These six articles examine strategic issues covering economics, defense, and governance using a variety of analytical approaches. The study on the differences between bankruptcy prediction models highlights how domestic models and those commonly used internationally differ in terms of variables, accuracy, and contextual suitability, particularly in analyzing income conditions in the private sector in developing countries. National defense issues are discussed in two articles that emphasize the importance of government collaboration and bilateral cooperation as key instruments in strengthening national defense capabilities. Both studies show that inter-agency synergy, defense diplomacy, and cross-border strategic cooperation are crucial factors in addressing complex and multidimensional contemporary security challenges.
The next focus is on the issues of decentralization, electoral democracy, and public service innovation. The establishment of new autonomous regions is analyzed as an effort to improve regional welfare, with findings that regional expansion does not always have a positive impact if it is not accompanied by institutional readiness, fiscal capacity, and quality of regional governance. The dynamics of electoral democracy are examined through the role of informal actors in elections, which shows that social pressure and informal practices can influence voter lists and voting behavior, thereby potentially weakening the quality of substantive democracy.
Meanwhile, smart city policies are analyzed as a strategy to improve the quality of public services, with an emphasis on the use of digital technology, community participation, and bureaucratic adaptation in urban governance. This paper has a global perspective with authors who are qualified academics from Indonesia.