Abstract: One of the key vectors of the state youth policy is the development of the youth self-governance, which allows attracting young people to active participation in country’s activity, as well as increase the efficiency of implementation of the youth policy in general. An important place in activation of the youth self-governance belongs to the youth parliamentarism. The article examines the conception and development of the youth parliamentarism in Arctic region of the Russian Federation. The author demonstrated the experience of the youth parliamentary structure under the legislative and executive authorities of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, as well as at the municipal level. Using the method of survey conducted in terms of monitoring, is realized the assessment of activity of the youth self-governance structures from the perspective of youth themselves. Analysis of the activity of the youth parliament and youth government of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug along with the youth agencies under the authority of municipal institutions, illustrated that the region creates the conditions for development of the youth parliamentarism and increase of the social activity of young people. However, at the current stage, the actual system of youth self-governance in the Arctic region has not been formed.

Keywords: Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, arctic region, youth council, youth government, youth parliament, youth parliamentarism, youth policy, youth self-government, state youth policy, monitoring

Abstract: The subject of this article is the phenomenon of communication power as the foundation of political power in modern society. Informatization of public relations, caused by the implementation of information and communication technologies, leads to transformation of the political sphere of society. Escalation of the role of mass media in the political process puts forwards the problem of establishment and realization of the forms of governance based on communication and information. The author analyzes the content of the notion of political power, as well as reviews the communicative interpretations of the political power. Communication power, associated with the formation of social norms and values and structuring of representations on social reality, is the method of stabilization of the relations between power and supremacy, as well as one of the fundamental forms of governance in modern society. Due to the growing role of communication in the society, are developing the various methods of control over the information environment. The author concludes that the political struggle shifts towards the sphere of media politics, while the organized political communication becomes the key method of distribution of political power in the society. The article determines the dependence between the communication capabilities of the political subject and its competitive ability in the process of distribution of the political power. The author underlines the in the process of distribution of the political power in society, one of the defining factors is the possession of communication power than consists in ability of influencing the information social space, within the framework of which establish the opinions, values, and representations about the world at the public and individual levels. The scientific novelty consists in examination of the question about the reproduction of relations of political power in the society as a process based on the social communication.

Keywords: media policy, media, legitimacy, political power, political communication, communication power, communication, power, information society, information confrontation

Abstract: This article examines the questions of the impact of sociocultural grounds upon international relations, particularly the relationship between Russia and the European Union. The author considers the effect of cultural-value orientations upon establishing the relationship between the actors of world politics; reveals that in modern world the most effective instrument of international relations is the establishment of cultural links between the countries; demonstrates how the cultural diplomacy and extensive cultural connections between the countries assist the formation of a positive image of the corresponding countries, decrease the level of conflicts between the interacting state, as well as contribute to the mutual understanding between the nations. The article traces a brief history of the emergence of EU alongside the history of its relations with Russia. The author reveals and compares the potential paths of development of Russia’s politics, as well as underlines that Russia has no actual alternatives to its cooperation with the European Union. Relevance of this research is substantiate by the presence of severe problems in modern relation between the Russian Federation and the European Union. Examination of the sociocultural grounds of EU-Russian relations allows finding the ways for settling the existing conflicts. At the present time, the key method of possible resolution of the conflict between the Russian Federation and the European Union lies in the establishment of cultural connections that in future can result in formation of the common sociocultural Russia-European space.

