Abstract: This article attempts the author's deconstruction of the political mass on the example of modern Russia. The object of the study is the political mass acting as one political whole. The subject of the study is metaphors and metamorphoses of the political mass. The political mass is a whole composed of many small parts. This is a set of political actors represented by contradictory and balancing oppositions. The author examines in detail the complex structure of the mass, which leads to various definitions of the mass in political discourse. The author believes that despite the hidden subjective principle, the mass assumes its own subordination to an influential actor. The mass is often opposed to the power that controls and manages the mass. At the same time, political practice is full of situations when the excessive growth of the mass can make its behavior unpredictable and risky for the authorities. In this article, the author confirms this thesis by the example of various stories from Russian politics. The main conclusion in the framework of the conducted research may be a view of the political mass as a complex and structured entity. At first glance, the political mass, which looks amorphous and devoid of political will, needs pushes, efforts from outside and the will of its master, has a rather serious destructive potential. The mass does not always express the will of the authorities. Periodically, the growth of the subjectivity of the political mass should be noted, when it can directly participate in the decisive moments of history. During periods of revolution, there is every reason to celebrate it. The author believes that the political mass can directly participate in political construction and change the existing dispositions of political actors. The political mass can construct its own elite and legitimize it. The scientific novelty is the view of the political mass as a political actor, depending on the current political situation, choosing the optimal model of behavior, and taking the most functional form of its own positioning.

Keywords: revolution, mass, USSR, political space, Russian culture, Russia, nomenclature, legitimation, power, metaphors

Abstract: The focus of this study is public relations pertaining to the implementation of specific principles governing the establishment and operation of public authorities at various levels. The analysis centers on the principle of electing officials for legislative bodies at the state and local self-governance levels, as well as the heads of Russian Federation regions. The author explores the transformation of principles guiding the actions of public authorities by examining the interplay between public and private interests within the structures of power. Special attention is given to the principles of upholding citizen trust in state actions, the preservation of individuals, and the accountability of authorities to voters (including the institution of recalling elected officials). The study's key findings propose the incorporation of educational qualifications for officials in federal and regional government bodies into legislation. It is deemed appropriate to establish a requirement of higher education for individuals seeking positions such as state leaders, regional heads, and legislative deputies. Additionally, mechanisms for recalling all elected officials should be established in legislation, enabling the population to remove dishonest officials who fail to uphold the trust placed in them. Given demographic challenges, it is also advisable to enshrine the principle of safeguarding the well-being of individuals in the activities of public authorities.

Keywords: deputy, responsibility, assignability, electability, principle, public authority, government agency, representative body, feedback, legitimacy

Abstract: The subject of the present paper is the interpretation of the doctrine of the rule of law in the teaching of the leading representative of exclusive legal positivism, Joseph Raz (1939–2022). The importance of analyzing the doctrine of the rule of law from this perspective lies in the fact that such a study is able to identify the fundamental ideas of the positivist understanding of the law and the rule of law from the standpoint of the post-Hartian stage of its evolution. The article reveals two main approaches to understanding the rule of law in modern British legal literature: material and formal concepts. Raz's views on the rule of law are compared with the classical ideas of Albert Venn Dicey, the principles of the "inner morality" of law by Lon L. Fuller, and the position of Friedrich August von Hayek. The scientific novelty of the article is that, for the first time, an attempt has been made to reveal the differences between formal and material concepts of the rule of law in British jurisprudence in Russian legal literature. Raz's arguments about the nature and goals of the rule of law are not generally accepted in English constitutional doctrine but are quite indicative of the position of post-Hartian legal positivism on the problem of building a stable and predictable legal order. On the one hand, the principles of the rule of law revealed in Raz's teachings relate exclusively to the legal form, which is generally characteristic of the neo-positivism of the twentieth century. On the other hand, sociological attitudes can also be distinguished in Raz's teaching, which allows us to assert that post-Hartian legal positivism combines a number of ideas of "classical" and "sociological" positivism.

