Socio-political organization and socio-political movement: general and specific. Scientific electronic library

Introduction

Public organizations and movements are non-governmental entities that unite people according to their interests and professions. They have a rich history. Already in ancient world Along with the state, there were associations of representatives, as a rule, of the propertied classes and free citizens. They also took place in the medieval period of human history. These associations were most often based on religious ideas (knightly associations, orders of crusaders, and so on).

Political parties, being the center political life societies do not cover in their activities the entire diversity of socio-political processes. The activities of political parties seem to continue in the activities of numerous public organizations and mass social movements.

Socio-political organization and socio-political movement: general and specific

Social movements and organizations differ in many ways: in their goals, the functions they perform in relation to the interests of their members, as well as in relation to state power; at the place of activity; by types and methods of activity; by the nature of occurrence, by methods of organization, and so on.

For example, according to the criterion of purpose, there are socio-political movements and organizations that are revolutionary and counter-revolutionary, reformist and conservative, national democratic, general democratic, environmental. By areas of activity: economic, social, national, international, religious, scientific, educational and others. By place of activity: local, regional, national, international, operating in parliament (functions and other associations of deputies), within management structures, in the system of educational and scientific institutions, in the religious environment. By the nature of occurrence: spontaneous and consciously organized; by method of organization: clubs, associations, associations, unions, fronts; by social composition: youth, women, professional. Zerkin D.P. Fundamentals of political science: Course of lectures. Rostov., 1997. P. 302.

No matter how diverse social movements and organizations are, all of them are one way or another called upon to perform two main tasks: a) expression and implementation of group interests; b) ensuring the participation of members of a particular group or community in management public affairs and self-government, and therefore, in the implementation of the principles of democracy (democracy). Hence the underlying reasons for the emergence of social movements and organizations: dissatisfaction of group needs and interests through the activities of institutions of state power and political parties, the presence of economic and socio-cultural problems that cannot be solved by the structures of power and management.

Availability of various social needs and interests in itself does not lead to the emergence of social movements and organizations. The factor of interests is triggered precisely when, firstly, the state of unsatisfactory interests is fixed in public consciousness. Secondly, when certain ideas take shape in the mass consciousness about the content of group interests and ways to satisfy them. Thirdly, there is a growing need among a significant part of various groups and segments of the people to participate in making socio-political decisions related to the implementation of interests. Finally, fourthly, in the presence of appropriate democratic structures in the political system. In general, social and socio-political movements and organizations arise on the basis of social group interests, subject to the development of self-awareness of certain social groups, realized in social activity related to the satisfaction of these interests. Right there. C 303.

In difficult, difficult times, people, imbued with ideological contradictions, first group into protest movements and organizations, then popular fronts, associations, mass movements begin to exist, and within systemic state, party, trade union and youth structures: independent trade union organizations, strike committees, various groups deputies. Subsequently, there is an integration of movements and organizations formed both outside and inside the political system. Movements such as “Democratic Russia”, “United Front of Workers” and others are taking shape.

Habermas Jurgen, famous German philosopher, sociologist and political thinker. In his works he paid great attention to social science and attached no less importance to language. He reduced the problem of socio-political practice to the problem of mutual understanding, language political power, parties, social groups and so on. In his ideas or other concepts, there is a socio-political orientation. Habermas Jurgen also attached great importance to the ideological and political superstructure. He tried to find out on what principles the action of domination, abstractly represented as the relationship between master and slave, is based. Superimposing this scheme on the entire problematic public life, with its help he tried to explain the mechanisms that should ensure the preservation and stability of society.

The main problem, in his opinion, is that the distribution of surplus product rests on the privileged assimilation of socially produced wealth by the ruling strata of society. In this case, unequal distribution must have a “legalized” form and be recorded in the system legal norms. As soon as faith in the legitimacy of the existing order decreases for some reason, a force latently hidden in the system of institutions is released, which can lead to sharp social disagreements, conflicts, and crises. To avoid such developments, it is necessary to establish an order, which must be based on an appropriate distribution of power. Political Encyclopedia / Sub. ed. G. Semigina - M., 1999. P. 575

In the 1980s, Habermas Jürgen developed ideas about instrumental and communicative action in his two-volume Theory of Communicative Action. By communicative action, Habermas understands the influence of individuals, which is ordered according to norms accepted as mandatory. If instrumental action is focused on success, then communicative action is aimed at mutual understanding of the acting individuals, their consensus. It involves coordination of efforts. Right there. C 575

Also, according to his ideas, communicative action is a means of social interaction and serves to form solidarity. All along theoretical activity Habermas, all such topics intersected with each other and became parts of the large-scale theory of communicative action that he created and constantly improved.

In general, the concept of “socio-political movements” covers various associations of citizens, associations, unions, fronts that are not directly included in state and party structures, but are to one degree or another subjects of political life, combining varying degrees functions of cooperation, opposition and criticism, opposition and struggle in relation to state institutions and political parties. This concept covers a wide range of associations - from those that directly influence the adoption of political decisions, characterized by a high level of organization and structure, to purely political ones that do not have a clear organized core. This diversity creates a certain difficulty in typologizing movements, analyzing the reasons for their emergence, ideological and political position, social base, and relationships with authorities. At the same time, we can identify the most general characteristics of socio-political movements that distinguish them from parties.

The ideological and political orientation of the movements is much broader, and the goals are much narrower and more specific than those of the parties. This allows people with different political views to participate in the movement, but who support the specific political goal for which the movement is created and acts. This determines the ability of movements to acquire a large scope.

Movements, as a rule, do not have a unified program or charter. They differ in the inconsistency of the number of participants. Movements usually do not have a strong center, a unified structure, or discipline. The core of movements can be either independent initiative groups or committees or commissions created by parties. They rely on the unorganized masses and can also be supported by various public organizations and autonomous associations of some parties. In general, the basis of movements is the solidarity and voluntariness of their participants. Political science: textbook for universities / Ed. M. Vasilika. M., 2006. P. 104

Socio-political movements strive to influence power, but, as a rule, they themselves do not achieve power.

There are many types of socio-political movements:

- from the point of view of attitude to the existing system, movements are conservative, reformist and revolutionary;
- according to ideological basis - liberal-democratic, conservative, socialist;
- on a national basis - national liberation, for the self-determination of the nation, cultural and national autonomy, etc.;
- according to demographics - youth, students, etc.;
- by scale - international, regional, country, state, republic;
- by methods and methods of action - legal, illegal, formal, informal, oriented towards peaceful or violent actions.

Socio-political movements perform important functions:

- condense the interests and sentiments of wide heterogeneous layers of the population:
- set goals, develop ways to achieve them;
- create a large political force focused on solving a specific political problem;
- lead mass protests, organize non-violent and sometimes violent protests.

The second half and especially the end of the 20th century are characterized by the growth and strengthening of the role of socio-political movements, which indicates the involvement huge number people into politics.

There are various options for the relationship between socio-political movements and parties.

Independent socio-political movements do not enter into any relations with parties. This happens when participants in movements, having a certain political interest, at the same time, they are not satisfied with the activities of the parties. Many movement participants do not want to associate themselves with party affiliation at all. Right there. P. 105

The creation of some movements is initiated by a party or a bloc of parties with the aim of involving the broad masses of non-party people in the struggle for the put forward political task.

Parties can take control of movements (for example, spontaneous mass protests, social environment which are the least socially protected layers, there may be parties adhering to the strategy of destabilizing the social system). Right there. P. 105

Having achieved success in solving their tasks, political movements usually cease to exist (this happened, for example, with the movement against the deployment of cruise missiles in Europe and others), but in a number of cases, when the tasks put forward are too complex, their solution requires long-term efforts, access to levers of power, political movements acquire the characteristics of a party and are transformed into it (this, for example, happened with the “green” movement). Thus, socio-political movements can be the initial stage of party formation, and, having become a party, they can retain the name “movement”. However, this is not a necessary result of the evolution of movement. Political movements do not displace parties and do not turn into a stage of their formation.

There are several reasons why people are interested in social movements and organizations. Firstly, in recent years, and perhaps even in recent decades, political parties are increasingly losing their authority among the broad masses of the people and especially among young people. People sometimes get tired of the glorification and political games of party leaders, who often use the trust of ordinary party members for their own personal interests - to get to power at any cost. People from the outside see this and do not want to join this or that party, do not want to be a bargaining chip in political games.

In addition, membership in a political party requires discipline and requires voting in elections only for the candidate of one’s own party. People, and especially young people, prefer the broad democracy of public organizations and their true self-government. A person can freely move from one organization to another, participate in any mass movement, without tying his hands to any of them.

Secondly, mass public organizations and movements attract numerous supporters into their ranks by the fact that they do not strictly adhere to any ideological concept in their activities. Ideology is the destiny of a political party. And people often do not see the benefit of any ideology. Their main contents are political problems, issues of power, and not the material interests of ordinary people, their everyday needs.

Today, mass movements and organizations are characterized by the desire to go beyond existing ideological systems, to rethink the realities of the modern world, to put forward alternative ideas and concepts that adequately reflect the vital problems of our time.

Look for alternative development paths modern civilization forced by the current reality itself, which, according to many prominent scientists - both social scientists and natural scientists - is leading increasingly to a dead end, to a universal catastrophe: thermonuclear, environmental, food. Awareness of this expands the circle of participants in alternative movements. Vorobiev K.A. Political science: a textbook for universities. M., 2005. P. 225

Thirdly, the growing interest of the broad masses in social movements and organizations is also due to the fact that these movements quickly grasp the novelty of the social situation, respond more quickly to changing situations, and more fully take into account the everyday, immediate needs of the people in their demands. Political parties are to a certain extent bound by party ideology, which cannot change quickly; it remains stable for a relatively long time. long period time.

Socio-political movements and organizations, depending on their connection with the political system, can be institutionalized (formal) and non-institutionalized (informal). The first, so to speak, are recognized by the political system as its component element and operate according to a set of formal rules. The latter arise and act outside the system, according to rules not prescribed by it. These are the so-called informal organizations. However, in socio-political life everything is subject to dynamics. Mutual transformations of public organizations are also possible. Some informal movements and organizations are turning into formal and even political parties. This is the dialectic of many informal organizations in the former USSR.

