The paper deals with the challenges and tasks of Russian social and economic policy for 2018—2024. Based on the analysis of global and national trends and conditions for years to come the author discusses the trajectory of economic, social, and technological break-through. Sustainable growth of well-being and competitiveness of individuals and the society as a whole and the state are the key elements of the Strategy of social and economic development of Russia.

JEL: E02, E60, E61, O10, O40.
Keywords: economic policy, global trends, economic, social, and technological break-through, well-being, Russia.

The study of economic growth and social inequality goes back to the works of S. Kuznets, A. Atkinson, P. Krugman, J. Stiglitz, T. Piketti and B. Milanovic. Statistical analysis of social inequalities for a large set of countries, divided into seven clusters, was conducted for the period 2000—2016. The share of incomes of the tenth decile was used as a measure of inequality. A high degree of stability of the level of inequality was found in most groups, especially in the most developed countries, and in particular in the Anglo-Saxon ones. The distribution of key socio-economic and even political indicators for clusters shows their high relation with the structure of cluster inequality. This makes it possible to significantly deepen the analysis of the stages of world development.

JEL: A14, B10, D11, D33, F02.
Keywords: inequality, economic growth, clusters, income distribution.

The article analyzes the interaction of pension system and labor market on the basis of empirical research in OECD countries. The main objective of this study is to examine how changes in retirement policies affect labor force participation rate and employment rate in different age groups. The analysis of international experience makes it possible to develop recommendations on reforming the Russian pension system that would reduce the tension in the labor market.

JEL: H55, J14, J21, J26.
Keywords: retirement age, labor force participation, labor market.

The analysis of present-time directions in the study of social development has allowed to identify the resource approach as the most productive one which enables to assess social dynamics through the range of resource characteristics of different population groups and abilities of the relevant groups to apply development resources in the current economic and institutional conditions. Basing on the sociological survey conducted by ISAP RANEPA, the quantitative estimation of material and social recourses of the population has been made; integral values of the resource potential have been calculated as well. The issues of social structure formation are analyzed through the aspect of resource availability; the barriers of Russian middle-class enlargement are defined.

JEL: Z13.
Keywords: social development, welfare, resource availability, human capital, social stratification, labour market, socio-economic adaptation.

The experience of the last decade has demonstrated that the state policy on the extension of competitive procedures in public procurement has been challenged by the attempts of customers and suppliers to restrict competition. The mass survey of customers and suppliers carried out by the Institute for Industrial and Market Studies in 2017 showed that about a half of the customers followed a strategy of contracting predetermined suppliers in 2014—2016. Moreover, different explanations of this practice (justification, accusation or a combination of both reasons) allowed us to identify groups of suppliers that differ significantly in their models of behavior in the public procurement market.

JEL: H57, H83.
Keywords: public procurement, corruption, supplier, customer.

The paper deals with a special sector of public procurement — G2G, in which state organizations act as both customers and suppliers. The analysis shows the convergence between contractual and administrative relations and risks of transferring the negative factors, responsible for market failures, into the administrative system, as well as the changing nature of the state organization. Budget losses in the sector G2G are revealed and estimated. There are doubts, whether the current practice of substitution of market-based instruments for administrative requirements is able to maintain integrity of public procurement in the situation of growing strategic challenges. Measures are proposed for the adjustment and privatization of contractual relations.

JEL: С72, С78, D43, D44, D52, E65, H11, H41, H57, H82, K12.
Keywords: contract system, contractual relations, competition, public sector, budget expenditures, transaction costs, public needs.

This article presents the results of comparative analysis of platform business models based on a unique typology of platforms and proposed parameters of business models. It was concluded that in order to describe a platform business model, it is possible to use a series of parameters specific to business models of traditional non-platform companies, extending their contents. However, the specific character of platforms requires setting/introducing a new business model parameter, which will reflect an innovative component, and detailed analysis of possible solutions to a dilemma of monetization of value created by platforms without destroying the network effect.

JEL: M15, M19.
Keyworlds: platforms, platform companies, typology of platforms, platform business models, monetization of platforms.

The selection of the trajectories of professional development by economic researches and economic analysts today is largely determined by formal criteria for assessing the results of their activity on the part of financing organizations. As has been shown in a number of works, such a formalized assessment may distort the incentives for studying the surrounding reality and adversely affect the formation of the professional community. In this connection, at the initiative of the Association of Russian Economic Think Tanks (ARETT), a roundtable discussion was held in the framework of the XIX April international academic conference of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (Moscow, April 10—13, 2018) where these and related issues were discussed. The discussion was moderated by ARETT president A. A. Yakovlev.

JEL: A11, A14.
Keyworlds: economic science, economists, publication activity, scientific journal.