This paper aims to identify several changes in the labor market structure in COVID-19 pandemic times. The context of the research is represented by the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the economic field, especially at the labor market level. This difficult situation could generate a negative impact in the sphere of traditional jobs and economic sectors. The main challenge for sustainable development in this new global situation is represented by human sustainability. Related to human sustainability, we emphasized the role played by the labor market and employability in mantling an optimal function at the social and economic level. For measuring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the economic sphere, we used a quantitative design based on descriptive and inferential statistics. The research variables are represented by unemployment rates in the EU-28, employability rates, educational levels, gender, economic growth, labor mobility, material deprivation, economic freedom, and human development indicators. Empirical findings present the situation of a deep economic crisis generated by economic degrowth and by high levels of unemployment rates in the EU-28. Moreover, we have observed several predictors of employability in the new pandemic context as: material deprivation by age (in the field of young people), employment rate by education (tertiary education), and economic freedom. Another important finding is related to the gender perspective. Statistical correlations estimate a positive linear correlation between gender (women) and low rates of employability in the EU-28. All these empirical results could prove valuable for scholars interested in the relations between employability and sustainability and for political decision makers involved in the effort of reducing the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic within national and trans-national economic systems.

The aim of the paper is to stress the relationship between individual metacognitive accuracy and academic performance. Moreover, we tested the relationship between the accuracy, items diffi culty and bias score and exam results. Metacognitive monitoring calibration of 100 university students was tested in exam settings, using postdated confi dence judgments. Absolute local and global accuracy and total bias score were related with test performance, diffi culty and types of the items: multiple choice and open ended items. The most important results show local and local inaccuracy or overconfi dence, but also an unexpected greater accuracy on low performing subjects compared with there's more performing counterparts. The open ended items low, but positively correlate with metacognitive monitoring inaccuracy, both local and global, a possible illustration of the hard-easy eff ect. The bias score is globally negatively related with performance, but the more the subjects respond to the diffi cult open-ended items, the lower the bias in selfappreciation. We conclude that there is a global expected relationship between test results and both accuracy and bias score. Also, particular results show a more nuanced relationship between local and global accuracy, items diffi culty and type and bias score. Some theoretical and methodological issues are discussed and futures research direction is proposed.

The aim of this paper is to create a comprehensive image of power at the beginning of the XXI-st century. The research objectives are related to: i. the radiography of the perception of the political power regarding the main actors: USA, Russian Federation and China; ii. the identification of the relationship between global economy conditions, terrorist attacks and the dynamics of the political power in international arena; iii. the estimation of the magnitude of the statistical correlation between economic development, democratic order and the perception of the political power in international sphere. The research design is obviously quantitative, being based on descriptive statistics and linear and non-linear equations of regressions for estimating the main predictors and vectors which could influence the perception of the power. We use comparative case studies between USA, Russian Federation and China for exploring several associations between independent factors and the perception of the power and influence in the international context. Regarding the empirical findings, we have to stress that China’s power and influence are related with cyber-attacks from other countries (r = 0.707, p < 0.01) and USA’s power and influence are related with the conditions of the global economy ( r = 0.594, p = 0.01). Regarding the perception of the Russian Federation’s power and influence, we can observe linear associations with cyber-attacks (r = 0.605, p = 0.01) and   flawed democratic order (r = 0.429, p= 0.02). Empirical findings reflect a new political geometry in the international arena, where the classical system is replaced by a multipolar model with two dominant political actors: USA and China. Synthesising, this article reflects the importance of the political perception and the political psychology in the sphere of international relations, where we can make the distinction between real and potential (or perceived) political power. This new geometry implies a new level of significance and a new semiotic strategy for interpreting both subjective and objective facts of the political world.

The aim of this paper is to emphasize the role played by the social, economic and political variables in shaping models of sustainable healthcare systems and strategies able to support and improve the quality of life during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The context of our research is represented by the medical and socioeconomic crises generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current pandemic negatively affects healthcare systems, quality of life and the global economy. In this respect, this paper aims to thoroughly scrutinize the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social and healthcare systems of EU countries, to analyze the impact of human development in the field of the Global Health Security Index and to estimate the relation between resilience and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research design is quantitative, resorting to the use of both descriptive and inferential statistics, against the background of a long-term comparative approach to the respective situations in the EU-27 countries. Empirical findings are relevant for emphasizing the fact that human development and social progress are predictors for the dynamics of health security measures. Moreover, the quality of the political regime, particularly in the case of full and flawed democracies, is strongly related to a high level of resilience and could influence the perception of quality of life. All of these empirical results could prove valuable for scholars interested in understanding the relationships between democracy, healthcare systems and quality of life, and for political decision makers involved in the effort of reducing the negative effects of COVID-19 in EU-27 countries.

The aim of this paper is to emphasize the role played by the political polarization and cultural variables in predicting "political apathy" or "alienation". In this context, the study has the main research objectives: 1. to analyze the evolution of the electoral behavior in the last decade; 2. to determine the relation between electoral behavior and cultural patterns; 3. to estimate the magnitude of the relation between political polarization, political culture and the evolution of the on-line media. The research unit is represented by the Romanian political system in a long-term statistical series among 2010-2020. Empirical findings suggest that there is a degradation of the electoral participation in the last decade, with very high level of volatile rates. Moreover, this model of political behavior is related to historical past, cultural variables and geographical distribution. In this meaning, one of the most important variable for understanding the subject culture and political alienation is represented by the political polarization. Mathematical models estimate through a multi-linear equation of regression that political polarization affects negatively the evolution of the cultural variables and participative behavior (β = −0.690, p = 0.029).