United Nations (UN) - international organization sovereign states, created in 1945 at a conference in San Francisco on the initiative of leading state participants anti-Hitler coalition based on the voluntary combination of their efforts. The UN was born as a result great victory over fascism. The foundations of its activities and structure were developed during the 2nd World War (1939-1945). G. Semigin. Decree. op. P. 86

In general, the activities of the UN are aimed at peaceful coexistence, at peaceful relations between states, to be more precise, there is a UN Charter, the goals of which are: maintaining international peace and security, preventing and eliminating threats to peace and suppressing acts of aggression, settling or resolving international disputes or situations that may lead to a breach of peace; development of friendly relations between nations based on respect for the principle of equality and self-determination of peoples; implementation international cooperation in resolving international problems of an economic, cultural, and humanitarian nature and promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for everyone, without distinction of race, gender, language and religion; fulfilling the role of a center for coordinating the actions of states aimed at achieving these goals. The Charter also provides for the principles of international cooperation and enshrines such points as the conscientious resolution of disputes only by peaceful means. Right there. C 87

TOtest work

in the discipline Political Science

“Socio-political organizations and

movement"

- INTRODUCTION -

Public organizations and movements are non-state entities, and movements are non-state entities that unite people according to their interests and professions. They have a rich history. Already in the ancient world, along with the state, there were associations of representatives, as a rule, of the propertied classes and free citizens. They also took place in the medieval period of human history. These associations were most often based on religious ideas (knightly associations, orders of crusaders, and so on).

The purpose of this test on the topic “Socio-political organizations and movements” is to reveal the meaning of the ideas of organizations and movements, their role in life civil society generally.

To do this, it is necessary to solve several problems, namely:

1. Describe the significance of socio-political organizations and movements.

2. Characterize the types of socio-political movements.

3. Consider the reasons for the emergence of socio-political organizations and movements.

Political parties, being the center of the political life of society, do not cover with their activities the entire diversity of socio-political processes. The activities of political parties seem to continue in the activities of numerous public organizations and mass social movements.

1. Socio-political organization and socio-political movement: general and specific

“For example, according to the criterion of purpose, there are socio-political movements and organizations that are revolutionary and counter-revolutionary, reformist and conservative, national democratic, general democratic, environmental. By areas of activity: economic, social, national, international, religious, scientific, educational and others. By place of activity: local, regional, national, international, operating in parliament (functions and other associations of deputies), within management structures, in the system of educational and scientific institutions, in the religious environment. By the nature of occurrence: spontaneous and consciously organized; by method of organization: clubs, associations, associations, unions, fronts; by social composition: youth, women, professional” Zerkin D.P. Fundamentals of political science: Course of lectures. Rostov n/d: “Phoenix”, 1997, P. 302.

No matter how diverse social movements and organizations are, all of them are one way or another called upon to perform two main tasks: a) expression and implementation of group interests; b) ensuring the participation of members of a particular group or community in the management of public affairs and self-government, and therefore, in the implementation of the principles of democracy (democracy). Hence the underlying reasons for the emergence of social movements and organizations: dissatisfaction of group needs and interests through the activities of institutions of state power and political parties, the presence of economic and socio-cultural problems that cannot be solved by the structures of power and management.

The presence of diverse social needs and interests does not in itself lead to the emergence of social movements and organizations. The factor of interests is triggered precisely when: “... firstly, the state of unsatisfactory interests is fixed in the public consciousness; secondly, certain ideas are emerging in the mass consciousness about the content of group interests and ways to satisfy them; thirdly, there is a growing need among a significant part of various groups and segments of the people to participate in making socio-political decisions related to the implementation of interests; finally, fourthly, in the presence of appropriate democratic structures in the political system. In general, social and socio-political movements and organizations arise on the basis of social group interests, subject to the development of self-awareness of certain social groups, realized in social activity related to the satisfaction of these interests” Zerkin D.P. Fundamentals of political science: Course of lectures. Rostov n/d: “Phoenix”, 1997, P. 303.

In difficult, difficult times, people, imbued with ideological contradictions, first group into protest movements and organizations, then popular fronts, associations, mass movements begin to exist, and within systemic state, party, trade union and youth structures: independent trade union organizations, strike committees, various groups of deputies. Subsequently, there is an integration of movements and organizations formed both outside and inside the political system. Movements such as “Democratic Russia”, “United Front of Workers” and others are taking shape.

Habermas Jurgen, famous German philosopher, sociologist and political thinker. In his works he paid great attention to social science and attached no less importance to language. He reduced the problem of socio-political practice to the problem of mutual understanding, the language of political power, party, social groups, and so on. In his ideas or other concepts, there is a socio-political orientation. Habermas Jurgen also attached great importance to the ideological and political superstructure. He tried to find out on what principles the action of domination, abstractly represented as the relationship between master and slave, is based. Imposing this scheme on the entire problematic of social life, he used it to try to explain the mechanisms that should ensure the preservation and stability of society.

“The main problem, in his opinion, is that the distribution of surplus product rests on the privileged assimilation of socially produced wealth by the ruling strata of society. At the same time, unequal distribution must have a “legalized” appearance and be recorded in the system of legal norms. As soon as faith in the legitimacy of the existing order decreases for some reason, a force latently hidden in the system of institutions is released, which can lead to sharp social disagreements, conflicts, and crises. To avoid such a development of events, it is necessary to establish an order that should be based on an appropriate distribution of power” Political Encyclopedia. In 2 vols. T2/National. Society - scientific foundation; Hand. project G.Yu. Semigin; scientific-editor's council: prev. Council G.Yu. Semigin. - M.: Mysl, 1999, P. 575. .

In the 1980s, Habermas Jürgen developed ideas about instrumental and communicative action in his two-volume Theory of Communicative Action. “By communicative action, Habermas understands the influence of individuals, which is ordered according to norms accepted as mandatory. If instrumental action is focused on success, then communicative action is aimed at mutual understanding of the acting individuals, their consensus. It presupposes coordination of efforts”Political Encyclopedia. In 2 vols. T2/National. Society - scientific foundation; Hand. project G.Yu. Semigin; scientific-editor's council: prev. Council G.Yu. Semigin. - M.: Mysl, 1999, P. 575.

Also, according to his ideas, communicative action is a means of social interaction and serves to form solidarity. Throughout Habermas’s theoretical activity, all such topics intersected with each other and became parts of the large-scale theory of communicative action that he created and constantly improved.

In general, the concept of “socio-political movements” covers various associations of citizens, associations, unions, fronts that are not directly included in state and party structures, but are to one degree or another subjects of political life, combining to varying degrees the functions of cooperation and opposition and criticism, opposition and struggle towards state institutions and political parties. This concept covers a wide range of associations - from those that directly influence the adoption of political decisions, characterized by a high level of organization and structure, to purely political ones that do not have a clear organized core. This diversity poses a certain difficulty in typologizing movements, analyzing the reasons for their emergence, ideological and political position, social base, and relationships with authorities. At the same time, we can identify the most general characteristics of socio-political movements that distinguish them from parties.

The ideological and political orientation of the movements is much broader and more vague, and the goals are much narrower and more specific than those of the parties. This allows people with different political views to participate in the movement, but who support the specific political goal for which the movement is created and acts. This determines the ability of movements to acquire a large scope.

Movements, as a rule, do not have a unified program or charter. They differ in the inconsistency of the number of participants. Movements usually do not have a strong center, a unified structure, or discipline. The core of movements can be either independent initiative groups or committees or commissions created by parties. They rely on the unorganized masses and can also be supported by various public organizations and autonomous associations of certain parties. In general, the basis of movements is the solidarity and voluntariness of their participants.

Socio-political movements strive to influence power, but, as a rule, they themselves do not achieve power.

There are many types of socio-political movements:

From the point of view of attitude towards the existing system, movements are conservative, reformist and revolutionary;

On the ideological basis - liberal-democratic, conservative, socialist;

On a national basis - national liberation, for the self-determination of the nation, cultural and national autonomy, etc.;

By demographics - youth, students, etc.;

By scale - international, regional, country, state, republic;

According to methods and methods of action - legal, illegal, formal, informal, oriented towards peaceful or violent actions.

Socio-political movements perform important functions:

They condense the interests and sentiments of wide heterogeneous sections of the population:

They set goals and develop ways to achieve them;

They create a large political force focused on solving a specific political problem;

They lead mass protests, organize non-violent and sometimes violent protests.

There are various options for the relationship between socio-political movements and parties.

Independent socio-political movements do not enter into any relations with parties. This happens when participants in movements, having a certain political interest, are at the same time not satisfied with the activities of the parties. Many movement participants do not want to associate themselves with party affiliation at all.

The creation of certain movements is initiated by a party or a bloc of parties with the aim of involving the broad masses of non-party people in the struggle for the put forward political task.

Parties can take control of movements (for example, behind spontaneous mass protests, the social environment of which are the least socially protected layers, there may be parties adhering to the strategy of destabilizing the social system).

2. Traditional and new types of socio-political movements and organizations. Their dynamics

Having achieved success in solving the set tasks, political movements usually cease to exist (this happened, for example, with the movement against the deployment of cruise missiles in Europe and others), but in a number of cases, when the tasks put forward are too complex, their solution requires long-term efforts, access to levers of power, political movements acquire the characteristics of a party and are transformed into it (this, for example, happened with the “green” movement). So, socio-political movements can be the initial stage of party formation, and, having become a party, they can retain the name “movement”. However, this is not a necessary result of the evolution of movement. Political movements do not displace parties and do not turn into a stage of their formation.

There are several reasons why people are interested in social movements and organizations. Firstly, in recent years, and perhaps even in recent decades, political parties are increasingly losing their authority among the broad masses and especially among young people. People sometimes get tired of the glorification and political games of party leaders, who often use the trust of ordinary party members for their own personal interests - to get to power at any cost. People from the outside see this and do not want to join this or that party, do not want to be a bargaining chip in political games.

Secondly, mass public organizations and movements attract numerous supporters into their ranks by the fact that they do not strictly adhere to any ideological concept in their activities. Ideology is the destiny of a political party. And people often do not see the benefit of any ideology. Their main content is political problems, issues of power, and not the material interests of ordinary people, their everyday needs.

