Abstract: For the purpose of understanding the legal policy of the Russian government in the sphere of scientific activity regulation, the author analyzes the concept of “state scientific policy”. According to the author, the legal policy in the sphere of scientific activity regulation can be defined as a political legal mechanism of regulating scientific activity aimed at gaining and application of new knowledge at a certain stage of the historical development of society and state institution. Legal policy in the sphere of scientific activity regulation has a very difficult and diverse structure. In particular, it is possible to define and analyze stages of the legal policy in the sphere of scientific activity regulation. The author of the article analyzes the stages of the Russian legal policy in the sphere of scientific activity regulation. Even though the scope of the research does not cover the stages of the legal policy in the sphere of scientific activity during the Soviet Period, the author provides a general description of that period which undoubtedly had certain influence thereto. Out of all research methods the author has used the systems and schemes of scientific thinking providing a deep insight into the topic of research, classical logic, activity theory and etc. The author has also used the system approach which allowed to find out and describe results at a higher level. The author has also used the other methods allowing to obtain and process valid empirical materials. The priority of the legal policy in the sphere of the Soviet science was the mobilization of science for the needs of state building. Typical features included: etatism, attraction of scientific organizations and particular scientists to applied scientific researches performed for socialistic purposes and funding of scientific researches out of state budget. To define particular stages in the development of the Russian legal policy, the author studies whether the main draft or standard regulatory acts were present during particular periods of time. Results of the analysis of stages of legal policy in the sphere of scientific activity allow to conclude that the administrative — commanding method of government with a dominating type of permissible legal regulation remains the leading method of regulation in the sphere of science administration.

Keywords: legal policy, legal regulation, legislative system, laws and regulations, scientific activity, type of legal regulation, legal ideology, legal remedies, legal incentives, legal prohibitions.

Abstract: The article is devoted to a popular topic of the Russian education reform as a sociocreating and socio-developing factor and search for an adequate vector of transformations. The author views and analyzes the definition of the “national system of education”. Thinking about the most adequate education model for Russia, the author pays great attention to the problem of the balance and relation between such polar processes as the focus on the socio-cultural peculiarities and active integration into the global community. In addition, the author also analyzes particular actions that have been undertaken to change the form and the concept of the education system. The author also evaluates these actions and gives her forecast on the matter. The main research methods used by the author include the analogy method and the method of comparative analysis. The author applies David Riesman’s classification of social characters to the description of theoretically possible models of the Russian system of education: “orientation towards the self” and “orientation towa5ds the others”. Such comprehensive approach allows the author of the article not only to develop alternative models of the development of the Russian education system but also to evaluate particular actions that have been undertaken. Based on the examples provided, the author shows why the chosen path of reformation is irrational. The author also shares her forecasts regarding the future model of the Russian education system.

Keywords: Russian education system, “orientation towards the self”, “orientation towards the others”, reformation, adequate model, national system of education, socio-cultural peculiarities, globalization processes, changes, society.

Abstract: The topic of the research is the social expertise as a form of public control in the sphere of anti-corruption enforcement set forth by the Russian law on the public control. The main purpose of the research is to carry out the theoretical legal analysis of public expertise as a form of public control in the sphere of anti-corruption enforcement. Goals of the research included: a) to analyze the content of the public expertise as a legal category; b) to define structural elements of public expertise as a form of public control; c) to analyze the relation between the public expertise as a form of public control and anti-corruption expertise as a specific form of public control. Methodological base of the research includes dialectical materialism and associated research methods including the structural analysis and other methods used in law. The scientific novelty of the research carried out is in the critical analysis of the legal category “public expertise” as a form of public control. For the first time in the academic literature the author defines disadvantages of the aforesaid legal category and offers a new scientific definition “public anti-corruption expertise as a form of social control”. The author also analyzes the relation between public expertise as a mean of public control and anti-corruption expertise of laws and regulations and draft regulatory acts as a mean of anti-corruption enforcement.

Keywords: corruption, anti-corruption enforcement, anti-corruption policy, public expertise, public control, civil society, anti-corruption expertise, anti-corruption public expertise, public authorities, social organization.

