Abstract: This article is dedicated to the analysis of evolution process of the practices of civil and political participation, particularly, the new form of sociopolitical engagement of citizens that is called Slacktivism. The author attempt to determine whether such type of activity can be considered as an actual form of civil and political participation, or it rather initially suggests the null result an is reduced to the imitation of sociopolitical activity. Such problematic is viewed in the context of representations about the “post-truth”, which suggests that at the present stage, the objective factor produce lesser effect upon the establishment of public opinion rather that referring to emotions and personal persuasions. The article reveals the essence of the phenomenon at hand, as well as introduces various approaches towards interpreting Slacktivism as a form of participation. Based on the example of creating the specific sociopolitical campaigns, activeness of citizens in social networks, signing of online petitions, and spread of social commercials, the author reveals the specificity of practical realization of such phenomenon. Conclusion is made that Slacktivism is not just an act of symbolic participation, but can also have real consequences. It is demonstrated that besides the common to Slacktivism low level on engagement into the process, there can occur the lack of critical perception of information, leaning on which a Slacktivist adopts a decision.

Keywords: Civil engagement, Political participation, Civil society, E-democracy, Network activity, Post-truth, Clicktivism, Slacktivism, Political activeness, Civil participation

Abstract: The subject of this study is the analysis of social and normative concept of the Russian religious philosopher, legal expert and political scientist I. A. Ilyin, as well as the assessment of possibility of implementation of his ideas in the current Russian realities. The author examines the origins of thinker's creative activity, which take the roots in his political and religious beliefs as well as correlate with the general trends in the development of social and political thought in Russia of the late XIX – early XX century. The article meticulously analyze the views of I. A. Ilyin upon the essence and dorms of such sociological and legal categories, as law, legal consciousness, stat, and authority. Particular attention is paid to characterization of the thinker's views upon the political and spiritual state of the Russian society during the prerevolutionary and Soviet historical periods, as well as his predictions pertaining to social transformations in the post-Soviet Russia. The author applies the method of document analysis with references to the works of I. A. Ilyin and followers of his creative path alongside the comparative historical method that allows comparing the thinker’s ideas with modernity. The main conclusions consists in the following positions: 1) confirmation of relevance of I. A. Ilyin’s social and political  legacy along with the need of its study in the context of sociology and other social sciences; 2) substantiation of constructiveness of the suggested by I. A. Ilyin’s proposals aimed at reforming the law, legal consciousness, power and the state simultaneously with the spiritual revival, as well as purposefulness of its implementation in modern Russia.

Keywords: Legal consciousness, Law, Social and normative concept, Ivan Alexandrovich Ilyin, Sociology, Modern Russian society, Power, State, Spirituality, Patriotism

Abstract:  The subject of this research is the impact of providing public services in electronic form upon the efficiency of political and administrative management. The results of the study consist in the following: identification of factors that contribute to improving the quality of public services when provided in electronic form; establishment of the key features of providing f electronic public services in Russia and the United Kingdom; detection of the risks and problems associated with providing electronic public services to population; determination of importance of provision of electronic public services in the system of interaction between government and society. The methodology of the study applies a neo-institutional approach that allows identifying the impact of electronic public services upon the efficiency of public institutions, as well as comparative analysis used in consideration of peculiarities in providing electronic public services in Russia and the United Kingdom. The main conclusion of the study consists in the fact that the provision of public services in electronic form contributes to the rise in efficiency of the political and administrative management by creating an atmosphere of trust in the government that is capable of ensuring quality public services, accessible to all categories of the citizens, as well as oriented towards meeting their needs. The results of the research can be used in formulation of the conceptual documents in the field of development of e-government and the establishment of the information society in Russia.

Keywords: public services, efficiency of political management, political and administrative management, e-services, e-government, public administration, e-technologies, information society, information technologies, Russia

Abstract: The subject of this research is the public sphere in theory and practice of public administration from the era of Medieval Times until the present stage. Differentiation of public sphere is viewed based on the evolution of the institution of monarchy within the process of bourgeois-democratic transformations in Europe and the United States, transition from the concept of feudal-estate representation of authority towards the bourgeois-democratic concept, development of religious freedom, and separation church and state. The analysis of classical liberal model of public sphere, as well as public sphere under the circumstances of establishment of the welfare state in the XX century allows revealing the role and meaning of mass media in advancement of publicity of the social and state actors. Methodology of this work includes the application of historical and logical methods, which based on studying of the theory and practice of public administration, are able to trace the establishment of public sphere and mark its key elements and interrelation between them. The main conclusions of the conducted research lie in the following positions: the public sphere in many aspects depends on the representation of authority in the context of informatization of public administration, as well as development of mass media under the conditions of mass democracy; state authority takes on the role of coordination of public space and public policy; takes place the consolidation of public authority within the network public space; overcoming the “re-feudalization” of public sphere is possible based on the achieving by the state and society of the new political compromises; public actors need to receive constant support from society under the circumstances of crisis of the publicity.