The current reality itself forces us to look for an alternative to the paths of development of modern civilization, which, according to many prominent scientists - both social scientists and natural scientists - is leading increasingly to a dead end, to a universal catastrophe: thermonuclear, environmental, food. Awareness of this expands the circle of participants in alternative movements.

Socio-political movements and organizations, depending on their connection with the political system, can be institutionalized (formal) and non-institutionalized (informal). The first, so to speak, are recognized by the political system as its constituent element and function in accordance with a set of formal rules. The latter arise and act outside the system, according to rules not prescribed by it. These are the so-called informal organizations. However, in socio-political life everything is subject to dynamics. Mutual transformations of public organizations are also possible. Some informal movements and organizations are turning into formal and even political parties. This is the dialectic of many informal organizations in the former USSR.

“The United Nations (UN) is an international organization of sovereign states, created in 1945 at a conference in San Francisco on the initiative of the leading state participants in the anti-Hitler coalition on the basis of a voluntary combination of their efforts. The UN was born as a result of the great victory over fascism. The foundations of its activities and structure were developed during the 2nd World War (1939-1945)” Political Encyclopedia. In 2 vols. T2/National. Society - scientific foundation; Hand. project G.Yu. Semigin; scientific-editor's council: prev. Council G.Yu. Semigin. - M.: Mysl, 1999, P. 86.

In general, the activities of the UN are aimed at peaceful coexistence, at peaceful relations between states, to be more precise, there is a UN Charter, the goals of which are: maintaining international peace and security, preventing and eliminating threats to peace and suppressing acts of aggression, settling or resolving international disputes or situations that may lead to a breach of peace; development of friendly relations between nations based on respect for the principle of equality and self-determination of peoples; implementation of international cooperation in resolving international problems of an economic, cultural, and humanitarian nature and fostering respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for everyone, without distinction of race, gender, language and religion; fulfilling the role of a center for coordinating the actions of states aimed at achieving these goals. The Charter also provides for the principles of international cooperation and enshrines such points as the conscientious resolution of disputes only by peaceful means.

3. Socio-political organizations and movements in Russia: history and modernity

Social organizations and movements received significant development in bourgeois society, especially with the entry into the historical arena of the working class - people freed from feudal serfdom and given freedom by law to unite in various public organizations. With the help of organized social movements of various directions, the working class achieved tangible results in the struggle to improve their living conditions, for social freedoms and political rights.

“National organizations and movements rose to a new level of development after the Second World War. They have become widespread. This was facilitated by the strengthening of the democratic trend in the socio-political life of peoples, the rise of the national-political life of peoples, the rise of the national liberation struggle, and especially the struggle for peace, against the threat of a new world war. Today, the scope of activities of public, non-governmental organizations and mass movements is such that they cover almost all aspects of the life of human society. They consist of hundreds of millions of people, they have a powerful influence on international relations, on the internal political processes of states” Vorobiev K.A. Political science: Textbook for universities.-2nd ed. Rev. And additional - M.: Academic Project, 2005. P. 286. .

Due to the passage of time, the collapse of former ideals occurs, propaganda occurs, primarily through the media. People’s worldviews also change; views on the past can change sharply in the opposite direction, since everything in life is impermanent. There was a destruction of youth organizations, primarily the Komsomol. Despite all the shortcomings in the work of the Komsomol in Soviet times, it was an organization that united young people, defended their interests, and organized young men and women for useful and interesting activities. The creation of new socio-political organizations, the solution of local and local problems strengthen the sense of mutual understanding and contribute to the growth of the authority of organizations.

Public organizations are characterized by a system of connections and the similarity of interests of its members, a way of developing and making decisions to achieve common goals. In Russia there are movements such as: LDPR, led by one of the founders V.V. Zhirinovsky, “Yabloko” (G.A. Yavlinsky), etc.

Currently, the most popular movements are: the green movement, anti-globalization, anti-war, women's, democratic youth movement and others. All these movements are international. In each country there are many mass movements on a national scale, reflecting the specific situation developing in it. Many social movements and organizations have emerged in recent years in the territory of the former USSR, including in Russia.

A characteristic feature of modern mass social movements and organizations is that, as a rule, they are either directly related to politics or indirectly influence the quality of the activities of political institutions.

Social and socio-political movements and organizations, unlike parties, are more popular in their social composition. They arise both from class and on a class-like and inter-class basis. So, if the labor movement is class, then the trade union movement is interclass.

Associations and organizations arise, as a rule, spontaneously in connection with the emergence of a specific interest among citizens and the need for its implementation. This is how they arise various organizations entrepreneurs, farmers' associations, charities and other organizations. Some part of these organizations may cease to exist when the corresponding need is satisfied. However, the overwhelming majority of them become permanently active, gaining strength and authority over time.

- Conclusion -

There is a growth and strengthening of the role of socio-political movements, which indicates the involvement of a huge number of people in politics. There are various options for the relationship between socio-political movements and parties, but independent socio-political movements do not enter into any relations with parties. This happens when participants in movements, having a certain political interest, are at the same time not satisfied with the activities of the parties. The creation of certain movements is initiated by a party or a bloc of parties with the aim of involving the broad masses of non-party people in the struggle for the put forward political task.

People voluntarily unite in associations (associations, unions, organizations, centers, clubs, foundations, etc.), the associations that make up civil society reflect the widest range of economic, family, cultural, legal and many other values and interests of citizens. The peculiarity of all these associations that form civil society is that they are created not by the state, but by the citizens themselves. These associations exist autonomously from the state, but within the framework of existing laws in the state.

So, the activities of public organizations and movements are a real indicator of the process of establishing democratization of the political system, civil society, as well as the development of self-government.

Bibliography

1. Political science: Textbook for universities/Under. ed. M.A. Vasilika. - M.: Yurist, 1999.

2. Vorobyov K.A. Political science: Textbook for universities.-2nd ed. Rev. And additional - M.: Academic Project, 2005.

3. Zerkin D.P. Fundamentals of political science: Course of lectures. Rostov n/a: “Phoenix”, 1997.

4. Maltsev V.A. Fundamentals of Political Science: Textbook for Universities. - M.: ITRK RSPP, 1998.

5. Political science: Textbook/A.Yu. Melville [etc.]; M.: Moskovsky state institute International Relations (University) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, TK Welby, Prosᴨȇkt Publishing House, 2004.

6. Political science: textbook for universities/Scientific editor A.A. Radugin.-2nd ed., rev. and additional - M.: Center, 2001.

7. Political encyclopedia. In 2 vols. T2/National. Society - scientific foundation; Hand. project G.Yu. Semigin; scientific-editor's council: prev. Council G.Yu. Semigin. - M.: Mysl, 1999.

Political parties; public organizations and movements

§ 1. Party as a political institution

The concept of "public association"

An important place in the political system of society is occupied by various public associations of citizens - political parties, trade unions, youth and women's organizations, mass movements, associations, foundations, unions, etc. The basis of this kind of public formations is the awareness by their members of the commonality of their interests and aspirations for their practical implementation through association and organization. The right to association is a fundamental human and citizen right and means the right to free and independent choice by citizens of any form of non-state activity.

To characterize a wide range organizational forms social activity in scientific literature and legal acts the concept " public associations"A public association is understood as a voluntary formation that arose as a result of the free expression of the will of citizens united on the basis of common interests. Among public associations, there are such main groups of formations as political parties, public organizations and social movements. Having a number of common characteristics (voluntariness, intentionality of creation , amateur activities, etc.), these types of public associations differ from each other in their goals, objectives, degree of organizational formalization.Political parties play a particularly important role in the system of power relations.

Origin and essence of political parties

Political parties and party systems are the product of a long historical development. The term "party" comes from the Latin partis, which means part of something whole, a side of some phenomenon or process. The concept was already used in the ancient world to refer to groups of political allies striving for a common goal. However, political factions and alliances that took place under the slave-owning and feudal system can only conditionally be called parties; they were amorphous, temporary formations that could not play any significant role in socio-political life.

The emergence and development of parties and party systems in the modern sense of the word is associated with the era of bourgeois revolutions, with the emergence and development of parliamentarism as a form of organization and exercise of state power. In the genesis of the party as a political institution, according to the classification generally accepted in political science by M. Weber, three stages are distinguished: aristocratic grouping - political club - mass party.

Thus, in England, the predecessors of the modern conservative and liberal parties were the aristocratic groupings of the Tories and Whigs, which arose in the second half of the 17th century, the differences between which were initially of a religious, dynastic nature. In the 30s of the XIX century. Tories and Whigs formed political clubs - the Carlton Club and the Reform Club, respectively, which were oriented towards parliament in their activities. In the United States, after the declaration of independence, federalist and anti-federalist party groups emerged. In the Convention of Revolutionary France there were political clubs of Girondins, Jacobins, and Montagnards.

The prototypes of modern political parties (groups and clubs), which existed in the 17th - early 19th centuries, differed significantly from today's parties in their functions, methods of organization and activities. Small in number, they operated primarily within the walls of parliament and relied on a narrow stratum of “selected” citizens. The lack of centralized leadership and weak organizational ties were compensated by the commonality of views of their members.

Qualitative changes in the nature of political parties occurred in the 19th century as a result of the expansion of suffrage and the emergence of the organized labor movement. The gradual removal of qualification restrictions and electoral law reforms in many countries have significantly expanded the electoral corps. The struggle for the masses forces bourgeois parties to abandon isolation and go beyond parliament in order to exert constant ideological and political influence on voters.

The labor movement made a significant contribution to the development of the political party as an institution. It created a classic type of party with mass membership, a network of local organizations, a periodic congress, a charter, and membership fees. Workers' parties arose extra-parliamentarily - on the basis of the trade union, cooperative movement, workers' and intellectuals' circles. One of the first workers' parties was the "General German Union", created in 1863. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. The labor movement was divided into two currents - revolutionary and reformist, on the basis of which two main groups of working class parties emerged - communist and socialist.

At the beginning of the 20th century. Christian Democratic and other confessional parties emerge. With the development of the national liberation movement, various class essence parties aimed at the national liberation of oppressed peoples.

