The political system of society, its structure and functions. Lecture notes: Concept and structure of the political system of society

Phenomena, objects and characters, associated with the concept of "politics", constitute the sphere of political life of society. The function of a political system is based on an orderly system, systemic integrity. This is, first of all, the state, parties, political norms, institutions (for example, the monarchy or suffrage), these are symbols - the anthem, coat of arms and flag, this is political culture, all its values ​​and much, much more that makes up the structure of politics . The function of a political system is that all these elements work together, interconnectedly, and none of them exists in isolation.

Politic system

An ordered set of institutions, norms, ideas, organizations, interactions and relationships between them that organize political power is the political system. It is a whole complex of non-state and state institutions, which carry out the functions of the political system of society, the activities through which all work takes place state power. Although this concept is much more capacious than just state power and public administration.

The political system covers all institutions and all individuals who participate in the political process and, in addition, all non-governmental and informal phenomena and factors that influence the formulation of problems, as well as the development of solutions and their implementation in state-power relations. If interpreted most broadly, then this concept can include everything that is in any way related to politics. The function of the political system is to influence political decisions with the help of human and material resources.

Characteristic

Any political system has characteristics that are considered according to the following parameters:

• political ideology;
• political culture;
• political norms, traditions and customs.

The main functions of the political system of society are as follows:

• transformation of public demand into a political decision (conversion);
• adaptation of the political system to the living conditions of society, which are constantly changing;
• concentration of human and material resources (voters and Money) for the pursuit of political goals;
• protection basic values and the initial principles of the socio-political system - a protective function;
• establishing and developing cooperation with other states on a mutually beneficial basis is a foreign policy function;
• coordination of individual requirements social groups and collective interests - a consolidating function;
• creation of spiritual and material values ​​and their distribution.

With the organization of institutions political power Each function of the political system is regulated, collectively this is called the political regime.

Principles

First of all, these are the methods of decision-making on the part of the authorities and the limits of their interference in regulating relations in society. Methods of making government decisions can be democratic and authoritarian, which determines the type and functions of the political system of power. Another sign of this division differs in the limits of intervention in regulating relations in society, and here we can name totalitarian and liberal political regimes. Regarding the socio-economic basis, regimes are divided into the following types.

1. A totalitarian-distributive regime, where the economy has undergone nationalization, material goods are also distributed by the state. This structure and functions of the political system are characteristic of a totalitarian regime.
2. Liberal democratic, where the basis is a market economy. This political regime is democratic.
3. Mobilization and convergence, where there is varying degrees of government intervention in the market economy. Such structure and functions of the political system constitute an authoritarian regime.

Essential elements

Each specific society forms its own specific political system, because all the elements that make it up - institutions and traditions, political values ​​and the very concept of the structure and functions of a political system - are different in different communities. Since politics is an open system that actively interacts with all spheres of public life, it not only influences the economic, spiritual, social and other components, but also experiences a huge reciprocal influence.

But absolutely any political system of society contains the basic elements. The concept, structure, and functions describe it more than clearly; for this you just need to consider the individual subsystems.

• Organizational and institutional subsystem. Organizations (various social groups, opposition and revolutionary movements, and so on), as well as institutions (parties, parliamentarism, justice, civil service, presidency, citizenship and the like).
• Normative and regulatory subsystem. Legal, political and moral norms, traditions and customs.
• Communication subsystem. Relationships, forms and connections of interaction between participants in the political process, and then between society and the political system.
• Cultural-ideological subsystem. Political ideas and political culture, ideology, political psychology.

Organizational-institutional subsystem

People acting together as an organized group to achieve some political goal is a political organization. For example, a political party, social movement or association that influences public policy, as well as a group of citizens with the initiative to nominate candidates for deputies, even a cell of revolutionaries. One can also name those organizations for which political goals are not the main ones - a church or a trade union, clubs of fishermen or numismatists, but in some conditions they sometimes act as political organizations.

But a political institution is a much more complex element of the system, since social interaction he has a stable and permanent position where he regulates his area in the political arena of society. A political system, the concept and functions of which are significant for the whole society, forms an orderly structure with distribution social roles and clear rules of interaction. Here we can name the institution of civil service, parliament, executive power, the institution of head of state, monarchy, presidency, citizenship, legal proceedings, political parties etc.

Communication subsystem

Connections, relationships, forms of communication and interaction that develop during political activity- a communicative component that every political society. The functions of the state's political system cover all components of this system. And in order to realize their own goals, organizations, institutions, large social communities and individuals must build relationships with each other, and also process social environment, here is the interaction of parliamentary committees, and relations between government agencies and political parties, and relations between the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, and, of course, communication between the state and its population.

The most important thing in these relationships is communication channels; the entire communication subsystem rests on them. Through these channels, information from the population intended for the state authorities is transmitted (commissions of inquiry, open hearings, election results, opinion polls, etc.), as well as in the other direction - from the state to the population (the media, from which it becomes known about political decisions, new laws and the like). For any political interaction there are norms - legal, political and moral, in addition, traditions and customs are not forgotten.