Keywords: Feudal Lord, Middle Ages, Monarch, Mass Media, Public Discussion, Publicity, Public Administration, Public Sphere, Bourgeoisie, Mass Democracy

Abstract: For examination of the current level of citizens’ involvement into cooperation with the regional government authorities through the portals of e-participation within the framework of the Russian Humanitarian Science Foundation grant in September-October of 2016, the author carried out a statistical and content analysis of the initiatives submitted to federal, regional and local governments by the citizens of Volgograd region. The object of this research is the platforms of e-participation that exists in the Russian Federation and provide citizens with the ability to affect the process of administrative decision-making. As a result of this research, the author revealed key characteristics of initiatives submitted by the citizens of Volgograd region; examined the content orientation of petitions; as well as classified the regional initiatives. During the course of this study, the following trends have been determined: the residents of Volgograd region quite intensively use such resource for promoting their own political position; most of the initiatives are addressed to the local authorities; among the relevant issues that the citizens attempt to resolve with the help of petitions, lie the violation of rights, social, and transport problems, and  reputation of the Volgograd region. Great majority of the submitted petitions do not receive a response from the local authorities.

Keywords: public opinion, social activity, slacktivism, e-petitions portal, regional initiatives, content analysis, online-petition, e-participation, transparency, interactivity

Abstract: The object of this study is the category of "extremism". The subject of this study is the scientific, political, and legal approaches towards the nature, structure, and content of this definition contained in the domestic and foreign theoretical and specialized works. The source base leans on the most popular academic dictionaries and encyclopedias, as well as scientific articles, conference theses and dissertations. The article proves that the ambiguity of interpretations of the category of "extremism" significantly reduces its practical application in the course of pre-investigation, investigative, and judicial activities. The result of the study lies in determination of the marked in the politological and juridical literature general theoretical characteristics and particular features of extremism as a political-legal phenomenon, which will assists to the law enforcement agencies and judicial bodies in adequate qualification of the crimes of extremist nature.

Keywords: law enforcement agencies, identity, ideology, characteristics of extremism, Russian Federation, terrorism, radicalism, extremism, category of extremism, investigative activities

Abstract:   The subject area and the key goal of this research is associated with analyzing the problems of social perception of ethnic images in the context of establishing national identity of the population in the Russian bordering regions. The article describes the approaches towards analysis of the category of “image” within the humanitarian knowledge, as well as substantiated the difficulties in the use of classical theories of perception, formulated within the frameworks of general psychology studying the social images in sociological science. Examination of the images of “the other” that reflect the existing attitudes regarding the ethnic groups, required referring to the theories, which allow depicting the formation and content of the present in individual and public consciousness mental representations of social phenomena and objects.  The authors provide the results of psychosemantic experiment carried out in the two Russian regions, which is oriented towards studying the representations of image of “the other” in the consciousness of Russian population. The scientific novelty consists in determination of the characteristics that are of top priority in assessing the ethnic groups, but notable for bigger variability and differences in socio-demographic categories of the population. Besides the mainstream characteristics that define the perception of ethnic groups, the author revealed the secondary criteria that activate only the certain circumstances. The main conclusion consists in the fact that the identified differences are explained not just by the specificity of ethnic composition of the regions and activity of separate ethnic groups, but also justify the nature of interethnic relations, and reveal the potential sources of conflicts or prospects of ethnocultural cooperation.    

Keywords: construction of image of the other, mental representations, ethnic image, image of the other, image, psychosemantic models, social perception, psychosemantic experiment, national identity of population, bordering region

Abstract: At the present time, the theme of international relation is not as relevant in Russia as it used to be in 1990’s. However, despite the exterior composure, this is not to say that the processes of ethnic mobilization remain the achievement of the past. The object of this research is the system of interethnic relations in the Republic of Buryatia, which traditionally represents one of the quietest ethnic regions of Russia. During the course of the group focused interviews (16 groups, each one with 9-11 participants) carried out in December of 2016, the authors revealed that despite the declared and socially approved tolerance, within the republic can be noticed the same trends of interethnic relations as in the “hotter” zones of the country: ethnicity of the so-called “title” population is mobilized and oriented towards occupying the more beneficial social niches; the Russian population of the republic considers ethnic solidarity important and is ready to unite on the political platform, rather than ethnic. As demonstrated by the authors, such position has a direct influence upon the character of voting and opens up the “political elevators” for the Buryat politicians, while shutting the down for the Russians.