The evolution of the party as a political institution was accompanied by a theoretical understanding of this phenomenon in socio-political thought. For a long time, in political theory there was a strong tradition of anti-partyism - a negative, at best, restrained attitude towards parties. It was based on ideas about the state as an exponent of popular sovereignty and general will. Parties were perceived as carriers of “private interests”, a source of crises and a split in society. Only gradually, as the parliamentary and constitutional foundations of bourgeois statehood developed, did the parties strengthen their political and legal status. At the end XIX beginning XX centuries the problems of political parties emerged as a separate area of political science. The most famous are the works of M. Ostrogorsky, J. Bryce, R. Michels, who are rightfully considered the founders of modern partology.

In the scientific literature there are different approaches to understanding the essence of political parties and their definition. Ideological direction considers the party as an ideological community, a union of like-minded people who are united general views, interests and beliefs. This understanding of the party originates in the liberal concepts of the past. B. Constant defined a party as “an association of people who recognize the same political doctrine.”

Organizational approach emphasizes, first of all, the organizational and structural aspect of the party’s activities. The characteristics of a party are highlighted, such as the presence of a special structure, duration of existence, connections between organizations, work with supporters, etc. Functional approach involves the study of political actions, the role and tasks of parties in the political mechanism. A significant part of political scientists consider the “electoral” function of the party to be decisive and focus on the party’s connection with the electoral process, its participation in the preparation and conduct of elections.

In Marxist literature, the social-class approach to determining the essence of a political party prevails. A party is understood as “a political organization that expresses the interests of a social class or layer of it, uniting their most active representatives and guiding them in achieving certain goals and ideals. Political Party- the highest form of class organization" (Philosophical Encyclopedic Dictionary. - M. - 1983. - P. 482).

All of the above approaches to defining a party reflect important moments for its life and have a certain cognitive significance. At the same time, they suffer from some one-sidedness and do not fully reveal the essence of a political party. Therefore, in the scientific literature, attempts are being made to give a kind of “synthetic” definition of a party through the establishment of a whole system of characteristics and criteria. A political party can thus be characterized as an organized group of like-minded people, representing the interests of a part of the people and setting as its goal their implementation by conquering state power or participating in its implementation .

The main distinctive features of a political party are:

connection with a certain class, social stratum, group or their totality, i.e. presence of a social base;

possession of a specific program of activities that reflects the unity of the worldviews and ideological principles of party members;

availability of formalized organizational structure(membership, subordination of bodies, party apparatus, etc.);

an attitude towards achieving political power and actions for its practical implementation.

The specificity of a party as a political institution is an open struggle for political and state power. Whatever specific goal the party sets for itself - be it building communism or protecting the environment - it achieves it through the struggle for power. This is what distinguishes a political party, first of all, from other types of public associations (public organizations and movements), which also actively participate in political life, but do not seek direct control over government power.

Types of political parties

The world of political parties is extremely diverse. It helps to understand this diversity typology of political parties. Batch type- this is a concept that reflects the most essential features of a certain group of political parties. The typology can be based on various criteria: social base, ideological image, principles of organization, methods of activity, etc.

According to its class essence parties are divided into bourgeois, petty-bourgeois, landowners, peasants, and workers.

From the point of view of their ideological and political orientation There are communist, social democratic, liberal, conservative parties, as well as parties based on various religious and national doctrines.

In relation to the existing order , content of goals and objectives There are revolutionary parties (striving for a radical qualitative transformation of society), reformist (striving to improve social life without structural fundamental changes), conservative (defending the preservation of stable, established forms of social life) and reactionary parties (striving to restore previous social orders and structures).

By place in the system of government parties are divided into ruling and opposition, according to the conditions of their activity - into legal, semi-legal and illegal.

In accordance with the nature of membership, principles of organization parties are divided into cadre and mass parties. Personnel partiesThey are distinguished by their small numbers, amorphous, loose membership, organizational looseness, and decentralized structure. There is no official membership system with appropriate registration and regular payment of membership fees. The cadre party is focused on participation and victory in elections. It relies not so much on the party masses, but on party activists and party functionaries, as well as financial support from influential circles of society. The Republican and Democratic parties of the United States currently correspond most closely to the type of cadre party.

Mass Partystrives to involve as many members as possible into its ranks, since its main source of funding is membership fees. A mass party is characterized by a fixed membership, an even organizational structure, a centralized nature, and close and constant ties between party members. Communist and socialist parties can serve as examples of mass parties.

The division of parties into cadre and mass parties is complemented by a typology of parties into parliamentary and vanguard by the nature of their activities . Parliamentary PartyThe struggle for power is associated mainly with elections to representative institutions. It carries out its organizational activities mainly during the election campaign, striving to win the maximum possible number of mandates and implement its policies through parliament and the government. Parliamentary factions of parties and deputies at various levels enjoy broad powers in solving all, including internal party problems. Vanguard partydoes not limit its activities to the struggle for parliamentary mandates. It carries out extensive extra-parliamentary activities, pays great attention to ideological and educational work, and is formed on an ideological basis.

political party public organization

Functions of political parties

The place and role of a party in the political system is determined largely by its functions. The functions reflect the main tasks and directions of activity of a political party, its purpose in society. The most common functions of political parties include:

representation of social interests;

development of program guidelines, political line of the party;

formation of public opinion, political education and political socialization citizens;

participation in the struggle for power and its implementation, in the formation of the political system of society;

training and promotion of personnel.

Within the framework of these functions, it is possible to identify more specific, specific tasks. The content, forms and methods of implementing the same functions may differ among parties of different types. There are also specific functions performed by certain parties due to the peculiarities of their development and position.

An important place in the activities of the party is occupied by representation of interests classes, social groups and strata. The content of this function is the identification, formulation and justification of the interests of social forces, their integration and activation.

As mentioned above, the formation of parties is genetically determined by the differentiation of society into classes and other social formations with different interests. XIX - early XX centuries. - this is a time of sharp demarcation of social and class positions. This does not mean that the party system of society is an exact copy of the social class structure of society. It has always turned out that there are different options for class politics: social democratic and communist for the working class, liberal and conservative for the bourgeoisie. The formation of national and religious parties that go beyond class boundaries indicates the multidimensionality of the social structure of society, the presence of various strata that claim active participation in political life as its subjects.

Recent decades have brought significant changes in the content of the representation function. Western political scientists believe that class parties have replaced class parties since the mid-20th century. the so-called “national parties”, or “parties for everyone”, began to arrive. Such a party strives to avoid identifying itself with the interests of any one class or layer, but appears as a spokesman for the general interest. In order to achieve success, especially in elections, the party today must take into account the interests of an entire bloc of forces. Parties strive to win a majority of votes and, in accordance with this, build their strategy and tactics, striving to harmonize various interests. The image of the party is now shaped not so much by class orientation as by a certain type of policy.

This concept reflects objective changes in the life of society, however, the term “party for all,” as we see it, cannot be taken literally: no party, since it represents one of the possible policy options, can satisfy everyone. Despite the expansion of the social base of the parties, differences remain between them both in terms of the forces to which they primarily focus, and in terms of their general ideological and political orientation.

The interests of various social groups are aggregated and expressed in the process of developing a political program and implementing the political course of the party. The following party function is related to this - development of program settings , socio-economic and political strategy. The party, as a rule, has a long-term political program based on certain ideological principles. Even if a party is not based on any strictly defined ideological system, a certain ideological commitment is manifested in its specific activities and the values it defends.

There are pragmatic and ideological styles of party activity. Pragmatic parties are focused on the practical expediency of actions, on the search for any opportunities to achieve specific goals. Parties of the pragmatic type avoid accepting dogmatized programs that claim to be strictly scientific and the ultimate truth. The program of such a party is often an election platform. Pragmatic parties do not make strict ideological demands on their members. Ideological restrictions do not play a significant role for them, and they are sometimes sacrificed when concluding various types of agreements, forming coalitions, etc.

Ideological(or ideological, doctrinal) partiesare based on a strictly defined ideological doctrine. They are characterized by upholding relevant ideals and principles, the desire to model a society with certain ideological guidelines and put them into practice.

Recognition by party members of its program guidelines is a necessary condition for the strength of intra-party ties. However, the existence of various political factions in the party and the struggle between them cannot be ruled out. Ideological and programmatic differences have their limits, and violation of them can lead to organizational splits and the emergence of new parties. At the same time, some parties (communist, for example) prohibit factional struggle as incompatible with the statutory goals and objectives. Experience shows that prohibiting factional struggle is ineffective and leads to the ideological and political ossification of the party.

Parties strive not only to develop and update various political doctrines, but also to disseminate them widely in society. This is served by the publication of party materials, speeches by party leaders on radio and television, in the press, at rallies and meetings. The party is interested in recognition and support of its political line by public opinion.

Ideological function a political party also involves the political education of its members and supporters, the education of members of society in the spirit of certain values and traditions, the introduction of citizens to political life and ultimately contributes to their political socialization.

Function of exercising power political party includes:

participation in the preparation and conduct of elections to bodies of state power and administration;

parliamentary activities of the party, its work in party factions of parliament and local authorities authorities;

participation in the process of preparation and adoption of political decisions by government bodies;

political recruitment, etc.

In modern democratic society political parties in the struggle for power reject violent methods and focus on electoral process. Elections are the main arena for party competition. In competition, success is achieved by the party whose political course appeals to the majority of voters. Therefore, one of the main tasks of the party is to ensure support from voters, create and expand its electorate.

As a result of changes in social structure society, educational level of the population, impact of funds mass media parties are losing stable influence on voters. There is an “erosion of party support,” as it is defined American sociologists W. Crott and G. Jacobson. Many voters change their party allegiance from election to election, or support candidates of different parties at different levels of elections, depending on how the latter promise to solve certain problems.

Parties that have won parliamentary mandates form parliamentary factions or party groups. Factions submit various proposals to parliament for consideration, prepare bills, make requests to the government, participate in drawing up the agenda, and have other powers. Taking into account the number of parliamentary factions from different parties, the governing and working bodies of parliament (commissions, committees, bureaus, etc.) are formed.