Cultural-ideological subsystem

This includes political opinions, ideas, beliefs, perceptions and feelings politicians all levels. In this component of the political system, political-psychological and political-ideological aspects can be distinguished. The first concerns the behavioral features of politics, and the second focuses on its theory. Political psychology focuses on the behavioral traits of entire societies as well as groups and individuals, their moods, motivations, feelings, opinions, emotions, misconceptions and beliefs.

The characteristics of the cultural and ideological component are significantly influenced by the charisma of leaders, the psychology of the crowd and the manipulation of mass consciousness. Political ideology is more high level and is part of the functions of the political system of the state. This includes political doctrines, theories, concepts and ideas. Political culture is part of the spiritual culture of humanity with a set of political knowledge, behavior patterns and generally accepted values; it includes traditions of statehood, symbols and political language.

Main functions

A political system cannot exist without the interaction of its elements, since it is this that determines all of its most important social functions.

• The political system determines promising directions social development.
• It also optimizes the movement of society towards its intended goals.
• With its help, resources are distributed.
• It coordinates the interests of various subjects and invites citizens to actively participate in politics.
• The political system develops norms and rules of conduct for all members of society.
• She also monitors the implementation of rules, regulations and laws.
• Only a political system can ensure stability and security in society.

The political system operates in the following institutions:

• the state and all its bodies;
• socio-political movements;
• pressure groups, in other words - interest groups;
• political parties.

State

This is the main system-forming element, which has almost all the functions of the political system. The state is the most powerful object of politics because it has power and is capable of coercion. This is where the most fierce political struggle unfolds; a variety of political forces want to get this prize - the state machine. However, the state does not always work harmoniously in the political system.

The struggle for power quite often gives independence to individual government units, for example the army, which then carries out a coup d'etat. Similar conflicts occur between parliament and the president (Russia in 1993, when political forces were divided precisely according to this principle). The state and its power are received by the winner of the elections if the system has nurtured developed political parties and they have control over the authorities.

Political parties

An ideological organization that unites citizens with the same political views creates a party to implement its program in power. Ideology is the philosophy, the ideas that guide the party in political struggle. According to this principle, parties can be divided into liberal, conservative, social democratic and simply democratic, communist, socialist and nationalist. Each of them has leading personnel and organizational structure permanent, there is a charter and membership is formalized.

An organization that does not have fifty thousand members cannot be called a party in Russia. The state divides parties into systemic and non-systemic, where systemic ones are part of the current political system and are guided by existing laws. Non-systemic ones are usually semi-legal or illegal and fight against existing system. Democratic states usually change hands: the ruling party after the next elections may well become the opposition, and the opposition - the ruling. Authoritarian and totalitarian states are usually one-party, rarely two-party, and democratic states are multi-party.

Other groups

A less significant place in political systems is occupied by socio-political movements and public organizations. They are rarely allowed to participate in elections because they are small in number. Interest groups or pressure groups are trade unions, as well as large monopolies, industrial organizations, the media, the church and many other institutions that do not have the goal of gaining power. But such groups can exert influence (pressure) on the authorities to satisfy certain interests (for example, reduce taxes). All these structural elements - both state and not - operate in compliance with special political traditions and norms, since certain experience has already been gained.

Traditionally, elections are held, where there are never less than two candidates on the ballot; demonstrations, rallies, meetings of current and future deputies and voters are held; more than one function of the political system is capable of rallying public groups around a correctly presented idea. Political power is much broader than state power; it is subject to such a mass of different institutions that in general it even looks somewhat impersonal. The function of a political system consists of the totality of the efforts of all its elements and divisions, and the system of government of political authorities is the mechanism of this function.

It is known that human society is in the process of constant changes that occur under the influence various factors. Social relationships between people become more complex, new needs and, accordingly, types of activities that satisfy them appear, the natural environment changes, energetic resources, international conditions of existence of modern states. Therefore, the question of how society adapts to the requirements of a constantly changing internal and external environment has always seemed relevant not only in theoretical, but also in practical terms. After all, the answer to it allows us to identify adaptation mechanisms that form the basis for the viability and stability of any society.

The term “political system” was introduced into political science in the 50s and 60s. XX century and reflected a growing understanding of the systemic nature of politics. Before this, the concepts of “type of government” and “system of government” were usually used to describe power relations, reducing politics to the activities of state structures, identifying them as the main subjects of power relations. Before certain point such an explanation reflected reality. However, the processes of development of civil society, the emergence of an autonomous, independent individual with her rights and freedoms led to the fact that the citizen began not only to obey, but also to influence the state, creating political organizations (parties, movements, etc.) for this purpose. Power ceased to be a monopoly of the state, and power relations acquired a more complex character, since they began to involve non-governmental organizations. Awareness of the complexity and multidimensionality of power relations, which could no longer be reduced only to the activities of state structures, led to the need to revise the institutional and behavioral approaches to explaining politics that were dominant at that time.