Keywords: russia-eu common space, Russia, common cultural space, international relations, cultural integration, culture, European Union, state interests, russia-eu relations, sociocultural relations

Abstract: The subject of this research is the peculiarities of the establishment and development of sociology as a science and academic discipline in Russia; transformation of sociology as a science; application of competency-based approach in determination of the content of sociology as an academic discipline and learning methods. The author examines the initial period of establishment of sociology as a science, development of sociology within the Soviet and post-Soviet society, inclusion of sociology into educational process of the Russian universities as a field of study or major, as well as the conversion of sociological knowledge. The scientific novelty lies in assertion of need for differentiation of the content of sociology as a science and scientific discipline. The content of sociology as a science is formed under the influence of logics of the structuring of scientific knowledge, as well as factors of its conversion; it is determined by the educational standard that contains the list of social competencies essential for a graduate of a specific major in order to be in demand at the job market. A conclusion is made that the content of sociology as an academic discipline must correlate with the specificity of major of a university graduate; the specificity of language of presentation of the scientific and academic knowledge substantiates the need for transformation of sociology as a science into the academic discipline.

Keywords: applied sociology, special sociological theories, all-sociological theories, sociological knowledge, subject matter, science, sociology, conversion of sociology, social competences, social laws

Abstract: The subject of this research is the dynamics of changes in evolution of the political parties as a central element in political system of the United States. The dynamics of changes is attributed to the fact that the parties have walked the path from the state of the rapidly implementable political need of the end of XVIII until the stage of the paramount, legislatively regulated institution of the XXI century. Therewith, the dominant role in electoral political process belongs to the Republicans and Democrats, who alternate in the struggle for supremacy. The goal of research lies in determination of the factor of diminishment of the role and impact of the leading political parties of the United States that are the dominant component of the American political system, as well as estimation of the consequences of this process. The following research methods were used: historical-retrospective analysis of formation of the political parties; comparative method on characterizing the parties of the United States; system approach to analysis of the factors that led to establishment of the two-party system in the United States; forecast analysis of the causes of decline in influence of the dominant parties on the political processes in the country. The scientific novelty consists in examination and clarification of the conditions of formation of the political parties, as well as provision of characteristics to the leading and third parties within the US political system. The authors conclude that in the United States had gradually established the two-party system, characterized by the dominant position of the two parties – Republican and Democratic; the two recent decades have marked the evident increase in the number of independent candidates; currently, about 40% of the Americans do not affiliate themselves to one or another party.

Keywords: bipartite system, third parties, democratic party, Republican party, dynamics of changes, electoral process, political system, political parties, USA, system method

Abstract: The subject of this research is the formation by European Commission of the basics EU’s activity in the area of energy. The object of this research is the presented by European Commission in February 2015 Message to the European Parliament, EU Council, and European Economic and Social Committee, Regional Committee and European Investment Bank about the EU Energy Package. The framework strategy for the solid European Energy Union with the promising policy concerning the climate change. Particular attention is given to examination of the five synergistic and interrelated estimations of the activity of European Commission in the context of the European Energy Union. The main conclusion lies in the thesis that the purpose of the European Energy Union lies in satisfaction of the demand for energy products of each consumer of the European Union from the standpoint of choice, volume, quality and affordable price through the establishment of a single domestic energy market. The scientific novelty consists in determination of regulations of the framework strategy of the European Energy Union affecting the interests of Russia, which indicate the need for preparation by the European Commission by May 2018 of model agreement between the EU member-states and the third countries on the energy issues.

Keywords: strategy, union, energy, European Commission, EU Member States, European Union, consumers, market, innovation, solidarity

Abstract: This article examines the theoretical-methodological content of public policy, its place and role within the system of state administration. The author analyzes the research approaches towards the essence of the current public policy in the context of activity of government authorities, as well as under the conditions of development of the modern information technologies of state administration. Special attention is given to releasing the key stages of public policy development in modern Russian since 1993 until the present time, emphasizing the priority vectors of the current Russian public policy. The research methodology contains the historical and analytical methods that allow tracing the peculiarities of establishment of public policy within the system of state administration. The scientific novelty consists in systematization of the key approaches towards comprehension of public policy leaning on the study of modern sources, identification of its most essential characteristics, as well as examination of the priority vectors of the modern Russian public policy, including the initiatives in the area of building the information society and electronic government.

Keywords: e-government, information technologies, society, power, state, public administration, public policy, political management, public relations, democracy