In Western countries, the principle of autonomy of party factions in parliaments and municipalities operates, according to which factions are not directly subordinate to party bodies, including party congresses and conferences. They implement party programs and guidelines in accordance with specific conditions. But since effective work parliamentary faction presupposes the presence of a certain internal discipline, party factions often accept quite strict rules behavior and even sanctions for their violation. For example, at a plenary meeting of a faction, a decision may be made obliging members of the faction to vote accordingly (a decision on “factional coercion” and “voting discipline”). Along with official coercion and other measures, the most effective are the prospects of not being included in the number of party candidates in the next elections.

The exercise of power by the ruling party is expressed not only in its initiating and advisory role in parliament, but also in the formation and subordination of executive bodies. Political parties participate in the formation of the ruling elite, selection and placement of management personnel. They are institutions within which they are brought up political leaders and government officials.

The ruling party, through its parliamentary faction and through its representatives in the state apparatus, participates in making political decisions that correspond to the interests of the social groups it represents. Party bodies and forums define the goals and objectives of the party in such a way that their specific implementation in the form of bills and other government acts remains the prerogative of the parliamentarians themselves, as well as administrative bodies, the economic apparatus, etc. The general practice in a democracy is that parties do not intervene directly into the state system. Ruling parties strive to avoid directly linking their policies with the actions of the government and local executive bodies, and sometimes distance themselves from them in order to relieve themselves of responsibility for certain unpopular measures. Thus, the party and its bodies are, as it were, “alienated” from the state and influence it only indirectly. As a result, party bodies and organizations retain a purely public character and perform their functions on a non-state basis.

A political party acts as an intermediary between the state and civil society. Parties ensure the connection of the masses with government structures, the institutionalization of the political participation of citizens and the replacement of spontaneous forms of socio-political activity of the population with organized, controllable forms. Through political parties, citizens put forward their group demands to the state and at the same time receive requests from it for support in resolving certain political issues. Thus, parties develop both direct and backward ties between the people and the state.

This mediating role of parties is most fully manifested in a democratic society. In countries with totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, the role of ruling parties goes far beyond the scope of such mediation. Due to the absence of real competitors in the struggle for power, a political monopoly of the ruling party develops, which usurps power and political functions. The ruling party becomes over the state, establishes control over it, and through it over civil society. A party going beyond its functional purpose and attempting to replace state bodies destroys the socio-political nature of the party. Such an organization ceases to be a political party in the proper sense of the word, but retains only the external signs of such.

Concept and types of party systems

In the course of their activities, political parties enter into certain relationships with each other, as well as with the state and other political institutions. In such interaction they form the party system. Party systemis an association of interconnected parties seeking to gain, retain and exercise power. This concept thus covers the totality of parties existing in the country and the principles of relationships between them.

The nature and characteristics of the party system of a particular country are determined by many factors - the alignment of social and class forces, the degree of political maturity of society, the level of political consciousness and culture, historical traditions, national composition, religious situations, etc. The current legislation and, above all, electoral laws have a significant impact on the formation of the party system.

In accordance with this, various types of party systems are formed. Depending on the character political regime we can talk about democratic, authoritarian and totalitarian party systems; in accordance with the prevailing social values, socialist and bourgeois systems are distinguished, taking into account the nature of the relationship between parties and the state - competitive and non-competitive, alternative and non-alternative party systems. One way or another, all these typologies are associated with the division of party systems into multi-party, two-party and one-party in accordance with the number of parties actually participating in the struggle for power.

As the experience of political development shows, the optimal form and condition for the democratic development of society are multi-party (two-party) systems. Their distinctive feature is the absence of a monopoly on power on the part of one party and the existence of a real political opposition.

Multi-party system

Multi-party systemcharacterized by the presence in the country of several political parties competing for power. A multi-party system ensures the most complete representation of the interests of various social groups, promotes competitiveness and publicity of the political process, and periodic renewal of the political elite of society.

Historical practice demonstrates several varieties of multi-party systems. Its specific structure - the party structure - varies significantly from country to country. The classic multi-party system (Denmark, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands) is characterized by competition between several political parties, none of which is able to win a majority of seats in parliament and independently exercise power. Therefore, this type of multiparty system is often defined as the pattern of multi-party fragmentation . Under these conditions, parties are forced to make compromises, look for allies and partners in order to create a coalition majority.

Party coalition- is an association, a union of political parties to achieve common political goals on the basis of consensus, compromise and balance of interests. Traditionally, there are such types of inter-party coalitions as electoral(formed for the period of the election campaign), parliamentaryAnd government. There are also legislativecoalitions into which parties enter in preparation for elections, and the validity of which is designed for the entire legislature, i.e. the term of office of the elected body, and opportunistic coalitions that are formed after the elections and are often temporary in nature.

Due to the instability of executive power in a system of multi-party fragmentation, there is a tendency in political practice to move to other party systems that guarantee greater stability and effectiveness of political power.

Some political scientists identify as a special type bloc or polarized multi-party system . Here in the political arena there are several political parties, united into two or more large political blocs. By attracting various parties, blocs contribute to the consolidation of political forces and overcoming the fragmentation of the political process. Parties build their election strategy and tactics taking into account their membership in one of the blocs. The outcome of the elections is determined not so much by the strength of each individual party, but by the coordination of actions within the bloc. For example, in France, a bloc of leftist forces, led by Socialist Party, and a bloc of right-wing parties led by the Rally for the Republic (RPR).

Multiparty system with a dominant party (dominance system) is characterized by a long stay in power of one party in the presence of an ineffective opposition. The ruling party gains and maintains a dominant position thanks to the weakness and dispersion of its opponents, the contradictions in whose ranks do not allow them to form a strong opposition alliance.

For example, in Japan from 1955 to 1993 the liberal democratic party was in power, in India in the post-war period for a long time Indian held power National Congress. In Sweden, the Social Democratic Labor Party is the dominant party. The system of domination makes it possible to form a stable one-party government, but carries with it the danger of inertia and stagnation for the ruling party.

Two party system

Two party systempresupposes the presence in the country of two strong parties, each of which is capable of independently accepting power and exercising it. When one of the parties wins the elections, the other becomes the opposition, and so periodically they replace each other at the helm of power. Bipartisanism does not exclude the existence of other, less influential parties in the country. They also participate in the political process, but are not able to really claim victory.

The classic model of a two-party system has developed in the United States, where the Democratic and Republican Party. In Great Britain, the Conservatives and Labor are fighting for power.

Along with the classic two-party system, a modified version of the two-party system is also distinguished - "two parties and a half" system " . Here, too, large parties compete with each other, but none of them has an absolute majority in parliament and must enter into a coalition with a third party to form a government. This third party plays the role of balance, whose support ensures the preponderance of one of the leading parties. This structure has developed in Germany, where the role of regulator between the SPD and the CDU/CSU is played by the Free Democratic Party.

The formation of a two-party system is largely facilitated by the majoritarian electoral system. Bipartisanism allows us to ensure relative stability of power, because creates a one-party government, free from the instability of coalition agreements. The two-party system, points out the French political scientist R. - J. Schwarzenberg, simplifies the process of articulation and aggregation of interests, since each of the competing parties strives to generalize, “reduce” the demands of various social groups in order to maximize its electoral base (see: R. Schwarzenberg. - J. Political Sociology, Part 3. - M. - 1992. - P. 74). At the same time, bipartisanship has been criticized for the fact that it excludes small, not very authoritative parties that express the interests of a minority from participation in decision-making.

It is impossible to give an a priori preference and an unambiguous assessment of the effectiveness and democracy of one or another variety of a multi-party system. Everything depends on the characteristics of the country’s historical development, established traditions, and the specific political situation.

One party system

One party systemcharacterized by a monopoly on power by one party. In a one-party system there is no political competition. The ruling party does not allow other contenders for power near it. Although, under an authoritarian regime, the legal existence of other political parties along with the dominant one is possible, the latter are deprived of real independence, have a rather limited field of activity and recognize the leading role of the ruling party. Such a system developed after the Second World War in a number of countries. of Eastern Europe- Bulgaria, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, where the so-called allied parties played a secondary role in political life.

Their specific features inherent in the one-party systems of some developing countries with authoritarian regimes. The role of the ruling party here comes down to organizing mass support for the policies of the state leadership. The party, being represented in the governing state bodies, often acts as if in a “secondary role”, without directly participating in government.

In a totalitarian regime, only one political party operates; others are dissolved or banned. As a result of the merging of party and state structures, the ruling party becomes above the state and plays a dominant role in it. Monopolization power functions one party inevitably leads to subjectivism and voluntarism in politics, to the predominance of command methods of management, violation feedback between the population and the authorities and the alienation of the masses from politics.

Experience of functioning of one-party systems in the 20th century. showed their ineffectiveness and anti-democratic nature. Currently, such systems are gradually leaving the political arena as discredited. An example of this is the transformation of party systems in Central and Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

§ 2. Public organizations and movements

The concept and distinctive features of public organizations and movements

A significant role in socio-political life, along with political parties, is played by public organizations and movements. Unlike parties, they do not claim to be directly involved in the exercise of power and do not undertake associated obligations. However, by realizing their specific tasks and functions, public organizations and movements solve the problems of a broad public importance, make a significant contribution to state, economic, social and cultural construction. The formation of an extensive system of public organizations and movements is an indicator of the development of civil society, evidence of the diversity and structure of its interests.

Public organizationis a voluntary association of citizens based on a community of interests, which has a relatively stable organizational structure from bottom to top, fixed (formalized) individual or collective membership. A public organization is characterized by the presence of a charter, a specialized management apparatus, relative stability of the composition, and material participation of the organization’s members in the creation of its property basis (membership, targeted contributions).

According to these characteristics, public organizations include trade unions, entrepreneurs’ unions, cooperative, youth, women’s, veterans’ organizations, creative unions (union of writers, composers, theater workers, etc.), various voluntary societies (scientific, technical, cultural - educational, etc.). Taking into account the territorial scope of their activities, local, regional, national, and international public organizations are distinguished.

Under social movementis understood Team work citizens pursuing certain common goals, but without a clear organizational structure and fixed membership. Social movements are distinguished by their mass character, broad social base, organizational and ideological amorphousness, instability of orientation and composition, and often spontaneity and spontaneity of actions. The connections between participants in the movement are predominantly ideological and political, rather than organizational in nature.