The political system of society is a system of interconnected and interacting associations (organizations) of people based on various forms of ownership, reflecting the interests and will of social classes, layers, groups and nations, exercising political power or fighting for its implementation within the framework of law through the state.

The components of the political system are:

a) a set of political associations (state, political parties, socio-political organizations and movements);

b) political relations that develop between the structural elements of the system;

c) political norms and traditions governing the political life of the country;

d) political consciousness, reflecting ideological and psychological characteristics systems;

e) political activity, covering the actions of specific people as representatives or members of political associations.

The political system is a dialectical unity of four sides: institutional, regulatory, functional and ideological.

In this regard, it is advisable to note that political norms and the relations arising on their basis are called political institutions.

The process of translating ideas into norms, rules, and principles for the existence of political organizations is called institutionalization; this is how the elements of the political organization of society are formed.

Using various methodological techniques (approaches), it is possible to identify a number of criteria that allow us to justify and decipher the given definition of the political system.

From the standpoint of the genetic approach, the objective conditionality of political phenomena by economic and social factors. The criterion for the economic determination of policy is manifested primarily in the relations of property and production, and, on the contrary, the reverse influence of policy on the economy is most possible in the relations of distribution and management. The criterion of social conditionality of political phenomena indicates that they are the result and means social development. Any political phenomenon is inseparable from people. People, as concrete material and spiritual beings with intelligence, create political ideas, develop political norms, establish connections among themselves, i.e. It is people who create politics, not some abstractions. The criteria of social interest reveal the relationship of the political system and its elements with certain social groups, strata, classes, and nations. The needs and interests of these groups, layers, etc. are the decisive motivational factors in the formation of political organizations.

The institutional approach allows us to identify characteristics of political phenomena that are stable and real in time and space. The essence of this approach reflects the organizational criterion, designed to show that individuals themselves cannot act as elements of a political system. People are born as socio-biological, but not political beings. In this regard, they represent the material from which, under appropriate historical conditions, in the presence of certain social qualities, elements and the system as a whole are formed. Such conditions are the processes of division of labor, the formation of property-unequal social strata, groups and classes, and the qualities are universal, class, group, and national solidarity. A materialistic understanding of historical processes leads to the conclusion that in reality the political naturally requires organizational design. We can say that the organizational criterion characterizes, to a certain extent, the social forms of movement of the material, human basis of the political system. The political in its development becomes real, tangible only in specifically materialized forms, institutions, institutions (state, parties, movements). And the individual acts as a citizen, deputy, member of a party, organization.

A systematic approach to the study of political phenomena makes it possible to present them in the form of an integral system capable of influencing its structural elements and interacting externally - with society, other political systems, and the outside world. The system criterion allows us to highlight such qualities of the political system and its components as a hierarchical structure, homogeneity of elements, institutional compatibility, the presence of various connections, the conditionality of the elements as a whole, and the autonomy of their behavior. The main criterion characterizing the dynamics and statics of the system itself is its integrity, since the development of the system is the process of achieving integrity.

The substantive (essential) approach helps to identify the fundamental basis of everything political, that on which all political phenomena (ideas, norms, relationships, processes, institutions) are based. The meaning of the concept substance in different branches of science is different. In chemistry it is an element, in biology it is a living protein, in political economy it is labor, in philosophy it is matter. In political science, political power is considered as a substance, and the mechanism for its implementation is the political system. The essential criterion (power) is cross-cutting for the political system at all stages of its existence, regardless of economic, geographical, religious, national and other factors.

Political power can be characterized as a system of volitional relations of class society, which are determined by the interests of social strata and classes, expressed in the activities of political organizations. It has several levels of functioning and implementation.

Firstly, this is the power of specific political associations (political parties, socio-political organizations and movements). It is implemented through their organizational leadership structures. This institutional level of political power is the most visible and real.

Secondly, we can designate a coalition level of power, reflecting the totality of power aspirations, or several socially homogeneous political organizations, or a bloc of political organizations, or a bloc of parties and associations reflecting the interests of various social communities. In such a case, power is exercised through temporary or permanent bodies such as round tables, councils of parliamentary factions.

Thirdly, it seems necessary to highlight the general political level of power. This is where the results of the political consensus achieved through the competition and cooperation of various political forces are concentrated. If such results are reflected in legal acts, then political power coincides with state power and is exercised by the state. In other cases, it is implemented through political bodies, usually of a multi-temporal nature (conferences of national consent, popular, patriotic fronts, etc.).

A specific historical approach, depending on the spheres of life of society, allows us to distinguish socio-economic (types and form of ownership of tools and means of production, nature of labor, basic principles of management), social-structural (presence or absence of certain classes, layers), socio-cultural (the level of education of the population, the reality of comprehensive personal development), political (the reality of self-government of the people, the class affiliation of political power), legal (the range of democratic rights and freedoms of citizens enshrined in law, the presence of guarantees for their implementation, the legitimacy of political power, the state of law and order) criteria .