Abstract: The author of the present article describes disadvantages of the existing models that reflect the relation between the size of a state and economic growth. Taking into account the primary importance of this topic, the author offers an alternative approach consisting of the first stage, modeling of the relation between a size of state expenditures and human capital, and the second stage, analysis of the influence of human capital on the rate of economic growth. This approach allows to describe a logically relevant relation between all economic categories included in the model. In his research the author has used the general research methods such as analysis, generalization and modeling and particular research methods such as economic mathematical modeling, margin (limit) analysis and functional analysis. The author offers and proves the efficiency of a model for defining the relation between state expenses on social services and economic growth. For the first time in academic literature the author offers a method of calculating the time period between execution of state expenses and changes in the rate of economic growth. The author also evaluates the degree of influence of different macroeconomic shifts on changing the size of a state.

Keywords: size of state, modeling, human capital assets, quality of education, public health, economic growth, macroeconomics, state goals, state functions, health care.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the role and place of a civilizational factor in modern international conflicts. With some minor exceptions, these conflicts have a global nature and are a result of the conflict of national interests of the world civilization leaders. Modern international conflicts have a bright inter-civilization nature and their participants — individual nations — express not only their own interests but also interests of their civilizational community in general. For the foregoing interests, the topic of the research is the civilizational factor and its role in modern international conflicts. Research methodology includes system, structural-functional and culturalcivilizational approaches as well as methods of the comparative-historical, comparative-political and retrospective analysis. Mechanisms of conflict mobilization in modern global conflicts also have a civilizational nature because consolidation of powers, funds and sources of participants in conflict is performed not by the means of national state ideology but through the feeling of commitment to the civilizational community which interests and values are to be protected. This explains why modern conflicts often happen between international participants and why there are so many international unions and coalitions which consist of many ethnic groups and were created for the purpose of inter-civilizational opposition.

Keywords: politics, society, international relations, conflict, civilization, culture, conflict management, conflict resolution, conflict mobilization, security.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the search for the optimal model of migration policy in Russia. Based on the analysis of cases of Russia, Finland and Great Britain the authors have analyzed peculiarities of migration policy. Research methodology includes analysis of the structure of migration as studied by scientists from Great Britain and Finland. In order to prove the results of research, the authors have used the methods of classification, comparison and expert evaluation. The author has defined the seven concepts of migration policy which is very important for understanding and search of a new state ideology in Russia. To describe the migration situation in Russia, the authors have introduced the term “moderate assimilation”. According to the author, the most clearly evident way to “moderate assimilation” lies through education and boost of human capital. The right education policy would allow to shorten the gap between school success of migrant children and local population. The authors of the article underline the importance of Finnish experience in the migrant integration policy for Russia. According to the author, their experience can actually help Russia to achieve many significant goals.

Keywords: migration policy, “moderate assimilation”, integration, OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), Russia, optimal model, human capital, education of migrants, spheres of social life, concept.

Abstract: The subject under research is the relation between ethics as a philosophical category and the global political process as well as politics as it is. The author of the article gives a review of scientific views on the influence of morals on politics and a state institution as well as modern views on whether such negative qualities as, let’s say, hypocrisy, are allowed in politics. Special attention is paid to the role of religion in the establishment and development of the European civilization and the modern condition of the European civilization considering evident demographic problems in Europe. The author of the article uses a deductive method, structural-functional, institutional, philosophical-comparative analysis as well as other methods of the theoretical approach to analyzing the relation between morals and politics. The present article is devoted to the issues that constitute the most nettlesome political agenda in a modern world, in particular, the growth of Islamic radicalism in the Middle East and the influence of Western countries on this process. Taking into account the establishment of so called Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria and the threat it creates for the entire humankind, it is important to analyze political approaches of Western countries to the problem and the relation between these and ethic standards of the liberal political concept. Special attention is also paid to the status of personality in a number of member states of the United Nations where the Constitution is rather formal and does not correspond with the country’s system of morals and values.

Keywords: USA, democracy, ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria, Middle East, Europe, morals, ethics, politics, Russia, human rights.

