Abstract: This article reveals the issues of influence of the climatic conditions upon the social development, including law and state. Analysis of the indicated questions regarding the possibility of similar climatic effect leads us to works of the famous French, English, and German scholars, who originated the concept of geographical (climatic) determinism. Charles-Louis Montesquieu is justifiable considered the founder of the aforementioned theory. Namely his work “The Spirit of the Laws” introduces the provisions that explain physiological, psychological, ethical, and social differences of the nations depending on the climatic conditions. Furthermore, the English school represented by Henry Thomas Buckle choses the more careful approach in the concept of climatic determinism, which as a result, forms the new movement of climatic possibilism – the system of views that presents natural environment as a prerequisite for social development. In works of the foreign and Russian successors, key attention is turned to the state legal aspect of the issue. The provided in the article positions and their analysis currently do not give reasons to the theoretical legal science for neglecting the climatic conditions as the objective circumstances accompanying the evolution of humanity and forms of state legal institutions.

Keywords: Jurisprudence, Climate, State, Social development, Law, Form of government, Passionarity theory of ethnogenesis, Montesquieu, Climatic possibilism, Climatic determinism

Abstract: More and more often, the parties winning the European elections are usually referred to as “ultraconservative”, “nationalistic”, “ultra-right-wing”, etc. An attempt is made to analyze the general and particular specificities of these organizations, identify whether such tendency is interrelated with the certain issues of the European Union, such as the crisis phenomena in economy, changes in migrants’ flow, or it is rather a new sustainable trend in the European political party life. Accent is made on such ideological aspects of the modern European right-wing, as a criticism of multiculturalism, particularly interpretation of the “traditional European values” as a whole. Based on the analysis of rhetoric of a number of representatives of the right-wing falange of European politics and comparative results of the nationalistic parties of European countries at the elections, the article reveals the general trends in the European politics and public moods. The right-wing trend in the European politics remains a new and polemical phenomenon, the causes and sustainability of which are being contested. The author attempts to establish correlation between the objective sociopolitical processes in the European countries and their reflection in the public policy, since there also are responses and parallels in modern Russia.  

Keywords: multiculturalism, nationalism, right-wing parties, political parties, European Union, Europe, populism, politics, culture, ideology

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the determination of sustainability of the traditional Confucian values in China. The meaning of the “Hundred Schools of Thought” along with the scholars, scribes, and Confucian academic elite is being highlighted. The traditional Confucian values are introduced as a central zone of social culture that plays a crucial role at the various stages of Chinese history, including the current political systems of the Capitalist and Communist China. The subject of this research is the traditional Confucian values, turning points of the middle XX century, division of the single country into two states, etc. The work applies the structural anthropological, politological, legal, and social methods. The scientific novelty consists in identification of the conceptual core of China’s culture, which had established under the impact of multiple religious movements: Buddhism, Taoism, Legalism, and Confucianism. They comprised the conceptual core of China’s intellectual capital, symbols of the public and state orders, intellectual networks, and centuries-long ties between the generations. Each school can manifest as a prototype of the political party, while their rivalry – as a confrontation of the political opponents and oppositional experimentalism.

Keywords: Maoism, Taoism, Practice of sage ruling, Imperial examination , Hundred Schools of Thought, Cultural core, Conservatism, Confucian values, Central zone, Intellectual capital

Abstract: The object of this article is the motivation of electoral behavior of the Russian voters, while the subject is the motivation of absentee electoral behavior. The influential factors in terms of the subject of research are the following: level of trust to the political institutions and procedures; impact of institutional changes in the electoral process; abilities to affect the situation in the country through the democratic procedures (elections); influence of the Russian political culture; trends of destruction and archaization of the political consciousness of Russian society (hypothesis). The main method of this work consists in the secondary analysis of data of Russian Public Opinion Research Center (WCIOM), Levada Center, Research Holding Romir, results of the 2015 online polls of Penza Regions, etc. Among the main conclusions are the following: fixation of the cumulative negative trends of absenteeism on the background of the growing alienation of society and authorities, actualization of irrational models of electoral behavior, indifferent attitude to political process and democratic procedures in mass consciousness, trends towards archaization of political consciousness and lack of assurance in the conceptual value of democracy, absence of orientation of a Russian voter towards the new information and communication technologies that develop the active forms for expanding the civil participation in administration, as well as control mechanisms over the government institutions.