Thus, polystructure real world, human society determines the diversity of relevant criteria, and the understanding that political phenomena in their totality constitute a system characterized by constant movement predetermines their complex and dialectical use.

Political systems live and function in time and space, since they represent one of the main forms of movement of social class matter. They can be classified on various grounds. In particular, depending on political regime distinguish between democratic and totalitarian political systems. From the perspective of Marxist theory, using the category of socio-political formation as the basis for classification, the political systems of slaveholding, feudal, bourgeois and socialist societies are distinguished. Taking into account geographical and territorial factors allows us to talk about European, Asian, North American and other regional systems. Within the political system of a particular society, its structural elements can also act as unique political systems-formations: the state, political parties, socio-political associations.

Concept of politics. IN life modern society Politics plays a very important role. It is associated with the solution of key issues affecting the interests of various classes, social groups or even society as a whole. Political resolution of these issues involves the use of state power. That's why politics can be defined as activities aimed at obtaining state power and maintaining it, as well as activities for the actual implementation of this power.

Power- this is the ability of a person or a certain group of people to manage the activities and behavior of other people, thereby achieving their goals. In modern society, we often encounter not only political, but also economic, military, information and ideological power.

Economic power is control over material and financial resources. Military power ensures control over the military-technical and human resources necessary to ensure the internal and external security of the country. Information-ideological power is associated with control over information flows, influence on the processes of formation of people's ideas and beliefs.

The exercise of political power requires the concentration of resources needed to manage society in the hands of certain people or groups of people, united in political institutions: the state, political parties, etc. Political power also includes the use of economic, military, information and ideological means necessary for achieving political goals.

It is clear that in a world where opposing social interests collide, and acute conflicts involving the use of military force are not uncommon, political power must also rely on military force. However, it alone is not enough to carry out an effective policy. We also need power over economic resources and over the consciousness of people. This does not mean that the entire economy or spiritual life of society is absorbed into politics. A lot of things in them proceed according to their own laws. Moreover, the economic, social and spiritual life of society have a huge inverse impact on politics.

Political system: concept, types, functions. The political life of society is an integral unity of certain elements, or a system. Political system of society is a set of political institutions and organizations, relevant ideas and views, political relations, political and legal norms.

Political organizations and institutions- this is the state as a whole, represented by the legislative, executive and judicial powers, as well as political parties, public associations of a political orientation, and the media conducting ideological work.

People participating in the political life of society, playing various roles in it, are guided by certain ideas, values ​​and views. Political Views and the ideas of people express their fundamental interests, classes, social groups related to the acquisition and use of power.

Political and legal norms regulate the political life of society, fix the powers of government bodies and officials, rights and responsibilities of citizens. This role is performed primarily by the Constitution and laws of the country.

Political relations are formed regarding the conquest, redistribution and use of political power in society. This is the relationship between political institutions and people occupying a certain political position. Political relations between people can be characterized either by cooperation and mutual assistance, or by rivalry or even hostility (for example, the bitter struggle of political parties for power).

The political system of society plays a special role in public life due to the fact that political decisions and laws adopted by the state are generally binding. The political system is the only one of all social systems that has the legal right to punish and force the implementation of decisions made.

Nowadays it is common to emphasize the differences between such extreme types of political systems as totalitarian and democratic systems. Totalitarian The political system is characterized by comprehensive (from the Latin totalitac - all, complete) and strict political control over various aspects of the life of society, the omnipotence of the state.

Totalitarian systems are characterized by the suppression of all dissent. In such societies, as a rule, one political party is in power, and all other public organizations are subordinate to it and controlled by it. Stability in society is maintained here by violence and terror. Such states are sometimes extremely aggressive (for example, Nazi Germany).

Democratic the political system is based on market economy, which corresponds to the political ideas of freedom of private initiative, as well as freedom in relation to people’s determination of their social position. The state here plays mainly the role of a regulator of relations between various social actors. It is designed to ensure the rights and freedoms of citizens and protect them from arbitrariness. Power here is gained through participation in election campaigns. The main institution for achieving political goals is the rule of law.

IN different countries develop their own ideas about the democratic organization of public life. Attempts to impose on some people, on some country, ideas about democracy developed by others are in themselves undemocratic.

The political system of society performs a number of basic functions: goal-setting, integration, regulation, control, communication.

Function goal setting consists in determining the main goals of public and political development. These goals are formulated in party programs, political declarations, government programs economic and social development, etc.

Function integration associated with the unification of society to solve the most important problems. Different social groups have different interests and goals. An effectively functioning political system makes it possible to compare them, determine the balance of interests and develop a constructive common line of action, usually achieved through compromises. In non-democratic political systems, integration is achieved by suppressing any disagreement with the official point of view, which is established as the only correct and legitimate one.

Function regulation is expressed primarily in the establishment of laws governing the life of society, as well as ensuring the execution of laws and other norms related to them. In the first case we talk about the legislative power, in the second – about the executive power. Next, performance evaluation is important here. by different people and organizations established norms, laws, carried out by the judiciary. It's already control a function that, within the limits of their powers, is performed not only by the judiciary, but also by other political organizations and institutions.

