Abstract: The object of the study is state strategic planning, and the subject is state strategic planning in the Russian Federation at the present stage. The author examines in detail such aspects as the dichotomy between the formalized results of the effectiveness of strategic projects and feedback from the public. The effectiveness assessment based on the analysis of the achievement of indicators, measures, and cash execution set out in program documents does not fully reflect compliance with the achievement of strategic goals, since the decomposition of goals into control points is carried out not by political management bodies, but, often, by the bureaucratic apparatus. Replacing the achievement of strategic goals with the implementation of formalized measures (using the example of the implementation of the national Ecology project in the Russian Federation) is one of the challenges of state strategic planning at the current stage of its development. Special attention is paid to the analysis of promising areas for the involvement of modern artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in the processes of formation, approval, implementation and monitoring of state strategic projects in the Russian Federation and world practice. The methodological basis of the research consists of modern methods of cognition of socio-political phenomena and processes, including the institutional method (political institutions regulating the development and implementation of strategic projects), the comparative method (comparison of state strategic planning tools among themselves), the structural and functional method. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that monitoring the implementation of national projects in Russia shows a disparity between citizens' awareness of national projects and satisfaction with their implementation. The author has established that state strategic planning in various countries of the world, including the Russian Federation, plays an important role in ensuring the stability of the political system and solving purely political tasks. This may be evidenced by the connection between the definition of national priorities and electoral cycles, since, often, the declaration of updated national development goals occurs with the inauguration of a new head of state. Practical recommendations on the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies in the process of monitoring the achievement of strategic goals of the state can be considered a special contribution of the author. At the same time, the author believes that the final approval of decisions /conclusions/forecasts made with the help of artificial intelligence should be carried out by competent specialists.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, monitoring system, feedback, Public administration, performance criteria, strategy, national projects of Russia, strategic planning, state, KPI

Abstract: Scientific interest towards legitimation of political power is caused by paradoxical behavior of the Russian society over the recent years, which on the background of crisis consequences in economic sphere, demonstrates high degree of trust to the conducted of political course of the Russian government. Therefore, the goal of this research is the consideration of fundamental factors affecting the legitimation of political power in modern Russia. The subject of this article is the substantive attributes characterizing legitimation of political power within Russian society at the current stage of development. Methodology leans on the phenomenological approach that mainstreams the realities of everyday life. It suggests that the focus of attention is aimed at the political processes within the framework of actual social practice. The article proves that in the Russian society legitimation takes place in the context of mythological perception of political sphere, processes and actors. The author analyzes and substantiates the correlation between the prevalent in the social space “heroic” political myth and legitimation of the political elite. The drawn conclusions signify the results and consequences of the political mythmaking for the economic and social spheres of life.

Keywords: liberal, a political label, modern political culture, traditional values, political myth, traditional society, legitimating of power, patriot, heroic myth, political ideal

Abstract: The subject of this research is the problem of correlation between the concept and types of power in the works of two thinkers – Alexandre Kojève and Carl Schmitt. The  methodological discrepancy in the works of these political theoreticians is revealed. The author suggests not only the formulated by the philosophers list of the types of power, but also finds the intersecting points in their representations on power for the purpose of unification of their approaches and acquiring certain synthetic typology of power. Special attention is given to the historical and contemporary examples that demonstrate the difference in understanding the various types of governing. The scientific novelty is defined by the fact that this article is first to provide a comprehensive comparative analysis of the two thinkers who differ in their methodological component. Comparing the four types of power, the author also suggests a certain synthetic theoretical construct, within the framework of which the pure types of power of A. Kojève are supported by representations on the basic styles of government administration by C. Schmitt.