Keywords: F. A. Hayek, analytical jurisprudence, discretionary power, Lon Fuller, Joseph Raz, post-Hartian positivism, law and order, principles of law, rule of law, legal positivism

Abstract: The subject of this paper is the programs of political parties in Western Europe. The object of the study is nationalist ideas and their extreme and radical manifestations within European politics. The authors note the interest of the European political elite in nationalist ideas. This process is related to the possibility of using these ideas to solve acute socio-political conflicts within countries. Economic instability, migration crises, and acute political turbulence impose significant restrictions on the activities of political elites in developed countries. Historical unresolved problems of national identity on the one hand, and the desire to form a true multipolar world on the other, form a different attitude towards the ideas of nation and nationalism. This is reflected in a number of political and open military conflicts in the large space of cultural and socio-political contact between Europe and Russia. The authors draw attention to the fact that nationalist ideas are in some cases addressed by politicians in both Europe and Russia. The danger of the contemporary reevaluation of the ideas of nationalism is that it encourages atypical thinking, while belief in authority ceases to play a cognitive and functional role. The authors offer not only an analysis of the programs of political parties in many European countries, but also calculate their specific weight in the context of national parliaments. This makes it possible to determine the conditional acceptance of these ideas as a basis for the political course of the state.

Keywords: russophobia, islamophobia, euroskepticism, multiculturalism, natizm, political ideology, political parties, nationalism, national identity, soft nationalism

Abstract: The subject of this research is the sovereignty of the state in modern world. The author underlines the contradictory nature of globalization and contrasts of opinions of various social groups on it. It is noted that the antagonists of globalization confirm the importance of this process. This article examines the history of the development of state sovereignty and its current significance. The author explores and generalizes the factors that influence sovereignty of the state in modern world, believing that high level of national culture plays the key role and allows avoiding negative consequences of globalization and take all possible advantages. The scientific novelty lies in comprehensive analysis of the impact of globalization upon sovereignty of the state, as well as in original classification of the factors influencing globalization, among which is the emergence of uncontrolled spheres of life, strengthening of the role of international organizations, existence of transnational corporations, international law, creation of integration associations, dominance of the United States in modern world. It is also noted that sovereignty of the state has never been absolute. The author summarizes the views of researchers on the importance and consequences of globalization, as well as advances and substantiates the thesis on the key role of national culture in the struggle against negative consequences of globalization.

Keywords: European Union, Culture, Transnational corporation, USA, International relations, Sovereignty, Globalization, international law, Border, integration

Abstract: This article is aimed at the analysis of social and economic consequences on the novel COVID-19 in Brazil. Brazil has faced multiple problems in fighting pandemic that negatively affected millions of people around the world. The goal of this research lies in determination of the problems that were illuminated by the pandemic in Brazilian society. Analysis is conducted on the consequence of pandemic for Brazil, namely with regards to minorities that rely on the government aid, and the system of public healthcare overall. The article also indicates the mistakes made by the current authorities during pandemic, when due to lack of organization, multiple institutions could not render basic help to reduce the consequences of the chaotic situation faced by the country. As the largest country in South America, Brazil struggled the most in the region; therefore, studying the impact of COVID-19 upon the socioeconomic system of the country is a relevant topic. The article explores the official database and media materials to acquire information on the responsive measures of the government in such sectors as employment, education and healthcare. The scientific novelty consists in the comprehensive analysis of information that demonstrate the impact of pandemic upon the lives of millions of people in Brazil.

Keywords: modernization, global megatrends, digital platforms, technology transfer, scientific-technological integration, digital transformations, Fourth industrial revolution, law of EAEU, Eurasian economic commission, innovation

Abstract:   The subject of this research is the genesis of the ideological-theoretical concept of Republicanism with inherent principles, institutions and mechanisms. The object of this research is the works of the ancient philosophers, medieval Italian authors, as well as thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment dedicated to Republicanism. Particular attention is given to analysis of the key differences in the content and comprehension of the republic in historical perspective. The author emphasizes the importance of political culture established under the influence of various factors, primarily the religious-cultural, which eventually affects the functionality of social institutional that subsequently lead to the formation of a specific type of political institutions. The main conclusion lies in the statement that the political-philosophical concept of Republicanism may not have existed without Antiquity; however, the Greek-Roman culture itself has a fairly limited impact upon the modern concept of Republicanism, and can be viewed only in confluence with the Christian doctrine, which throughout the centuries has formed the social and individual values and representations regarding the role of personality, its interrelation with the government authority  and allowable forms of exercising such authority by the government.  