The typology of social movements can be carried out on various grounds. According to the goals and areas of activity, they distinguish anti-war, environmental, women's, youth movements, the movement for racial and national equality, the consumer protection movement, religious movements and many others.

In relation to the existing system, social movements are divided into revolutionary, counter-revolutionary, reformist, conservative, reactionary, and according to methods and methods of action - into violent and non-violent.

Social movements can be formed on various social bases. Some of them, for example, anti-war, environmental, national liberation movements, are interclass (non-class) in nature. Others have a pronounced social class character - workers, peasants, bourgeois movements, as well as movements of the intelligentsia, farmers, and small owners. Social movements can also be grouped along gender and age lines - youth, children's, women's movements, pensioners' movements, etc. Movements of scientists, doctors, writers, etc. are created along professional lines.

The division of voluntary associations into public organizations and movements is largely conditional character, and it is not always easy to distinguish between them. Social movements, as organizational principles strengthen, often become the basis for the formation of public organizations and even political parties. Thus, the development of the environmental movement led to the creation of various kinds of environmental unions and associations, and then green parties in many countries. Popular movements and fronts in a number of former USSR republics evolved and took shape into national democratic parties.

The political role of public organizations and movements

As stated above, public organizations and movements do not set as their goal the conquest and exercise of political power and do not seek open control over it. They engage in political activity only insofar as it is necessary to perform tasks that lie in another sphere of public life (economic, social, cultural). But although public organizations and movements do not set themselves directly political goals, their activities are objectively political in nature. The very fact that citizens enjoy the constitutional right of association includes them in the orbit of political action.

The degree of influence of various social formations on political relations is different. Some of them - labor, trade union, national movements, etc. - have a significant impact on the political situation, while others practically do not participate in political life. However, in modern conditions of general politicization of society, not a single public association can completely avoid direct or indirect participation in the political process. The political role of public organizations and movements is to influence the process of making political decisions by public authorities and management at various levels, more or less constant pressure on power structures.

Public organizations and movements act as unique interest groups and pressure groups . The concept of interest groups or interest groups was developed by American political scientists A. Bentley, D. Truman and others and has long been recognized in Western political science. According to A. Bentley, politics is a process of interaction and struggle of people organized in certain groups to achieve their goals and interests. Interest groups- these are “voluntary organizations created to express and represent the interests of the people included in them in relationships both with other groups and political institutions, and within the organizations themselves” (Fundamentals of Political Science. M. - 1993. - Part II. - P. 8).

In group competition, a significant part of organized interests receive satisfaction through the channels of civil society. But in a number of cases, the implementation of the collective needs of group members requires authoritative decisions. If an interest group seeks to satisfy its own interests through targeted influence on institutions public authority, then it is characterized as a pressure group. The concept of “pressure group” reveals the dynamics of the transformation of social group interests that arise in civil society into a political factor. The effectiveness of a pressure group largely depends on the resources they have (property, information, qualifications and experience, cultural influence, ethnic and religious ties, etc.). Trade unions, associations of entrepreneurs, unions of cooperators, consumers, voluntary societies and other public associations (except political parties) are a type of interest groups.

Functions of public organizations and movements

Identification of the functions of public organizations and movements is of great theoretical and practical importance, since this helps to understand their place in the system of civil society and the rule of law, as well as to show the forms and methods of manifestation of their activity.

The main functions common to all public organizations and movements include:

) Identifying and satisfying interests and needs members of the association. People unite in organizations and movements in order to satisfy certain specific needs related to professional affiliation, age characteristics, individual inclinations, etc. These interests may initially appear in a very vague, personal and emotionally charged form. Public organizations and movements transform such vague views and opinions into clear demands and programs of a given association, thereby contributing to the articulation of the interests of their members. Along with political parties, public organizations and movements solve, to a certain extent, the problem of aggregating interests, i.e. coordination through discussions of many particular requirements and the establishment of a certain hierarchy and priorities between them. This function of public organizations and movements acquires particular importance in conditions of an undeveloped party system.

) Function social integration and mobilization involves the unification and organization of group members and their supporters around the goals of this formation. This function may also have a broader context that goes beyond the framework of a specific public association. Public organizations and movements attract public attention to pressing problems, put forward their solutions, and seek public support for their initiatives.

) Socialization function . By involving their members in solving socially significant problems, public organizations and movements contribute to the formation of their active life position, increasing political education and culture, involving citizens in the management of state and public affairs.

) Representative function or the function of representing and protecting the interests of its members in relations with other political institutions. Public organizations and movements not only contribute to the awareness and expression of the specific interests and needs of their members, but also undertake the obligation to represent these interests and bring the group’s demands to the attention of government bodies, political parties, and ruling elites.

The influence of public associations on power structures can be carried out in two ways: through electoral representation (through electoral systems), direct, functional representation of organized interests. The main forms and methods of pressure from public organizations and movements on government bodies are the following:

direct nomination of their candidates to the representative and executive bodies of power;

support, including financial; in elections of close political parties and their candidates;

participation in the development and preparation of legislative and other regulations;

participation in the work of parliamentary commissions, interdepartmental committees, advisory and consultative bodies, expert groups under various government bodies;

organizing propaganda campaigns in the media, collecting signatures for relevant demands;

strikes, rallies, demonstrations, etc.

Particular attention should be paid to such a form of representation and protection of group interests as lobbying, or lobbying (from English. lobby- corridors, hallways). Under lobbying in in a broad sense words mean any legal means of influence (pressure) on the state in order to protect special interests. In a narrower sense of the word, lobbying means the direct interaction of a representative of an interest group with a decision maker, both through formalized channels and structures, and informal connections (meetings, conversations, consultations, telephone conversations, personal appeals). The task of lobbyists is to achieve the adoption of legislative and regulatory acts desired by the group, to obtain government subsidies, loans, etc., penetrating for this purpose into the institutions of government.

In Western countries, a wide network of specialized lobbying services has developed - law firms, consulting bureaus, public relations agencies that provide intermediary services in establishing contacts between interest groups and government bodies. In the USA and some European countries Lobbying activities are regulated by law and are under financial control. However, the very nature of lobbying as a political phenomenon excludes the possibility of its complete control. Therefore, in the practice of lobbying, cases of corruption, abuse, and the use of dubious and sometimes illegal methods of influence (blackmail, bribery, threats, bribes) cannot be excluded.

) Another function of public organizations and movements is function of modeling new socio-political structures , searching and testing non-traditional forms of social connections. Voluntary associations, due to their public, amateur nature, act as an indispensable channel for conducting social experiments, searching for and implementing new self-governing forms of social activity of the population.

Social movements

Turning points social development are characterized, as a rule, by an intense “surge” of amateur activity of the masses. Thus, in the 70s in Western countries, the old traditional associations were replaced by diverse new social movements. Their occurrence was due to the exacerbation global problems modernity, the entry of Western countries into a new stage of scientific and technological revolution, changes in mass consciousness, in the value orientations of society, a crisis of confidence in government agencies and traditional political institutions. Old traditional voluntary associations (trade unions, youth, women's, etc.), being integrated into the political system, were not ready to adapt to new realities. This is largely due to the formalization of their activities, the bureaucracy of management structures, and the separation of the apparatus from the ordinary masses.

New social movements are democratic protest movements with a broad social base, mass appeal, new issues and demands. The backbone of the new social movements consisted of environmental, anti-war, neo-feminist movements, movements in defense of civil rights, etc. Despite the diverse social composition, the mosaic nature of the concepts, the participants in these movements are united by a critical attitude towards many realities of modern society, the desire to find original solutions to global and some other current problems.

A feature of new social movements was the search for new forms, style, way of life, diversity and unusual forms and methods of social protest. The so-called alternative movementsoriented towards a break with traditional forms of socio-political life and the establishment of new models of social development. For this purpose, unique types of cooperatives, agricultural communes, housing communities, alternative enterprises, schools, clinics, etc. are created. Using their own example, they strive to implement a new system of humanistic, post-materialist values. Close to alternative movements and civil initiatives- a form of local, spontaneous collective self-organization of citizens to protect their interests and mutual assistance from government decisions that infringe on them. Civil initiatives are fighting to satisfy any specific demands and implement certain projects in the fields of housing, education and upbringing, transport, urban development, culture, and ecology.

As for the countries of so-called “real socialism,” there formally existed a wide network of public associations, covering a significant part of the population. But in fact, public organizations and movements played the role of an appendage of the state machine, a transmission belt from the Communist Party to the masses and did not have a truly social, amateur character. With the democratization of society and the transformation of political systems in the USSR (CIS) and Eastern European countries, significant changes are taking place in the system of public associations. The growth of political activity of citizens found its expression not so much in the renewal of existing social structures, but in the creation of new independent organizations and movements. The second half of the 80s was marked by the creation of many informal public formations - non-traditional, alternative organizations and movements that operated outside the framework of official structures, relying only on the initiative of the citizens themselves and without claiming official status. Their activities initially were mainly local, cultural, educational, and environmental in nature. But gradually there is a politicization of the informal movement, its connection with widespread popular uprisings. Especially important had the formation and activity of the Popular Fronts, as well as the development of labor, environmental and other movements. In many cases informal groups, the formations became the prototype of new public organizations and even political parties.

Bibliography

1.Anufriev E.M., Lesnaya P.A. Russian mentality as a socio-political phenomenon // Socio-political journal. 2007. No. 3-7.

2.Vyatr E. Sociology of political relations. - M., 2008.

3.Ivanov V.N., Nazarov M.M. Political mentality: experience and research prospects // Socio-political journal. 2008. No. 2.

.Fundamentals of Political Science. Textbook for higher educational institutions. Part 2. - M., 2005.

.Political process: main aspects and methods of analysis: Collection of educational materials / Ed. Meleshkina E.Yu. - M., 2001.

.Political science for lawyers: A course of lectures. / Edited by N.I. Matuzova and A.V. Malko. - M., 2007.

.Political science. Lecture course. / Ed. M.N. Marchenko. - M., 2006.

.Political science. Textbook for universities / Edited by M.A. Vasilika. - M., 2004.