Keywords: political theory, political regime, legality, legitimacy, power, Carl Schmitt, Alexandre Kojève, political philosophy, subject of power, state

Abstract: This article examines the main types of symbolic resources of the modern political leadership. Having analyzed the concept of the renowned American political scientist Murray Edelman alongside the works of other contemporary researchers, the author demonstrates the correlation between he manipulative, symbolic-ritual, and cognitive aspects of the democratic institutions and practices. The symbolic resources and mechanisms of political leadership are considered in detail. Particular attention is given to the analysis of the impact of globalization upon the symbolic mechanisms of the modern political leadership, as well as the question of targeted influence of the government and its representatives upon the public consciousness, using of symbolic forms. Theoretical-methodological foundation of this work consists in the theory of symbolic politics of M. Edelman, which critical analysis allowed determining the level of heuristic value of this theory for studying the modern political leadership. In the course of this analysis the author also referred to the sociological data of Levada Center and Russian Public Opinion Research Center, as well as attracted the empirical material from mass media. In conclusion, the author define the following resources of political leadership in modern society: language, ritual, environment and collective historical memory; while the mechanisms are the formation of identities and symbolic politics with regards to the national holidays. The author underlines the increasing influence of the global political processes upon the symbolic legitimation of leadership.

Keywords: mechanisms of political leadership, ritualized conflict, symbolic conflict, leadership styles, political identity, political language, political ritual, symbolic politics, political leadership, democracy

Abstract: The subject of this research is the Russian political traditions turned into government resources as one of the ways for creating political communication. The object is the examination of the role of Russia’s political traditions during the post-Soviet period. The author meticulously reviews such aspects as the importance of political traditions in the process of establishing political communication. Particular attention is paid to examination pf the proper choice of tradition as the resources of government for converting communication from the customary monologue into the dialogue, or even polylogue. Using the methods of comparison, historical-genetic, and retrospective analysis, the author was able to identify the traditions and demonstrate their current implementation. The main conclusion implies that the process of political communication becomes successful if one of the resources of formation of the agenda is the traditions capable of inducing the response of the recipients. Author’s special contribution into this research consists in revealing the importance in the process of initiation by the government of political communication not only stated by the law methods, but also the settled elements of political culture. The scientific novelty lies in determination of correlation between the flexible political communication and practically unchanged political traditions.

Keywords: method of communication, language of communication, achievement of the goal, efficiency, tradition as a resource, political dialogue, political communication, political traditions, channels of communication, government resources

Abstract: The subject of this research is the system of legal regulation of lobbying activity in the conditions of modern society. However, its political and institutional arrangement depends on the peculiarities of this political system – the established political culture, level of development of the legal system, political traditions, rules in relationships between state and business, level of democratization of the political process. The object of this article is the members of congress, members of presidential administration, servants of the ministries and departments of the United States, officials and deputies of the state level, municipal officials, etc. The main aspects of lobbying in the United States in priority order are the following: a) impact upon the tax policy; b) receiving of the budgetary appropriation; c) impact upon the legislative activity; d) relationship with the regulatory agencies; f) promotion of customer’s products at the market of state procurement. With the expansion of government apparatus and increase in the cost of electoral campaigns, the politicians and officials are more dependable on financial and organizational support of the population. In the United States of the early XXI century, it means the growth in demand for the competent lobbyists. But in a paradoxical way, not always it leads to the financial prosperity of the lobbyists themselves.

Keywords: state, Congress, fiscal policy, federal agency, business lobby, media company, public relations, lobbying, food security, immigration reform

Abstract: The subject under research is the modern European extreme right parties that have achieved their representation in the seventh and eighth European Parliament. The choice of the research subject is determined by the fact that under the present growth of popularity of extreme right parties in Europe, most researches devoted to their electoral results are focused on studying these parties in terms of their activity at the national and, rarely, municipal levels, while the activity of these political forces at the general European level including that in the European Parliament is practically left without analysis. Using the comparative method, M. Derkach analyzes the results of their elections to the European Parliament in 2009 and 2014 as well as their coalition policy, i.e. participation in formation of the deputy group of the European Parliament. The author concludes that elections of 2014 did not demonstrate a signifi cant rise in extreme right moods among European electors. At the same time those elections outlined the deepening the split inside the family of extreme right parties and demonstrated the presence of insuperable (at least at this stage) contradictions in associated political forces.

Keywords: Right radicalism, extreme right parties, anti-immigration parties, European Parliament, European Alliance for Freedom, National Front, Jobbik, Lega Nord, Sweden Democrats, Neo-Nazism.