Keywords: civilization, political institutions, political culture, Roman republic, Machiavelli, Cicero, republicanism, religion, separation of powers, people's sovereignty

Abstract:   The object of this work is the relevant philosophical grounds of politics, while the subject is the deliberative, post-anarchic, and postmodern impact upon the modern political theory. For achieving the set goal the author specifies the following tasks: determine the prerequisites for new political theory; examine the direct phenomenon of metamodernism; identify its influence on the politics; define the key terms of new politics. Special attention is given to consideration of the growing importance of the political influence (substituting violence), cooperative management (management on the basis of cooperation), horizontalization of connections, deideologization of politics, desacralization and demythologization of the absolute power. The author reviews the modern political concepts that qualify for the development of alternative political reality during the new postmodern era. The scientific novelty of this article consists in the fact that the examined phenomenon revealed itself only by 1990’s, the language and conceptual apparatus that reflect the specificities of metamodernism are just developing, thus this topic can manifest as invitation into the new discursive practice. Author’s special contribution lies in appealing to the post-anarchism as a new and timely political phenomenon reflecting the relevant sociopolitical trends. The study reveals not just the linguistic foundation of the new theory, but also the currently developing applied political models, the implementation of which can be observed on the example of the global political processes. The conclusion is made on the efficiency of cooperative model of political management (as a leading concept of political metamodernism) in comparison with other democratic models. Elitism, vertical connections, and absolute power gradually fade to the populism and massiveness, horizontalism and influence. The boundaries of the political blur in the context of political processes, institutions and actors, as well as ideas. Metamodernism in essence has a liminal nature and high level of uncertainty as its natural state, in terms of which the post-truth comes in full force. All of the aforementioned factors affect the politics that transforms at the level of language, as well as ideology and realization of political will.  

Keywords: horizontalism, partisipism, post-politics, minarchism, influence, post-truth, post-anarchism, metamodernism, participative economy, politics of participation

Abstract: This article reviews the modern philosophical interpretation of the concept of free will. Majority of these works are published in foreign books and periodicals, which reflects that the Russian philosophical discourse lacks the tradition of relation to free will as a notion that holds a rightful place in the modern (including the modern politological) research. Special attention is given to consideration of most typical for the European thought topics and theoretical grounds for attracting the concept of free will into the discourse of popular Western philosophical movements. The key methods and approaches of the work correspond with the established in Western European philosophy of the XX century division into continental and insular philosophy. The scientific novelty consists in the task of overcoming the historically entrenched within the national thought trend of identification of the concept of free will with liberum arbitrium. The article reveals the characteristic to the concept of free will contemporary relevance; the political-philosophical potential of this concept is explained using the material of phenomenological doctrine of Merleau-Ponty, which in terms of this research is interpreted as a particular case of continental (nonclassical) European philosophy.

Keywords: philosophical phenomenology, incompatibilism, compatibilism, freedom as responsibility, analytical school of philosophy, nonclassical European philosophy, free will, pre-objective knowledge, political theory, modernity

Abstract: The subject of this research is the public values as one of the key elements of public administration, which allows developing manageability and competitiveness of the public institutions of a modern state. Public values are viewed as an important factor of intensification of legitimacy and support of the acting political power, as well as increasing of the efficiency of administrative apparatus and strengthening of social unity. The examines in the article theoretical models of public administration allow tracing the evolution of approaches towards the study of public values in foreign literature: from basic models – “strategic triangle” of M. Moore, environmental model of T. Jorgensen and B. Bozeman – to synthetic model of E. Weizman that integrates public values into the decision-making process in public sphere, contributing into improvement of the effectiveness of public administration. Methodology of the research includes a group of scientific methods: modelling, formalization, and comparison. The scientific novelty consists in comparative analysis of the models of public administration in foreign literature: 1) M. Moore’s model of strategic triangle, manifesting as a tool for evaluating the efficiency and productivity of the work of administrative apparatus of a state; 2) environmental model of T. Jorgensen and B. Bozeman that considers public values in the more extensive context of functionality of the political, administrative, public, and individual actors of public sphere; 3) dynamic model of E. Weizman that unites the administrative and environmental factors of formation of the public values.

