional approach" deals with the role of group interests reflected into the specific decision-making actions, on various stages of the political discourse. The thesis offers a methodological contribution, consisting in an interconnecting of the analysis of interest groups with a new institutional paradigm, utilizing its fundamental concepts, particularly transaction costs, formal and informal institutions, and various types of 5 institutional setting, its equilibrium and change. Among the problems of pluralist democracy there are underlined the processes of cleavage and cohesion, shaping group diversity under the condition of multi-actor democracy. The characteristic of political decision-making involves beyond general framework also problems of group decisionmaking. Two alternative approaches to the policy-making analysis are explored: first, an arena approach, focused on the relations among actors, arenas, and agendas; second, an approach focused on the different networks of policy-making. There is the phenomenon of lobbying analyzed in detail, including the controversial...
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