Abstract: In this article based upon the analysis of the ideas of a merited Russian scientist of early XX century M.Y. Ostrogorskiy on the role of the parties in the political mechanism of a constitutional state the author shows the failure of the idea of automatic application of political and economic institutions, which are adopted by reception, although this idea is popular among the Russian leaders. In fact, for a successful implementation of any institution in the modern state, it has to be constituionalized, that is, it has to be harmonized with the archetypes of the constitutional legal conscience – freedom and justice. This study is based upon the use of method of unity of historical and logical matters, and upon the idea of raising from the abstract to the specifi c. Reception of democratic institutions (party pluralism, separation of powers, universal election right, etc.) is necessary but not in itself suffi cient condition for constituionalization of the Russian government. The functioning of democratic political mechanism is impossible without implementation of basic constitutional archetypes into the legal conscience of the elite and the people. And the latter is not possible without a public consensus regarding the fundamental values and goals of development of the state.

Keywords: M.Y. Ostrogorskiy, constitutionalism, state, political party, political system, democracy, human rights, ruling elite, legal conscience, institution.

Abstract: Political ethics is one of the most important concepts lying in the basis of understanding of the state structure and relations between the state mechanism and social structure. Observance of the principles of moral policy gives us an insight into what lies in the basis of actions performed by these or those political actors. Political ethics is a topical issue because it deals with the relations between people who have opposite interests but who can still get along based on the principles of ‘the good or justice’. When analyzing different models of the state policy formation, the author underlines the degree of openness of the process and the nature of mutual relations between the state institution and civic institutions. Conclusion: at the present time there is no single or universal decision making institution in the Russian Federation. Modernization requires new decisions. It is important to take into account that today’s government often faces a situation when it cannot formulate the request for change. The same situation happened when the economic crisis began and only half a year later adequate measures were undertaken.

Keywords: political science, elite, ethics, interests, social institution, behavior, morals, decision making, regulators, democracy.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the concept of legitimation of power from the point of view of personal commitment to the existing regime. To explain and justify the elements of the institutional tradition, Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann offer to view legitimation in terms of its cognitive and regulatory components which, as the author of the article states, points out that legitimation also deals with the basic (cognitive and regulatory) functions of religion and therefore directly relates to and depends on the ‘superior reality’ (Talcott Parsons). Based on the classical research of social terms carried out by Emile Benveniste, the author of the article analyzes the semantic meaning of the terms ‘power’, ‘authority’, ‘trust’ and ‘commitment’ in terms of their relation to legitimation. At the end of the article the author concludes that all social terms that have been studied by sociologists and comprise the process of legitimation have roots in religion and relate to religious perception of the world as well as religious vertical relations (between people and God) even more than horizontal religious relations (between people themselves). This proves the above mentioned thesis made by Talcott Parsons. However, while the religious nature of legitimation of theocratic and monarchical regimes seems quite obvious, democratic processes happening under the conditions of social secularism challenge the researchers to conduct a more depth-in research of the motivational aspect of legitimation.

Keywords: legitimation, confession, power, authority, trust, personal commitment, motivation, cognitive aspect of legitimation, regulatory aspect of legitimation, religious aspect of legitimation.

Abstract: The article is devoted to studying social characteristics of Spain ruling elite at late 1970’s – 1990’s when the Spain socialistic workers’ party was governing. Spanish researchers describe those times as the period of democracy consolidation. Based on massive biography data, the author analyzes members of Spanish ruling elite according to the main social characteristics such as place of birth, age, education and career. The author of the article makes an attempt to defi ne how radical social and political transformations were after the failure of Francisco Franco’s government and how it infl uenced the process of renewal of the ruling elite of Spain. The author of the article also views the policy undertaken by socialists in relation to state government and army leadership of the country. The author also describes the role of the new ruling elite, their competence and effi ciency.

Keywords: elite, Spain, social characteristics, democracy, socialists, Cortes, ministers, state government, general offi - cers, Integrated Standby Instrument Systems.