Keywords: environment, administrative capacity, legitimacy and support, institution, evaluation, value, public administration, implementation, decisions and actions, model

Abstract: The subject of this article is the examination of the notions of “risk” and “political risk”. Special attention is given to the origin of the term “risk”. The goal of the article is to best define the content of the term “risk”. The author analyzes the various theoretical approaches to the study of the notion of “risk” within the framework of multiple sciences: philosophy, mathematics, economics, psychology, sociology, and politology. The work provides definitions of the term “risk”, as well as makes conclusions in the context of each scientific approach. The need is substantiated for comprehensive and multi-aspect examination of the political risks for the purpose of minimization of negative consequences of the made political decisions. The main conclusion of this research lies in the fact that each of the sciences suggests its own interpretation of the examined issue. This, in turn, is rather favorable, because each science offers something new, allowing to realize an integrative, complex, and systemic research.

Keywords: Risk society, Losses, Profit, Chances, Danger, Threat, Probability theory, Uncertainty, Political risk, Risk

Abstract:   The object of this research is the thinkers, philosophers, and teachings that have formed the foundation for anti-humanism in the works of Michel Foucault. Leaning on criticism works of the earlier periods, Foucault attempted to predetermine anti-humanism as a combination of management techniques and specific type of production of knowledge. The author analyzes the immanent and intertextual elements in the teachings of various thinkers, as well as highlights the three most important intellectual that significantly affected the formation of Foucault’s anti-humanistic doctrine. The main conclusion of the conducted research lies in determination of the forerunners of anti-humanistic position of Foucault and clarification of his critical view upon humanism. The author notes that despite the fact that some Russian and foreign scholars have turned to the problem of anti-humanism, this question requires further research.    

Keywords: Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Michel Foucault, structuralism, postmodernism, death of Human, death of God, anti-humanism, Louis Althusser, post-structuralism

Abstract: This article is deticated the study of opinions and approaches of global political-academic community concerning the origins, nature and effectiveness of the domino theory in the US foreign policy of the XX-XXI centuries. The author present the theoretical-game and rational grounds of the domino theory, precedents of its use within the history of international relations over the last 50 years, as well as the objections and criticism notes of the representatives of the global academic community regarding the application of the domino theory. The conclusion is made about the simplicity and high effectiveness of the domino theory that made such strategy popular among the American foreign policy elite. Domino theory acquired high popularity due to the fact that its effectiveness could be determined only by the hypothetical possibility of the interference of the United States into the course of events. Unlike the principle of the balance of powers, which strives to consider the behavioral strategies of multiple actors and the current status of the international environments, the domino theory suggested just to possible options of the US behavior in resolving the domestic policy conflicts of the foreign nations. At the same time, the domino theory has suffered a serious ideological formation, which made it extremely controversial. This inconsistency led to the presence in the global political-academic community of several groups offering their vision of the essence and meaning of the theory in world history and politics. The largest groups can be considered the "universalists", who believe the domino theory is a universal theory that is similar to the principle of the balance of powers; and the "historicists", who define the theory as the place for the local foreign policy strategy of the United States during the Cold War period.

Keywords: theory of international relations, strategy of deterrence, American intervention, game theory, balance of power, domino effect, domino theory, United States, Russian Federation, political-academic community

Abstract: The Socio-Economic Rights Institute has a long history of theoretical-practical contemplation within the framework of English-American, as well as Romano-Germanic tradition of law. This article is dedicated to the examination of the role and place of human socio-economic rights in the context of various theories. There rights cannot be viewed as the type of natural rights, as well as they cannot be consider  perpetual and inviolable. Only in light of historicism, the progressive importance of the idea of human socio-economic rights becomes clearer.  The author carries out a comparative analysis of the natural-legal and historical doctrines, and substantiates the conclusion that the historical school does not deny the positions of the natural school of law, but rather strives for the synthesis of the main results of both theories.  Socio-economic rights have to be explored in connection with the institute of individual, or in other words, classic rights and freedoms. Therefore, the individual freedom must be guaranteed in the first place, and only then, we can talk about the guarantees of the socio-economic rights.