Abstract: The authors of the article analyzes the relation between the strategies of “soft balancing” and asymmetrical balancing under the conditions of multipolarity. This structure is denoted by the 0+Х equation where “0” mean the absence of a dominating actor or hegemon (great power) in the international system. In this structure none of the actors may influence all aspects of the international order. The letter “X” here shows the number of “great powers’ playing their roles for each actor. Quite naturally, this system also determines and assigns new roles for each actor. One of the most significant factors is the relation between great powers and different geopoligical regions. In order to understand this problem and aspects thereto, the authors of the article analyze the foreign policy of Barack Obama administration. The authors make an assumption that the when solving different regional problems, Obama’s external affairs team uses the strategy that is based on the approaches of “soft balancing” and asymmetrical balancing. “Balancing” means the country’s ability not to allow the political domination of other countries through internal mobilization or strengthening of unions. In conclusion, the authors show that in this day and age it is possible to define the five main patterns of behavior of Americans in regional conflicts and their control over opposing actors.

Keywords: multipolarity, Soft Balancing, Asymmetrical Balancing, foreign policy, USA, Great Powers, Regional Actors, world policy, balance of power, regional conflicts.

Abstract: The topic of the present research is rather complex and consists of the two components. The first component includes the main issues related to the definition of the term “humanitarian cooperation” under the conditions of Eurasian integration as part of the polycentric international system. The second component includes the analysis of the external policy of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, relations between social organizations and citizens interacting with each other regarding humanitarian integration for the purpose of creation and preservation of the unified humanitarian space. Research method is quite a controversial issue of the present work, too. The authors appeal to the methods of global studies as a multidisciplinary sphere of scientific knowledge. Global studies use both general scientific methods as well as research methods adopted from special sciences. The methodological base of the research includes a wide circle of scientific tools such as a comparative analytical method, institutional, structuralfunctional methods and system approach. The authors also view the main theoretical and methodological approaches to the definition of “humanitarian cooperation” in terms of globalization and regionalization. The authors have summarized the main materials on the matter and offered conclusions about the prospects of the humanitarian cooperation at the modern stage. In particular, they have underlined possibilities of the humanitarian cooperation under the conditions of regionalization of the Eurasian space as part of the development of the Eurasian Economic Union.

Keywords: international relations, humanitarian cooperation, diplomacy, external policy, integration, Eurasian Economic Union, EAEU, CIS, regionalization, globalization.

Abstract: The subject under research is the activity of mass media in the course of military and political conflicts, their role and place during information opposition between states. The author of the article clarifies such definitions as “media”, “media communication”, peculiarities and influence of modern media on political processes of the modern world. The author analyzes the processes of information opposition as an element of the political process. Theoretical grounds of the research include works written by Russian and foreign scientists in the sphere of conflict management and modern information and political processes. When solving the goals of the research, the author has used both general and private research methods such as system, dialectical, logical and functional methods, analysis and synthesis methods, empiric methods, method of prognostic scenario and content analysis. The scientific novelty of the research is in establishing new approaches to the role and place of mass media in the course of military, state and political conflicts, clarification of the mechanisms of information opposition in modern conditions and application of conceptual developments to analyzing global information opposition.

Keywords: communication, politics, media, society, mass media, information opposition, media communism, political processes, political discourse, information society.

Abstract: The author of the article describes how the democratic teachings were created in England and France and then formed the theory of the Early Modern Period based on the attempts of the noble class to oppose the rights of the estate representation to the absolute monarchy gaining political importance. For example, in France the idea of representation as a guarantee of personal freedom was the result of the attempts made towards the development of the Early Modern Period. The same thing was right for the English scientists. Further, the development of English democratic ideas resulted in declaration of individual rights as unalienable, natural and independent from the representation of people. Generally speaking, it may be noted that “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” was a result of the combination of the natural law theories and methodological stereotypes of rationalism. The research method used by the author involved the analysis of a great number of both Russian and foreign sources which have been understudied in our country. When describing the development of liberal ideas in France during XVII — XVIII centuries, the author has used the experience of both English political philosophy and constitutional monarchy as well as the system of the political order in the USA. The theoretical outcome of the development of the political thought in the USA, in its turn, was defined by the English bourgeois revolution of the XVIIth century and English political theorists of the XVII — XVIIIth centuries. In the USA theoretical concepts of the liberal state order were successfully implemented in practical politics and proved to be strong and sustainable which made their reception especially attractive in France.

Keywords: democracy, liberalism, England, France, society, human right, Early Modern Period, constitution, state, rationalism.