2001. vol. 5. No. 1

The article deals with the impact of liberal economic reforms on the processes of enterprise restructuring in Russia. Structural deformations inherited by Russia from the Soviet planned economy, as well as institutional factors resulting from economic policy in the 1990s and hindering the reform and restructuring of enterprises are analyzed.  On this basis, conclusions are made about the General prospects of economic policy that provides conditions for economic growth, as well as the role of the state in the Russian economy in the coming years.

The journal continues to publish chapters of Alexey Ponomarenko's work devoted to the reconstruction of macroeconomic statistics in Russia from 1961 to 1990, taking into account the current requirements of the system of national accounts and the new opportunities that have emerged in connection with the opening of access to some sources of statistical data. In the previous issue, the first Chapter of the work was published, which describes the main problems associated with the reconstruction of macroeconomic series, and approaches to their solution. The Chapter below deals more specifically with the calculation of GDP and related indicators in current prices. In subsequent issues, the editorial Board plans to publish chapters on the calculation of constant prices and analysis of the results.

 In previous lectures, we have considered: the evolution of approaches to the concept of natural monopoly; regulation of natural monopolies (the history of regulation, basic theories of regulation, goals and forms of regulation, evaluation criteria); the main causes and directions of the ongoing regulatory reform; as well as regulatory mechanisms (regulation of the rate of return on capital, stimulating regulation (price limits, yardstick competition, price discrimination, Ramsey prices, Vogelsang - finsinger Mechanism, multicomponent tariffs)). In these lectures, using the example of the two most important sectors - electricity and gas, we will analyze how regulatory reform is unfolding in different countries, how the traditional appearance of these sectors is changing, what models and mechanisms are the basis for the ongoing transformation, what problems complicate the reform. Worldwide, the electricity and gas industries are undergoing a rapid deregulating transformation. The traditional character of industries, characterized by monopolistic structure, extensive regulation and a high share of state ownership, is changing in the direction of a more complex and multifaceted, in the process of deregulation, new concepts of these sectors are formed.

The technological process has long been considered in science outside its social context. This led many social thinkers to pessimistic conclusions about the possibility of finding a harmonious synthesis between cultural traditions and innovations, society and technology.  The desire to overcome this gap led to the emergence of a special scientific direction - the philosophy of technology. The basis of this article is the speech of prof. Medushevsky on the occasion of the presentation of the Russian edition of the book by Professor of the University of Berkeley (California, USA) Manuel Castells "Information age: economy, society and culture."