Function communications, or communication, is due to the need to exchange information between various parts of the political system, as well as between this system and society as a whole. People need to know what politicians are working on and deciding, what laws are being passed, etc. In turn, participants in political activity must know what the citizens of the country think, what concerns them, how they assess the activities of the political system and the situation in the country as a whole.

Bearers of political power in society. In the Constitutions of a number of countries and other political documents we find the statement that the highest bearer of power in society is the people. This democratic idea is the opposite of the idea of ​​monarchical rule, which proceeds from the autocracy of the supreme ruler - the monarch, or sovereign. At the same time, even in a democratic social system the role different people in the exercise of political power is unequal.

This disparity in the role of people in the exercise of political power is characterized by the theory political elite. The word “elite” translated from French means “best”, “selected”. The political elite is a group (or groups) of people that stands out for its special significance and the greatest influence on the political life of society. Representatives of the political elite are constantly and directly involved in making political decisions related to the activities of government.

Max Weber identified three types of leadership: traditional, legal(based on law) and charismatic. In traditional societies, political power is obtained primarily through inheritance from father to son, sometimes from older brother to younger brother. This is typical, first of all, for monarchical states. The legal acquisition of power is associated with election subject to certain legal procedures. The power of such a leader is based on the confidence that his authority has been strictly obtained. in a legal way, in conditions of competition and openness. Charismatic leadership refers to the presence of unusual, exceptional qualities in some people that allow them to lead people. The word "charisma" translated from Greek means "grace, divine gift." Charismatic leaders emerge when society is gripped by a crisis and people's faith in previous leaders is shaken. In the past, religious prophets had such power; It happened that charisma was also inherent in political leaders, including those operating in the countries of the “old democracies” (for example, General de Gaulle in France).

Political ideology. The exercise of political power requires a clear definition of its goals, as well as acceptable means of achieving them. This means that politics is always based on ideology and is its practical implementation. Political ideology is a set of ideas, beliefs and values ​​that justify the right of a certain social community to power or participation in the exercise of power.

Political ideology has, first of all, a theoretical level associated with a generalized formulation of the basic ideas, values ​​and goals of a given social community (class, nation, etc.). The second level of political ideology is represented by programs, slogans and demands of political leaders, parties, social movements, etc. The third level of political ideology is the political attitudes of individuals that exist at the ordinary level of consciousness. This third level should not be underestimated, because people in their practical affairs are guided precisely by the stereotypes, beliefs, political sympathies and antipathies that have become established in their minds.

Political ideology has the most powerful impact on life in society if it expresses in the form of ideas and slogans what people directly experience or know from life. People's ideological preferences are determined not only by their social status, but also by certain individual personality traits. Therefore, it also happens that a person from an aristocratic environment adheres to democratic beliefs, and a “man of the people” turns out to be a supporter of the ideas of monarchism, nationalism or totalitarianism.

Theoretical political ideas need to be able to convey to the consciousness of people in order for these ideas to become effective and really influence the course of events in society. People must understand well what the practical application of certain political ideas and program guidelines leads to.

Questions and tasks:

1. What is the structure of the political life of society?

2. List the main types of power. On specific examples show their relationship.

3. What main feature political power?

4. Describe the role of the political system in the life of society.

5. Between whom do political relations develop in society?

6. Illustrate with examples the main functions of the political system of society.

7. Guided by the text of the paragraph, draw up a structural and logical diagram “Political system of society.”

Political system of society- a complex, branched set of political institutions, socio-political communities, forms of interaction and relationships between them, implemented through political power.

The political system of a society can be considered narrow And wide sense.

In the narrow sense The political system of society is understood as a set of institutions (government bodies, political parties, movements, trade unions, economic structures etc.), within which it takes place political life society and political power is exercised.

In a broad sense The political system of a society should be understood as the system (sphere) of all political phenomena that exist in society.

Theories of the political system of society:

Theory of T. Parsons. It lies in the fact that society interacts as four subsystems: economic, political, social and spiritual. Each of these subsystems performs certain functions and responds to requirements that come from within or from the outside. Together they ensure the functioning of society as a whole.

The economic subsystem is responsible for realizing people's needs for consumer goods.

The function of the political subsystem is to determine collective interests and mobilize resources to achieve them. The maintenance of an established way of life, the transfer of norms, rules and values ​​to new members of society, which become important factors in motivating their behavior, are ensured by the social subsystem.

The spiritual subsystem carries out the integration of society, establishes and maintains bonds of solidarity between its elements.