Keywords: evolution, natural rights, property rights, citizens, Savigny, social and economic rights, Constitution, historical school of law, humanism, legislation

Abstract:   The subject of this research is the determination of the place and role of nomenclature within the socio-political transformations of post-Soviet Russia. The object is the nomenclature as the actor of transformations. The author believes that the scientific study of sustainability of the Russian political system to the challenges of the present time requires the establishment of the substantiated models of social processes. However, modelling carried out from the perspective of various branches of scientific knowledge does not always lead to unambiguous results, which necessitates the search for the most universal resolution methods. The necessary result can be achieved through the conceptual and analytical tools of social synergetics, having determines its methodological potential in revelation of the essence of nomenclature and its role in transformation of the socio-political system. Synergetic approach taken as the basis for the analysis of transformation processes and offered as the certain methodological orientation, with regards to the study of the phenomenon of nomenclature as one of the most active participants of these processes, ensures its extensive perception by increasing the range of such mechanisms, which are included as the foundation of such analysis. In examination of nomenclature as the variety of complicated dynamic systems, the synergetic approach reveals the vas opportunities in its research. In particular, the examination of regularities of self-organization allows determining the behavioral strategy of the systems (including social) during the period of its chaotization: adjustment to the new circumstances by means of choosing the new ideal (e.g. “democratic values”) and possible ways (including the exceptionally declared) of its achievement. This thesis confirms the point of view of many researchers who claim that the nomenclatural system could not be irrevocably lost with the collapse of the Soviet Union, but adjusted to the new socio-political circumstances.  

Keywords: system, self-organization, transformation, bifurcation, social synergy, nomenclature, Communist Party, ideology, society, state

Abstract:   The relevance of the phenomenon of “smart” power is being defined by a number of circumstances. First, this is a growing understanding among the politicians and political scientists of the fact that for the better insurance of the state and other interests it is necessary to attract the resources and mechanisms of “smart” power. Second, under the conditions of interdependence of the political and economic factors, any compulsion or use of force can turn against those who apply it; and due to this, the problem of exerting influence without coercion, but by means of the indirect methods of affecting public consciousness in the world politics remains relevant. Third, despite the extensive coverage of the problematic of “smart” power and interesting scientific approaches, they do not provide the necessary comprehensiveness regarding to the theoretical understanding of the term “smart” power to the full extent. The author makes a conclusion that “smart” power holds a specific place in theoretical understanding of the phenomena associated with the functioning and evolution of political power, as well as creates new opportunities for choosing a political strategy for the modern states and other members of the system of collective leadership in the world politics.  

Keywords: Management, Authority, Political science, Politics, International relations, Government policy, Political process, “hard” power, “soft” power, “smart” power

Abstract: This research is dedicated to the analysis of contribution of the accomplished American scholars into the study of the problem of rational choice of the XX century. The problematics of the rational choice covers an extensive circle of disciplines of the modern scientific knowledge: from mathematics to economics, and all the way to psychology and philosophy. Therefore the author examines the works of the American mathematician K. Arrow, economist P. Samuelson, political scientist H. Simon, psychologists D. Kahneman and B. Schwartz, philosopher A. Gibbard, and sociologist O. Holsti.  The main method of this work consists in biographical approach in combination with comparative analysis of the views and concepts that belong to the aforementioned scholars. During the course of this research, key trends of development of the American scientific thought within the frameworks of the paradigm of rational choice were being determined. The author underlines the methodological transition from the concept of universal rationality, which is based on implementation of mathematical and economic scientific apparatus, to the concept of limited, situational rationality based on the psychological and philosophical theories.

Keywords: rational choice, rationality, P. Samuelson, D. Kahneman, A. Gibbard, B. Schwartz, O. Holsti, H. Simon, K. Arrow, American intellectuals

Abstract: This article is dedicated to comparison of the paradigms of the theory of international relations with the theories of classical integration. The principles of two main paradigms, political realism and liberalism, were taken as the basis for comparison with the two classical approaches to integration: federalism and functionalism. The goal of this work is determine whether or not there is a correlation between these theoretical constructs, as well as to test a hypothesis that the international concepts are located on a lower level of political research. This work provides a brief historical review of the establishment of paradigms of the theory of international relations, and determines their fundamental positions. As a result of this research the author demonstrates a secondary nature of the approaches towards integration with regards to the theory of international relations, which means that the theories of integration should be viewed as the byproduct of the highest political theories.