.Political science. Encyclopedic Dictionary. - M., 2003.

.Soloviev A.I. Political science: Political theory, political technologies: Textbook for university students. - M., 2007.

.Chudinova I.M. Political myths // Socio-political magazine. 2006. No. 6.

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Political parties; public organizations and movements

§ 1. Party as a political institution

The concept of "public association"

To characterize a wide range of organizational forms of social activity, the scientific literature and legal acts use the concept " public associations"A public association is understood as a voluntary formation that arose as a result of the free expression of the will of citizens united on the basis of common interests. Among public associations, there are such main groups of formations as political parties, public organizations and social movements. Having a number of common characteristics (voluntariness, intentionality of creation , amateur activities, etc.), these types of public associations differ from each other in their goals, objectives, degree of organizational formalization.Political parties play a particularly important role in the system of power relations.

Origin and essence of political parties

Political parties and party systems are the product of long historical development. The term "party" comes from the Latin partis, which means part of something whole, a side of some phenomenon or process. The concept was already used in the ancient world to refer to groups of political allies striving for a common goal. However, political factions and alliances that took place under the slave-owning and feudal system can only conditionally be called parties; they were amorphous, temporary formations that could not play any significant role in socio-political life.

At the beginning of the 20th century. Christian Democratic and other confessional parties emerge. With the development of the national liberation movement, parties differing in their class essence are formed, aimed at the national liberation of oppressed peoples.

The evolution of the party as a political institution was accompanied by a theoretical understanding of this phenomenon in socio-political thought. For a long time, in political theory there was a strong tradition of anti-partyism - a negative, at best, restrained attitude towards parties. It was based on ideas about the state as an exponent of popular sovereignty and general will. Parties were perceived as carriers of “private interests”, a source of crises and a split in society. Only gradually, as the parliamentary and constitutional foundations of bourgeois statehood developed, did the parties strengthen their political and legal status. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. the problems of political parties emerged as a separate area of political science. The most famous are the works of M. Ostrogorsky, J. Bryce, R. Michels, who are rightfully considered the founders of modern partology.

In the scientific literature, various approaches to understanding the essence of political parties and their definition have developed. Ideological direction considers the party as an ideological community, a union of like-minded people united by common views, interests and beliefs. This understanding of the party originates in the liberal concepts of the past. B. Constant defined a party as “an association of people who recognize the same political doctrine.”

The main distinctive features of a political party are:

connection with a certain class, social stratum, group or their totality, i.e. presence of a social base;

possession of a specific program of activities that reflects the unity of the worldviews and ideological principles of party members;

the presence of a formalized organizational structure (membership, subordination of bodies, party apparatus, etc.);

an attitude towards achieving political power and actions for its practical implementation.

Types of political parties

According to its class essence parties are divided into bourgeois, petty-bourgeois, landowners, peasants, and workers.

By place in the system of government parties are divided into ruling and opposition, according to the conditions of their activity - into legal, semi-legal and illegal.

political party public organization

Functions of political parties

representation of social interests;

development of program guidelines, political line of the party;

formation of public opinion, political education and political socialization of citizens;

participation in the struggle for power and its implementation, in the formation of the political system of society;

training and promotion of personnel.

Function of exercising power political party includes:

participation in the preparation and conduct of elections to bodies of state power and administration;

parliamentary activities of the party, its work in party factions of parliament and local authorities;

participation in the process of preparation and adoption of political decisions by government bodies;

political recruitment, etc.

In a modern democratic society, political parties in the struggle for power reject violent methods and focus on the electoral process. Elections are the main arena for party competition. In competition, success is achieved by the party whose political course appeals to the majority of voters. Therefore, one of the main tasks of the party is to ensure support from voters, create and expand its electorate.

As a result of changes in the social structure of society, the educational level of the population, and the influence of the media, parties lose their stable influence on voters. There is an “erosion of party support,” as defined by American sociologists W. Crott and G. Jacobson. Many voters change their party allegiance from election to election, or support candidates of different parties at different levels of elections, depending on how the latter promise to solve certain problems.

In Western countries, the principle of autonomy of party factions in parliaments and municipalities operates, according to which factions are not directly subordinate to party bodies, including party congresses and conferences. They implement party programs and guidelines in accordance with specific conditions. But since the effective work of the parliamentary faction presupposes the presence of a certain internal discipline, party factions often adopt rather strict rules of behavior and even sanctions for violating them. For example, at a plenary meeting of a faction, a decision may be made obliging members of the faction to vote accordingly (a decision on “factional coercion” and “voting discipline”). Along with official coercion and other measures, the most effective are the prospects of not being included in the number of party candidates in the next elections.

The exercise of power by the ruling party is expressed not only in its initiating and advisory role in parliament, but also in the formation and subordination of executive bodies. Political parties participate in the formation of the ruling elite, selection and placement of management personnel. They are the institutions within which political leaders and statesmen are trained.

Concept and types of party systems

The nature and features of the party system of a particular country are determined by many factors - the alignment of social and class forces, the degree of political maturity of society, the level of political consciousness and culture, historical traditions, national composition, religious situations, etc. The current legislation has a significant impact on the formation of the party system and, above all, electoral laws.

In accordance with this, various types of party systems are formed. Depending on the nature of the political regime, we can talk about democratic, authoritarian and totalitarian party systems; in accordance with the prevailing social values, socialist and bourgeois systems are distinguished, taking into account the nature of the relationship between parties and the state - competitive and non-competitive, alternative and non-alternative party systems. One way or another, all these typologies are associated with the division of party systems into multi-party, two-party and one-party in accordance with the number of parties actually participating in the struggle for power.

Some political scientists identify as a special type bloc or polarized multi-party system . Here in the political arena there are several political parties, united into two or more large political blocs. By attracting various parties, blocs contribute to the consolidation of political forces and overcoming the fragmentation of the political process. Parties build their election strategy and tactics taking into account their membership in one of the blocs. The outcome of the elections is determined not so much by the strength of each individual party, but by the coordination of actions within the bloc. For example, in France, a bloc of leftist forces, led by the Socialist Party, and a bloc of right-wing parties, led by the Rally for the Republic (ROR), are opposed to each other.

For example, in Japan, from 1955 to 1993, the liberal democratic party was in power; in India, in the post-war period, the Indian National Congress held power for a long time. In Sweden, the Social Democratic Labor Party is the dominant party. The system of domination makes it possible to form a stable one-party government, but carries with it the danger of inertia and stagnation for the ruling party.

Two party system

The classic model of a two-party system has developed in the United States, where the Democratic and Republican parties oppose each other. In Great Britain, the Conservatives and Labor are fighting for power.

One party system

One party systemcharacterized by a monopoly on power by one party. In a one-party system there is no political competition. The ruling party does not allow other contenders for power near it. Although, under an authoritarian regime, the legal existence of other political parties along with the dominant one is possible, the latter are deprived of real independence, have a rather limited field of activity and recognize the leading role of the ruling party. Such a system developed after the Second World War in a number of countries in Eastern Europe - Bulgaria, the GDR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, where the so-called allied parties played a secondary role in political life.

The one-party systems of some developing countries with authoritarian regimes have their own specific features. The role of the ruling party here comes down to organizing mass support for the policies of the state leadership. The party, being represented in the governing state bodies, often acts as if in a “secondary role”, without directly participating in government.

In a totalitarian regime, only one political party operates; others are dissolved or banned. As a result of the merging of party and state structures, the ruling party becomes above the state and plays a dominant role in it. Monopolization of power functions by one party inevitably leads to subjectivism and voluntarism in politics, to the predominance of command methods of management, disruption of feedback loops between the population and the authorities and the alienation of the masses from politics.

§ 2. Public organizations and movements

The concept and distinctive features of public organizations and movements

A significant role in socio-political life, along with political parties, is played by public organizations and movements. Unlike parties, they do not claim to be directly involved in the exercise of power and do not undertake associated obligations. However, by implementing their specific tasks and functions, public organizations and movements solve problems of broad social significance and make a significant contribution to state, economic, social and cultural construction. The formation of an extensive system of public organizations and movements is an indicator of the development of civil society, evidence of the diversity and structure of its interests.

Under social movementrefers to the joint activities of citizens pursuing certain common goals, but without a clear organizational structure and fixed membership. Social movements are distinguished by their mass character, broad social base, organizational and ideological amorphousness, instability of orientation and composition, and often spontaneity and spontaneity of actions. The connections between participants in the movement are predominantly ideological and political, rather than organizational in nature.

The division of voluntary associations into public organizations and movements is largely conditional, and it is not always easy to differentiate between them. Social movements, as organizational principles strengthen, often become the basis for the formation of public organizations and even political parties. Thus, the development of the environmental movement led to the creation of various kinds of environmental unions and associations, and then green parties in many countries. Popular movements and fronts in a number of former USSR republics evolved and took shape into national democratic parties.

The political role of public organizations and movements

The degree of influence of various social formations on political relations is different. Some of them - labor, trade union, national movements, etc. - have a significant impact on the political situation, while others practically do not participate in political life. However, in modern conditions of general politicization of society, not a single public association can completely avoid direct or indirect participation in the political process. The political role of public organizations and movements is to influence the process of making political decisions by public authorities and management at various levels, in more or less constant pressure on power structures.

In group competition, a significant part of organized interests receive satisfaction through the channels of civil society. But in a number of cases, the implementation of the collective needs of group members requires authoritative decisions. If an interest group seeks to satisfy its own interests by purposefully influencing the institutions of public power, then it is characterized as a pressure group. The concept of “pressure group” reveals the dynamics of the transformation of social group interests that arise in civil society into a political factor. The effectiveness of a pressure group largely depends on the resources they have (property, information, qualifications and experience, cultural influence, ethnic and religious ties, etc.). Trade unions, associations of entrepreneurs, unions of cooperators, consumers, voluntary societies and other public associations (except political parties) are a type of interest groups.

Functions of public organizations and movements

The main functions common to all public organizations and movements include:

) Social integration and mobilization function involves the unification and organization of group members and their supporters around the goals of this formation. This function may also have a broader context that goes beyond the framework of a specific public association. Public organizations and movements attract public attention to pressing problems, put forward their solutions, and seek public support for their initiatives.