Keywords: politics, Russian elections, government and society, voting, electoral absenteeism, electoral behavior, electoral process, political process, protest vote, political culture

Abstract: The subject of this article is the peculiarities of political process in the Arab republics of Near and Middle East. The article conducts an analysis of the process of reformation of the political systems in a number of Arab states with the republican form of government, as well as reviews the key directions in improving the governing models in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq. The specificity of the subject required the use of a set of general scientific and special methods. The methodology of this work applies a complex of scientific methods, including analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, comparative analysis, as well as institutional approach that demonstrates that the examined political processes are tightly connected with the political and social institutions. The scientific novelty lies in establishment of the role and place of the developing civil society as a full-fledged institution of political life in the Arab republics. The article determines the specificity of the impact of foreign policy factors upon the political modernization processes in Arab states of the Near East. Particular attention is paid to the fact that  due to the unwillingness of political elites, practically in all of the Arab state to release from control the main political powers, the most effective reforms take place in economic and social spheres, however, without the quality changes in political regimes.

Keywords: Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Arab republics, political modernization, power, state, Egypt, Iraq, civil society

Abstract: The subject of this research is the optimality and ability of party systems to changes in the postmodern period that is expressed by the difficulties of the “third wave of democratization”, especially in cases of transformation of the single-party system into the multi-party system. The author thoroughly examines such aspects of the topic as the changes in structural basis of the traditional party systems, analysis of the qualitative signs of party system, mutual influence of the party and electoral systems, peculiarities of formation of the party system with dominant party, potential for transformation of the Russian party system towards the competitive multi-party system. Using the comparative, structural, and functional methods in the context of determining the causes for moderation of the establishment of multi-party system in postmodern transitive period conduced the detection of direct dependency of the type of party system from the forma of public administration, as well as interrelation of the electoral regime with the behavior of electorate, level its activeness or inactiveness. The scientific novelty lies in filling the gap in theoretical research about the transformation of political systems, which takes place not only under the effect of changes in political and electoral systems, but also reconstruction of the internal elements of the party system that must help comprehending and determining the characteristic features of the system that substantiate its sustainable development. 

Keywords: institutionalization of the party systems, inter party competition, electoral systems, dominant-party system, one-party system, bipartisanship, multiparty system, elements of the party system, parliamentary factions, political will

Abstract:  The subject of this research is the political activity of organizations of Circassians (Adyghe) of Turkey (Federation of Caucasian Associations (Kaffed)) and Russia (International Circassian Association (ICA)) aimed at consolidation of the divided societies. The subject of the study is the phenomenon of divided ethnic groups in the context of globalization. The author pays special attention to such aspects of the topic as the reasons of division of Circassians, experience of ethnic revival of the Circassian people of Russia, and the largest foreign diaspora of Circassians in Turkey. Particular attention is given to projects and political practice of consolidation of the Circassian associations, as well as the key issues of their cooperation. Methodological basis of the research applies the universalistic and particularistic approaches towards analyzing the ethnic political mobilization, as well as content analysis of program documents, resolutions and news publications on the websites of Circassian associations. Analysis of the program documents and political activities of the Federation of Caucasian Associations (Kaffed) and the International Circassian Association allowed the author to identify the following aspects of interaction: the revival of language and culture, recognition of the Circassian genocide, repatriation to the historical homeland, foreign policy aspect of Russian-Turkish relations. Scientific novelty consists in revelation of the two strategies of political activity of ethnic minorities and diasporas in the context of globalization: "globalization from below" or the path of ethnic nationalism.

Keywords: ethnic organization, ethnic resurgence, divided ethnic groups, Turkey, Russia, Caucasian War, Circassians, diaspora, consolidation, political activity