Keywords: Theories of regional integration, Federalism, Functionalism, Integration theories, Liberalism, Political realism, International relations, Paradigms of international relations, Low-level theories, High-level theories

Abstract:   The subject of this research is the features of political realism in the history of international relations, which demonstrate its similarities with postpositivism. The goal of this work is to determine and emphasize these similarities, but at the same time considering the differences between them. The author carefully examines the logical resemblances of realism and postpositivism, their common historical origins associated with the creative works of the same thinkers. The article also analyzes the approaches of the realists and positivists towards the fundamental issues of political knowledge, reality, values, as well as rationality. The author conducts a comparative analysis of the theoretical views of the realists and positivists, and bases himself upon their classical and contemporary works, alongside the critical research of other scholars. This work makes a new contribution into the research of the already existing similarities between realism and postpositivism within the theory of international relations. These common features are very deep, however there not enough studied and “violate” the accepted within the theory of international relations theoretical demarcations. The article complements and generalizes the arguments of Nicolas Guillot who pointed out at the correlation between realism with Thomas Kuhn’s philosophy of science, as well as with the theories that emphasize historicism, but deny progressivism and rationalism. The author determines that such connections confirm the existence of the significant similarities between realism and postpositivism. It is proven that for realism it is characteristic to have a narrow instrumental understanding of rationality; while postpositivism, in turn, limits or denies the notion of rationality.  A generalizing conclusion is made that namely such attitude towards rationality lies in the foundation of other similarities between realism ad postpositivism – their accent upon pluralism and relativity of knowledge, reality, and values in politics.  

Keywords: Thomas Kuhn, paradigm, historicism, rationalism, epistemology, political philosophy, postpositivism, political realism, theory of international relations, structural realism

Abstract: The subject of this research is the possibility of political influence upon the situation of crisis of metaphysical foundations of the political order. In order to analyze the new foundations of the political action, we use the notion of the “aesthetic individual” as an expresser of the metaphysical paradigm, which has been formed due to the critical change taking place within the Kantian system. The author demonstrates that despite the antinomicity of the political position of the aesthetic individual, the critical analysis itself can become the foundation for political action ans overcome the relativistic crisis of the modern political thought. The concepts of Leo Strauss, Hannah Arendt,Slavoj Žižek, and Alain Badiou are used as the basis of this research. The conclusion consists in the ability to analyze the processes that take place in the modern political philosophy by the virtue of aesthetics; it is namely the aesthetics that can thoroughly describe the foundations of the world outlook crisis within the modern culture. It is also demonstrated, how the aesthetic position can serve as the foundation for the new type of political action.  

Keywords: critical analysis, antinomicity, subjective judgement, metaphysical crisis, political action, political philosophy, aesthetic individual, aesthetics, intersubjectivity, political truth

Abstract: This article studies how the phenomenon of elections is explored in Arend Lijphart’s theory of democracy. The author highlights the main theses that serve as justification for division of democracies to «majoritarian» and «consensus», and briefly describes the variables that allow to attribute a country to a particular type of democracy: the number of effective parliamentary parties, party composition of the government, balance of powers between executive and legislative branches, disproportionality of the elective system, level of centralisation/decentralisation, number of chambers of the parliament, rigidity or flexibility of the Constitution, judicial control, independence of the central bank, and the level of participatory democracy. Methods of comparative analysis were used, the author also used calculations based on the formulas of Laakso and Taagepera's, Juan Molinar's and Golosov's indexes. Disproportionality of the Russian elective system was evaluated according to Michael Gallagher's methods. The analysis of Russian system is based on variables of different dimensions of democracy. The article also provides comparative analysis of the elective processes in countries with different types of democracy. Russia was labelled as a country with majoritarian type of democracy. It is generally confirmed by the patterns of voting behaviour examined in the article, as well as the fact that the strong presidential regime makes the whole political system "more majoritarian", even if the elections to the legislative organs are held according to the system of proportional representation.