D. Easton's theory. She views the political system as a mechanism for the formation and functioning of power in society regarding the distribution of resources and values. The systematic approach made it possible to more clearly define the place of politics in the life of society and identify the mechanism of social changes in it. Politics is a relatively independent sphere, the main meaning of which is the distribution of resources and the incentive to accept this distribution of values ​​between individuals and groups

G. Almond's theory. characterizes the political system, on the one hand, as the ability to carry out transformations in society while maintaining stability; on the other hand, as a set of interdependent elements, with each element of the whole (state, parties, elites) performing vital functions for the entire system. While studying comparative analysis political systems, G. Almond and D. Powell moved from studying formal institutions to considering specific manifestations of political behavior. From which they defined the political system as a set of roles and their interactions among themselves, carried out not only by government institutions, but also by all structures of society on political issues.

K. Deutsch's theory(cybernetic theory). He viewed the political system as cybernetic, in which politics was understood as a process of managing and coordinating the efforts of people to achieve their goals. The formulation of goals and their correction is carried out by the political system on the basis of information about the situation of society and its attitude to these goals: about the distance that remains to the goal; about the results of previous actions. The functioning of a political system depends on the quality of the constant flow of information coming from the external environment and information about its own movement.

Components of the political system of society:

1. Institutional (organizational)

a) states

b) social movements

c) political parties

2. Functional

a) forms and directions of political activity and political institutions

b) methods of political activity

3. Regulatory

a) political principles

b) political traditions

c) moral norms, legal norms

4. Cultural and ideological

a) political psychology

b) political ideology

c) political culture

5. Communicative – the totality of all connections between political institutions, subsystems and other spheres.

Functions of the political system of society:

1. Providing political power, defining a social group or all members of society

2. Identification and representation of the interests of various subjects of political relations

3. Satisfying the interests of various subjects of political relations

4. Integration of society, creation of conditions necessary for the implementation of political activity

5. Political socialization

The state occupies a central leading position in the political system of society, since it:

1) Acts as the only official representative of the entire people, associations within its territory, borders based on the characteristics of the state.

2) Is the sole bearer of sovereignty

3) Has a special apparatus (public power) designed to manage society; has class structures

4) Has a monopoly on lawmaking

5) Owns a specific set of material assets; own budget, currency

6) Determines the main directions of development of society

Sources:

1. TGP textbook - L.P. Rasskazova 2. lectures by M.A. Makhotenko

Political parties: concept, functions, classification. Concept and types of party systems.

A political party is a continuously operating organization, existing at both the national and local levels, aimed at obtaining and administering power and seeking for this purpose broad mass support.

Definition, according to Russian legislation. A political party is a public association created for the purpose of participation of citizens of the Russian Federation in the political life of society through the formation and expression of their political will, participation in public and political events, elections and referendums, as well as for the purpose of representing the interests of citizens in government bodies and local government bodies.

Signs.

They are public (non-state) organizations that pose the question of gaining, exercising and maintaining political power;

They are fairly stable political associations that have their own bodies, regional branches, and ordinary members;

Unites individuals based on commonality of views;

They have their own corporate acts: program and charter;

Have a fixed membership (although, for example, US parties traditionally do not have a fixed membership);

They rely on certain social strata of the population.

Functions.

1. Social. The party generally expresses and protects the interests of a particular social group and brings it to the level of state power.

2. Ideological. Development of party ideology (concepts, programs); dissemination, propaganda of ideology.

3. Political. Obtaining government power. Selection of a political leader, training of a specialist on various problems of public life, nomination of candidates for elective and non-elected positions.

4. Management. Characteristic of parties in power: they organize and direct the actions of the state, and manage various spheres of public life.

5. Electoral. Active participation in elections, organizing election campaigns, propaganda, and delivering election programs.

Party system– a set of political parties and the relationships between them.

KINDS

1. One-party (the monopoly of one party on power predominates. Characteristic of a totalitarian, authoritarian state. (Cuba)

2. Bipartisan (there is competition between two parties)

3. Multi-party (there is competition between many parties)

Political system: concept, structure and functions

Completed by a 2nd year student

12th day group

Putyatin D. G.

The concept of a political system......................................................... ....................................3

Structure of the political system......................................................... ................................7

Functions of the political system................................................................... ............................. .....10

Literature................................................. ........................................................ ...................15

“An association can be called political insofar as the forced introduction of its order is carried out constantly in a given territory through the use or threat of use of physical force by the administrative apparatus.”

Max Weber.

Concept of political system

The concept of “political system” is one of the main ones in political science and allows us to present political life, the political process in a certain integrity and stability, focusing on the structural, organizational-institutional, and functional aspects of politics.

Before revealing the concept of a political system, it is necessary to briefly dwell on the interpretation of the concept of system and determine its meaning in relation to socio-political phenomena.

The concept of a system is very broad and general. In a very broad sense, it can be defined as “interdependent elements, that is, they are so interconnected that if you change one element, then the others will also change and, therefore, the whole set will change,” wrote Ludwig von Bertalanffy. Thus, clarifying the concept is of great importance.

System (gr. systema - a whole made up of parts; connection) is a set of elements (objects, phenomena, views, knowledge, etc.) that are naturally interconnected with each other, representing a certain integral formation, unity.