Abstract:   The subject of this article is the assessment of institutional factors of activity and role of the national cultural public organizations in realization of state national policy in the Altai Krai. The authors reveals the peculiarities of ethno-cultural situation in the region alongside the specificity of activity of the government bodies with regards to realization of state national policy. Leaning on the sociological survey data, the article provides the expertise results of the role of national cultural public organization in implementation of the policy, assessment of their inclusion into the cross-sectoral connections, as well as evaluates certain conditions for realization of activity of the national cultural nonprofit organizations. The research is conducted through the method of personal interview with the heads of registered in Altai Krai national cultural public organizations based on the structured questionnaire. The authors introduce the results of dispersive analysis and application of the procedure of scaling the expert assessments of the factors for functioning of the national cultural nonprofit organizations. The following conclusions were made: among the population of Altai Krai there is a vivid desire to unite aimed at protection of their national interests, as well as the need for preserving and developing of the cultures of diverse nationalities that populate the territory of the region. Along with the harmonious cross-national relationships between the population and national cultural nonprofit organization, there authors highlight the trusted connections, when the national cultural public organizations are open for cooperation and constructive interaction with the local community. The expert analysis also determined the insufficiently fair distribution of benefits and various positions for any of the nationalities; lack of efficiency and openness in the dialogue between the state, ethnic diasporas, and national minorities in adoption of important decisions. The most coordinate expert assessment were noticed with regards to the indexes of successful resolution of conflicts in the area of interethnic relations, control over compliance with the laws in the field of the state national policy, work of the government bodies in realization of the Russian Federation National Policy Strategy until 2025, establishment of dialogue between the state, ethnic diasporas, and national minorities in adoption of crucial decisions, supports of the national cultural public organization, and efficiency of the system of administration over the implementation of state national policy in the region.    

Keywords: cross-sectoral relations, civil society, interethnic relations, region, etnic-cultural organizations, institutional conditions, state national policy, interethnic conflicts, ethnic-confessional factor, ethnic community

Abstract: The subject of this research is the complex of socio-economic and political-legal relations emerging in the context of the work of the Union State authorities. The object of this research is the executive authorities of the Union State. The article demonstrates that transition towards the market relations alongside the establishment of the Union State require reforming the public administration mechanism and generating the new democratic political-legal structure that leans on the principle of separation of powers. The key priorities of state authority becomes the protection of human rights and freedoms, which in turns, requires a transition towards the new in their essence legal forms and methods of the work of executive authorities. The authors’ special contribution into this research consists in proving that the normative-legal and socio-economic base of regional administration in the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus significantly differs in its efficiency. Depending on the scale of administrative activity of one or another region, the authors propose the ways for optimizing efficiency of the regional administration. The scientific novelty lies in the introduced by the author new and improved methods for assessing the efficiency of work of the regional authorities in the organizations of integration character.

Keywords: management, assessment, method, Union State, integration, authorities, region, efficiency, activities, opportunity

Abstract: The object of this research is the corruption networks of the highest administrative elites. The subject is their ethos or specific informal value normative system in comparison with the generally accepted formal moral codices. The author meticulously reviews such aspects of the topic as the value-behavioral intersection of opinions, behavioral practice and principles existing among the representatives of administrative elites with ethoses of the patrimonial alliances and criminal communities. The author suggests the concept of threefold character of corruption ethos, which includes the ideology-cover, functional behavioral norms, and distinct “life philosophy”. The scientific novelty consists in determination of the key features of each of the indicated structural components of corruption ethos. Author’s main contribution into this research lies in identification of the substantial transformation of general norms of the bureaucratic rationality within the framework of Russia reality, as a result of which the power and obedience transform into the goal in itself, and serving to organization becomes the means for achieving the own profit.  

Keywords: pseudo-civil society, grassroots corruption, corruptionist's life philosophy, norms of bureaucratic rationality, ideology-cover, corrupt networks, administrative elites, ethos, morality of patrimonial alliances, ethos of criminal communities

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the analysis of various components of the identity of population of modern Russia. The problem of correlation of separate types of identities, as well as the search for the explaining mechanisms of their formation and manifestation is one of the central discussions of the socio-humanitarian knowledge at the present stage. The goal of this article consists in examination of the specificities of identification culture of the population of Russia’s bordering regions. Special attention is given to the interrelation of ethnic, civil, and religious components of the identity of personality, as well as the impact of actualized ethnic identity upon the formation of other types of identification. The article provides the results of empirical research of population of the nine regions of Russia conducted in 2015 through the method of survey. The results testify to the high level of importance for the residents of these regions of social differentiation by various grounds. The authors note that currently that the identification of population with the citizens of the country and local community gains crucial importance for the dwellers of the examined regions. At the same time, the actual ethnic identification of population does not impede the establishment of the Russian national civil identity. It is underlined that at present stage the religious factor is a less important ground of identification than the ethnic or civil affiliation. The conclusion is made that the diverse types of identity are not competitive or mutually exclusive, but rather manifest as the foundation for integration of a person into the multiple social groups formed in accordance with various grounds.  

Keywords: ethnic, local identity, religious identity, civil identity, ethnic identity, identification, identity, nationality, religion, Russian