Keywords: federal-unitary dimension of democracy, executive-parties dimension of democracy, electoral system, voting behaviour, political system, theory of democracy, consensus democracy, majoritarian democracy, elections, Arend Lijphart

Abstract: The subject under research is modern classifications of undemocratic regimes that have been developed by political experts in the modern period. The author of the article examines specific subtypes of modern authoritarian regimes and carries out a critical analysis of the empiric verification and operationalisation of the mentioned concepts. All classifications discussed in this article are viewed from the point of view of their relevance to studying transformations of political regimes in post-Soviet countries. Special attention is paid to the concepts of so called “hybrid regimes’ in the form of “electoral” and “competitive” authoritarianism. In his research Shkel has used the methods of classification and formal logic. Based on these methods, the researcher has divided all classification schemes of undemocratic political regimes into the three basic groups, i. e. approaches which differ from one another depending on the main classification criterion. Shkel offers to divide all modern classifications of authoritarian regimes into the following three groups: electoral, actor and institutional regimes. The researcher also concludes that an obvious advantage of new classification schemes is the opportunity to move the focus of the analysis not only from autocracy to democracy but also within undemocratic forms themselves. Generally speaking, Shkel admits that different concepts rather help than hinder scientists from applying a particular classification to the solution of certain research tasks.

Keywords: political regimes, authoritarianism, classification, political theory, electoral authoritarianism, competitive authoritarianism, hegemony, political institutions, political actors.

Abstract: The present article is devoted to studying tendencies and patterns of formation of a multipolar world based on the platform of the Russian model of noospheric policy and ideology of noovitism. Modern world is going through the epoch of global transformations accompanied with the decay of the Westphalian system, increasing global political instability, reconfi guration of the traditional system of international relations that was established in the post-war world, international law nihilism, depreciation of values and decreasing role of international institutions such as the United Nations organization. Under such conditions it is necessary to create a new platform for the global unifi cation and integration processes. Based on that platform it will be possible to build a new architecture of international relations and a new design of international institutions in accordance with the realities of the multipolar world being formed. Research methodology is based on the systems, comparative law, systems functional, institutional and noospheric approaches to studying international relations and global policy. Conceptual and ideological platform for formation of a new world order under the conditions of increasing political instability, aggravation of global problems and threats and growing number of international confl icts as well as a new wave of color revolutions can be the noospheric teaching of V. I. Vernadsky who presented the system of values of the Russian civilization in his teaching. Practical implementation of his teaching in politics is the concept of noovitism.

Keywords: politics, society, international relations, noosphere, multipolar world, noovitism, civilization, culture, security, political traditions.

Abstract: The purpose of the research article is to create a classifi cation of intercommunications arising at international integration associations as a result of interaction between integration actors. The classifi cation is based on the system approach. The author of the article shows that all the variety of forms of interaction between interests and relations formed on their basis can be divided into the two groups: confl ict-free (cooperative) and confl ict. The former is based on the difference between interests and the latter is based on their opposition. In their turn, cooperative relations can be summative and synthetic, i.e. creating non-organic and organic entities) and confl ict relations can be positional or resourceful. It is quite obvious that when we talk about integration associations, we mean associations that are based on cooperative relations. Noteworthy that summative relations are formed as a result of interaction between parallel interests when parties pursue different goals but each of these goals can be actually achieved as a result of their interaction. Synthetic relations are formed as a result of interaction between converging interests, i.e. all parties strive for the same goal. Synthetic relations are more stable and these are the relations that cause establishment of international integration associations – socio-economic systems where the dependence between the whole and its components are so close that elements cannot exist independently. Besides classifi cation of interests and associated social relations, the author of the article also defi nes other criteria for their classifi cation. For example, integrated relations are divided into subgroups depending o their objective laws, forms of determinism, direction, substrate, order, sustainability and changeability.

Keywords: international integration, regional integration associations, integrated relations, social interests, congruence of interests, complementary economic systems, international cooperation, international reproduction complexes, value chains, integrative trade.

Abstract: In this article, the nature and forms of political relations, their connection to political life and their significance for political development, are studied. Revealing political activity as the precondition of political relations, the author substantiates the conclusion that, in their nature, political relations are a form of political life which constitutes the functional basis of the political organism. The most important forms of political relations which correlate and supplement each other are represented by governance and opposition. Being the base forms of political relations within a democratic government, they serve as the most important functions of the political organism. They exist in mutual connection and are compulsory for the political process to exist. Other forms of political relations exist along with them, complicating the political organism. Defining political relations allows us to formulate the universal political developmentconsistency, which is formed by their interactions.

Keywords: Political science, politics, political activity, political authority, political relations, political organism, political life, governance, opposition, political system