The theory of systems itself actively began to take shape in the West from the end of the 19th century: a) within the framework of the so-called “general theory of systems”, mainly at the level of biological organisms (L. von Bertalanffy - the founder of the school, M. Mesarovich, A. Rappoport, W. Ashby and others); b) in cybernetics (N. Wiener, W. Ashby, St. Beer, etc.); c) in sociology (C. Cooley, G. Simmel, T. Parsons, etc.); d) in the theory of production management (F. Taylor, A. Foyol, etc.), later in “managerialism”; e) in economics (V. Leontiev).

Among domestic scientists, it should be noted A.A. Bogdanov (Malinovsky), whose works are devoted to general organizational theory. His work “Tectology” (1912), in some way a sketch of the general theory of systems, is of considerable interest today, and some of Bogdanov’s ideas were developed by cybernetics. A.A. contributed to systems theory. Gastev, P.K. Kerzhentsev, O.A. Yermansky, A.I. Berg, V.M. Glushkov.

Thus, in the development of general systems theory there are significant traditions and achievements in both foreign and domestic literature. To a lesser extent, this applies to the socio-political aspects of systems theory, although in this area it should be noted the fruitful attempts of V.G. Afanasyeva, A.K. Belykh, F.M. Burlatsky and others.

One of the first general theory T. Parsons tried to apply systems to socio-political processes, who defined the political system as a subsystem of society, the purpose of which is to determine collective goals, mobilize resources, and make decisions. But that was only the beginning. The founder of the theory of political systems is considered to be the American political scientist D. Easton.

Often, both here and in the West, there is an actual identification of the concepts of “political system” and “systemic approach” in politics. Such a mixture is not alien to such famous political scientists of the West as D. Easton, K. Deutsch, M. Duverger and others. However, it is not difficult to prove that the systems approach is one of the methodological directions in political science research and should not be confused with the political system. These are diverse categories that cannot be mixed without significant costs in terms of the quality and reliability of the research results.

Most Western political scientists understand a political system as a set of political relationships and relationships that exist in each political community. One of them belongs to D. Easton, according to whom “it is possible to identify political interactions (interactions) in a society as its political system, rather than as a government, state, power or a set of decision-making processes.” As Easton puts it, “We can characterize a political system as the behavior or set of interactions through which authoritative allocations of resources (or binding decisions) are achieved and implemented for society.” With this approach, almost any public attitude, in which the provision takes place political influence or making authoritative decisions. A political system presupposes the presence not only of a system of relations, but also, first of all, of institutional infrastructure structures on the basis of which these relations can unfold. As T. Parsons emphasized, structure constitutes the “anatomy” of a social system, and functions constitute its “physiology.” This postulate is no less true in relation to the political system.

To be fair, it should be noted that in principle, supporters of system analysis, for example G. Almond, recognize the need to highlight, when analyzing the political system, the structures that carry out political functions. But at the same time, defining a political system as “a set of interacting roles, or role structure,” Almond understood the structure as “standardization of interactions.” Based on this, he defined the political system itself as “a standardized interaction of roles influencing decisions, supported by the threat of physical coercion.” Obviously, with this approach, the question of the institutional structure, the “anatomy” of the political system, seems to lose relevance.

G. Almond proposed to understand the political system as “all types of actions related to decision-making to the adoption of political decisions in the field of state relations.

From the point of view of Ward and Makridis, the political system is a mechanism for identifying, posing problems, developing and making decisions in the field of state relations.

A number of political scientists suggest that the political system must be associated, first of all, with those subjects of political relations that are institutional in nature. And the political system itself must be considered as an institutional mechanism of politics, the various elements of which organize and normatively consolidate certain types of political relations. This is the specificity of this concept, which gives it the right to exist. In this case, we must proceed from the fact that power relations in modern society are implemented mainly through political institutions. Miller

The first historical form of such institutions is the state. Subsequently, political parties emerged, which are also institutional in nature. Similar characteristics are possessed by those public organizations and movements, at least one aspect of whose activities is related to political-power relations. The institutional basis of all of them is the primary subjects of politics.

Of course, the political life of society is not limited to the activities of political institutional structures; it includes the entire set of relations that develop between social actors regarding the conquest and use of political power.

Thus, in their opinion, the political system of society can be defined as a complex of relevant institutions (state, parties, public associations) that develop between political subjects of relations and political and legal norms regulating these relations. This approach to understanding the political system is also characteristic of a number of foreign authors, including the American political scientist Michael Parenti. By political system he means various bodies of state power, as well as political parties, legislation, individuals and groups of representatives of private interests that influence state power.

Structure of the political system

There is no consensus among political scientists regarding the structure of the political system.

The literature notes that the political system is a dialectical unity of four sides:

1) institutional (state, political parties, socio-economic and other organizations that together form the political organization of society);

2) regulatory (law, political norms and traditions, some moral norms, etc.);

3) functional (methods of political activity that form the basis of the political regime);

4) ideological (political consciousness, primarily the dominant ideology in a given society).