) Socialization function . By involving their members in solving socially significant problems, public organizations and movements contribute to the formation of their active life position, increasing political education and culture, and involving citizens in the management of state and public affairs.

direct nomination of their candidates to the representative and executive bodies of power;

support, including financial; in elections of close political parties and their candidates;

participation in the development and preparation of legislative and other regulations;

participation in the work of parliamentary commissions, interdepartmental committees, advisory and consultative bodies, expert groups under various government bodies;

organizing propaganda campaigns in the media, collecting signatures for relevant demands;

strikes, rallies, demonstrations, etc.

Particular attention should be paid to such a form of representation and protection of group interests as lobbying, or lobbying (from English. lobby- corridors, hallways). Lobbying in the broad sense of the word refers to any legal means of influencing (pressure) on the state in order to protect special interests. In a narrower sense of the word, lobbying means the direct interaction of a representative of an interest group with a decision maker, both through formalized channels and structures, and informal connections (meetings, conversations, consultations, telephone conversations, personal appeals). The task of lobbyists is to achieve the adoption of legislative and regulatory acts desired by the group, to obtain government subsidies, loans, etc., penetrating for this purpose into the institutions of government.

In Western countries, a wide network of specialized lobbying services has developed - law firms, consulting bureaus, public relations agencies that provide intermediary services in establishing contacts between interest groups and government bodies. In the USA and a number of European countries, lobbying activities are regulated by law and are under financial control. However, the very nature of lobbying as a political phenomenon excludes the possibility of its complete control. Therefore, in the practice of lobbying, cases of corruption, abuse, and the use of dubious and sometimes illegal methods of influence (blackmail, bribery, threats, bribes) cannot be excluded.

Social movements

Turning points in social development are characterized, as a rule, by an intense “surge” of amateur activity of the masses. Thus, in the 70s in Western countries, the old traditional associations were replaced by diverse new social movements. Their emergence was due to the aggravation of global problems of our time, the entry of Western countries into a new stage of scientific and technological revolution, changes in mass consciousness, in the value orientations of society, a crisis of trust in government structures and traditional political institutions. Old traditional voluntary associations (trade unions, youth, women's, etc.), being integrated into the political system, were not ready to adapt to new realities. This is largely due to the formalization of their activities, the bureaucracy of management structures, and the separation of the apparatus from the ordinary masses.

As for the countries of so-called “real socialism,” there formally existed a wide network of public associations, covering a significant part of the population. But in fact, public organizations and movements played the role of an appendage of the state machine, a transmission belt from the Communist Party to the masses and did not have a truly social, amateur character. With the democratization of society and the transformation of political systems in the USSR (CIS) and Eastern European countries, significant changes are taking place in the system of public associations. The growth of political activity of citizens found its expression not so much in the renewal of existing social structures, but in the creation of new independent organizations and movements. The second half of the 80s was marked by the creation of many informal public formations - non-traditional, alternative organizations and movements that operated outside the framework of official structures, relying only on the initiative of the citizens themselves and without claiming official status. Their activities initially were mainly local, cultural, educational, and environmental in nature. But gradually there is a politicization of the informal movement, its connection with widespread popular uprisings. Of particular importance was the formation and activity of the Popular Fronts, as well as the development of labor, environmental and other movements. In many cases, informal groups and formations have become the prototype of new public organizations and even political parties.

Bibliography

1.Anufriev E.M., Lesnaya P.A. Russian mentality as a socio-political phenomenon // Socio-political journal. 2007. No. 3-7.

2.Vyatr E. Sociology of political relations. - M., 2008.

3.Ivanov V.N., Nazarov M.M. Political mentality: experience and research prospects // Socio-political journal. 2008. No. 2.

.Fundamentals of Political Science. Textbook for higher educational institutions. Part 2. - M., 2005.

.Political process: main aspects and methods of analysis: Collection of educational materials / Ed. Meleshkina E.Yu. - M., 2001.

.Political science for lawyers: A course of lectures. / Edited by N.I. Matuzova and A.V. Malko. - M., 2007.

.Political science. Lecture course. / Ed. M.N. Marchenko. - M., 2006.

.Political science. Textbook for universities / Edited by M.A. Vasilika. - M., 2004.

.Political science. Encyclopedic Dictionary. - M., 2003.

And political organizations play a special role in the system of any state. They perform many functions, uniting people, ensuring that their interests are taken into account by the authorities. Political organizations are special shape activities of the population that arose at the dawn of democracy. Nowadays they are the main structural element social system. Let's look at the forms of political organization of the population and the features of their activities.

Definition

The state lives and functions according to its own rules. Today the planet is moving towards the unification of processes, developing democracy. And in any system there are organizations. Political goals differ from other goals. They participate in the formation and fight for it. The emergence of organizations is preceded by the emergence in society of a certain activity that unites a large number of people. They interact based on common interest, gradually coming to the idea of forming a structure and developing goals. For example, parties strive for power. They unite certain segments of the population and express their interests. This group seeks to influence politics in order to bring about stated changes in society. Workers' parties sought power in the nineteenth century to implement social standards. Liberals want to reduce the role of the state in society, establish different rules in economics, politics, culture, and bring their values into people's lives. Any organization, political or not, has a certain structure. It arises with the purpose of planning, organizing and directing the overall work of its members.

Purposes of political organizations

Not all associations take part in the struggle for power. And this main criterion, by which political organizations are distinguished. They must have enough influence in society, the support of a certain percentage of the population, so that their activities influence the state system. According to the legislation, they set themselves the following goals:

formation of the opinion of large masses of the population;
participation in political education and education of citizens;
collecting and reporting people's opinions to authorities;
nomination of candidates for elected bodies.

That is, any political organization tries to attract attention to itself. She needs the support of the masses to bring her stated goals to life.

Characteristics of political organizations

Let's look at the criteria by which the citizens' associations in question are distinguished. In order to influence or gain power, organizations must operate in a legitimate political field. This requires them to comply with a number of regulations prescribed by law. Political organizations are characterized by the following features:

formality and reality of existence;
form of ownership - public;
non-commercial purposes;
social significance;
national significance.

In addition, the association must operate openly. People enter them on various grounds of consolidation, from ideas to religion, which unites them together. Let's give an example. All-Russian popular front brings together specialists fighting corruption in government and striving to improve the state system.

Classification of political organizations

Each association has a certain number of members. In addition, it enjoys the support of a certain number of the population; political parties have mandates in parliament. These characteristics are taken into account when qualifying by size. Organizations can be large or small. Based on the basics of activity there are:

ideological;
traditional;
clerical;
class;
leadership;
ethnic;
affiliate;
alternative;
corporate and others.

Based on the form and content of the activity, the following are distinguished:

public associations (All-Russian People's Front);
trade union;
the consignment.

It should be noted that there are other classifications. Since we are interested in their role in society, we will not cite others. They are interesting only on a theoretical plane.

Political activities of political organizations

The association sets itself a goal. As a rule, it consists of extending a stated idea or principle to the whole society. For example, they focus on the situation of the most vulnerable segments of the population and their rights. By the way, they have great support in all countries, including developed ones.

Political organizations work closely with the population. Their activities are twofold. On the one hand, they need to conduct opinion research to identify potential adopters. On the other hand, you need to conduct propaganda to attract people.

That is, each organization fights with other forces in order to make its idea generally accepted, natural, and receive as much support as possible. more population. The forms of work are different. The main emphasis is on constant communication with the population through public events, individual conversations, and the creation and distribution of promotional materials. Recently, much attention has been paid to work in in social networks. Unfortunately, this form of activity was not invented by official, legitimate forces. It was generated by completely different, destructive organizations seeking to undermine the stability of the entire planet.

International political organizations

In the global world, there are no barriers to ideas. States form unions, and so do individual citizens who have common interests. A striking example are military-political organizations. They can be both interstate, official, and illegal (IS is prohibited in the Russian Federation). HPEs unite countries based on common external threats. For example, NATO is an organization that aims to protect its member countries from military attack. And the SCO members have set themselves more global goals. They are opposed to global terrorism, and thereby to informal or illegal military-political organizations. The latter, in turn, also have stated goals that unite adherents. For example, IS is fighting against the modern structure of the world. Its leaders are conducting systematic and purposeful work to destroy states.

What about in Russia?

Now let's talk a little about political issues; there is a long tradition of self-organization of the population. Ideas have always been well absorbed by the masses in this territory. The modern Russian Federation is diverse. Together with trade unions - a legacy of the USSR - various parties now operate. Among them are parliamentary ones (for example, United Russia) and young ones who have never won a single mandate. Since the criterion for creating a political force was changed some time ago, people began to create new parties mainly based on the idea of patriotism. With a high degree of probability, the process was influenced by political changes in the world, reunification with Crimea and further events in Ukraine. In addition, there are cohesive forces that are not parties. For example, the All-Russian Popular Front. As already mentioned, this organization unites people who want to improve power and cleanse it of negative phenomena.

Innovations in political life?

It should be noted that society does not stand still, it is constantly developing. In Russia, May 9th is a very interesting event. It is already known throughout the world and is called the “Immortal Regiment”. In the modern international situation, this movement of patriots has a gigantic, as yet unappreciated, influence on the broad masses of the population of countries. Conceived as an act of remembrance, the event grew into a large movement that united millions of citizens with an idea. It lies in the fact that all residents of the post-Soviet space are descendants of the victors. This is a very deep thought (or feeling). A new idea forces the masses to awaken and analyze current events from a different point of view. Perhaps people need to look at the country’s international position through the eyes of their undoubtedly great and at the same time simple ancestors. Where it leads? One way or another, the “Immortal Regiment” shows us an example political movement from below, from the masses, not related to material problems, like all previously existing ones.

Conclusion

In a democratic society it is a very complex system. Its participants strive to involve every citizen in their activities. They perform both regulatory and educational functions in society. Surprisingly, recently young people around the world have begun to show interest in it. This primarily indicates the beginning of the system update process and is a positive factor. The political future of the entire civilization is now vague. Experts talk about the aging of the system. People need new ideas, common interests, activities. Whether it will appear or already exists ("Immortal Regiment") - we'll see. The most interesting things are ahead.

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