Keywords: tolerance, ethnic solidarity, political lifts, electoral behavior, Republic of Buryatia, ethnic mobilization, ethnic identity, interethnic relations, focused group interviews, Republic of Buryatia

Abstract: The subject of this research is the politico-psychological analysis of mass consciousness, focused on comprehension of the political leaders, whose ruling period is marked as a pinnacle of the Russian State. The object of the analysis lies in opinion of the Russian citizens involved in the survey. The goal of the work implies the examination of political preferences of the respondents mediated in representations about the leaders of the Russian State. The survey was conducted by the department of Sociology and Psychology of Politics of M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University over the period from March to September of 2013. The study involved 868 people and balanced in accordance with the gender, age, education, and region of residence of the respondents. The following politicians became the leaders of public opinion: Peter the Great (35.8%); Catherine the Great (27.9%); V. V. Putin (25.5%); Alexander II (15.7%). The scientific novelty consists in the newly introduced data into the scientific discourse. The acquired results allow making a conclusion about the public request upon the strong state and authority. In addition, the preference for the aforementioned leaders indirectly underlines the positive perception by mass consciousness of the factors of power and military might. The results of this survey can be implemented in politological and sociological research and forecasts.

Keywords: Transformation, Society, Image, Politics, Power, Putin, Stalin, Leaders, Citizens , State

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the problem of color perception in mass consciousness, as well as provides the results of representative sociological research on the question of selecting the preferred color by residents of one of the typical provincial cities of Russia. The author reviews the peculiarities of color selection for various socio-demographic, political, and socio-psychological groups. The acquired results are interpreted from the perspective of different methodological approaches towards the assessment of color perception: physiological and psychological. Semantic explanation of the phenomenon of color perception in the context of reasoning of Pavel Florensky is suggested. Methodology of this research is structured upon the application of general logical methods of scientific study alongside the method of interpreting the obtained data in various theories of color perception. The author attempts to illustrate that articulation of the color preferences manifests as one of the characteristics of social self-consciousness. Color palette of the preferences (triad blue-red-green) is immanently presents in any of the statistically important group of the respondents. Thus, color perception is the original element of mass consciousness that manifests as a ethno-cultural specificity of population.

Keywords: ethno-cultural peculiarity, stereotypical perception, Pavel Florensky, color symbolics, social wellness, mass consciousness, color perception, population groups, Lüscher color test, color and light

Abstract: The subject of this research is the specificity of management of the social relations and processes. For the modern theory of management, the question of comprehending the nature of social management (its object, structure, area of implementation, etc.) remains open. The article demonstrates that the objective foundation of the complex paradigm of social management lies in the systemic character of the object of management, represented by the society in unity of the constituent elements – subsystems. It is substantiated that the complex approach towards management does not limit the social management by exceptionally social sphere, however, namely within the social sphere, forms its fundamental characteristic – the axiological orientation towards human. Social management extends beyond the social sphere, as well as captures with the management influence the social aspects of all spheres of the society. It is proven that the major role in the complex implementation of target function of the social management is called to be played by the state. Special attention is turned to the institutional environment in the context of ensuring management, place of trust within the institutional environment, and dual role of trust in social management. In studying the problem of trusts as indicator of efficiency of the social management, the work applies the statistical methods of processing the results of sociological surveys. The scientific novelty consists in formulation of the theoretical grounds of complex paradigm of social management, which methodologically ensures the structural and functional reliability of the management. The place of social management in economic, political, social, and cultural subsystems of the society is determined. The authors suggest an original model of the system of state social management, define its parameters, as well as formulate the target function of social management that lies in the support of integrity of the society, its sustainable development considering the human interests. A conclusion is made about the importance of trust, on one hand – as indicator of efficiency of the social management, while on the other – as a social resource, relied upon by the administration in order to produce results.

Keywords: public administration, target function, complex approach, systemic approach, social spheres, social system, society, social management, social institutions, trust