Local government’s role in shaping quality of inhabitants life on the example of Goraj commune

Abstract

The article reviews the definition of quality of life in a subjective and objective approach and reviews research initiatives in the field of quality of life. The development strategy has been indicated as the basic tool for determining the directions of self-government activities. The next part of the article presents basic information about the research sample and indicators characterizing the quality of life in the Goraj commune. Weaknesses and strengths were highlighted and the causes of the situation were diagnosed. In addition, the strategic assumptions of the municipality related to the improvement of quality were analyzed and the role of communal local self-government in shaping the quality of life of residents was assessed. The research showed that the Goraj commune does not perform well in the study of quality of life, which is partly due to the specificity of the rural area. The level of municipal budget expenditures on social assistance points to the difficult economic situation of the inhabitants. The problems are, among others, poverty and its inheritance, underdeveloped non-agricultural activities and unfavorable demographic trends and the resulting difficulties in other areas.