Soloviev A.I. as fundamental structural components political system identifies the following:

Institutional, revealing the most characteristic ways of articulation and aggregation of social interests for a given society; type of formation of political associations, parties, interest groups; set of institutions, structures and organizations involved in competition for power; features of the electoral system, political system etc.;

Normative, characterizing the type of decision-making established in society; prevailing methods of political coercion; forms of state control over decisions made; technologies for public control over government; features of the constitutional and judicial systems; principles and norms of political ethics, etc.;

Informational, demonstrating the type of cultural language accepted in society; traditions, customs, symbols, rituals used to ensure the political process; features of political semantics, forms of interpersonal and intergroup communication, etc.

There is another structure of the political system of society proposed by Melnik V.A. It includes the following elements in the structure of the political system: the state, political parties, public organizations and movements, political and legal norms.

Melnik V.A. identifies several properties of the state that give it the status of the main component of the political system: firstly, it is the state’s right to use physical coercion, for which it has special bodies at its disposal; secondly, the universality of the state’s influence on its citizens, the binding nature of its orders for all members of society.

Political parties are not directly government bodies. They act as amateur organizations of certain classes, social groups and strata of society and have an indirect influence on the functioning of the institutions of political power. However, without a doubt, the main purpose of a political party is to achieve political power, to fight for control over the organs of the state in order to realize the interests of social strata represented by the party. The party takes part in the development of the country's political course and its implementation, influences the nomination of state leaders and the formation of representative institutions. Parties are the main source of personnel for legislative, executive and judicial bodies.

A specific role in the political system belongs to public organizations and movements. Both are voluntary associations of citizens whose activities are aimed at achieving certain group or public goals. An example of such associations are national movements, professional, youth, veterans, business unions and other societies and associations. In essence, the church is also a social organization. Political role each of these associations is expressed in influencing the course of election campaigns, as well as pressure on political parties and state bodies. Some of the public associations tend to turn into political parties, as happened, for example, with popular fronts in the countries of the former USSR.

Political and legal norms play the role of a regulatory element of the political system; they are designed to streamline the relations between various political subjects - both primary and secondary. A political norm is a pattern, an inculcation, a principle of activity, recognized by the subject of politics and which he follows in practice. There are various political norms: formal and informal, oral and written, explicit and latent, universal and private. Adopted in the prescribed manner, recorded on paper and mandatory for social subjects, political norms are at the same time legal norms. The set of political and legal norms developed by a given society ensures a certain consistency, consistency and predictability in the actions of political subjects. Thanks to them, the integrity and relative stability of the political system of society itself is maintained.

Functions of the political system

It should be noted that among political scientists there is a significant range of opinions in understanding the functions of the political system. Apparently, this is a reflection of the fact that these functions are not constant, they change as the historical situation develops.

One of the important characteristics of a political system is its consideration as a management system designed to flexibly adapt to the changing conditions of social development. The vital activity of a political system is manifested in the process of performing its functions with the help of certain methods and means that reflect the specific historical situation.

The functions of a political system determine its structure, institutions and process of action. IN scientific research functions, however, are highlighted very rarely. Perhaps this is because. That the disclosure of the nature of the political system, designed to embody the power of the class, the people and achieve the satisfaction of class and public interests, is recognized as sufficient to express the direction of its activities. But this is not enough, since this approach does not fully reveal the meaningfulness of the action of the system as a whole. After all, functional-purpose unity serves as one of its defining characteristics.

Determining the functions of a political system is not a simple matter, since it is impossible to mechanically transfer the functions of its component parts to the functions as a whole, because the former have their own set of functions.

In connection with the study of the functional aspects of the development of a political system, it is necessary to clarify the very concept of “function”. It is commonly used in three senses: as a definition of a task, as an activity, and as a result or contribution. An adequate definition of the concept “function” is to characterize it as a property of a substance that finds its manifestation in a certain type of activity.

All social systems, according to T. Parsons, have four common basic functions: the system must correspond to its “model”, especially in the aspect of governance and the king over society; she must adapt and regulate her relationships with external environment and other systems; it must integrate its functions and tasks, i.e. determine the relationships between its constituent elements; the system, having specific goals, must do everything to achieve these goals, namely: formulate them, implement appropriate measures, and orient the population towards them.

In this regard, according to B.I. Krasnov, the main functions of the political system as a whole are the following:

Determining the goals and objectives of society, developing activity programs in accordance with the interests of the country's citizens. Goals can be: immediate, intermediate and final (according to the time of implementation); economic, social, political, ideological (in content). Aimless politics is a crisis in the development of society;

Mobilization of resources and organization of society’s activities to achieve its goals and objectives;

Strengthening the unity of society;

Distribution of values ​​in accordance with the interests of the entire society and individual social groups, nations, each person;

Conflict resolution. Any political authority that has a monopoly on legal coercion is born out of the need to deal with conflict.

Speaking about the functions of the political system, we are actually talking about the “work” of the political system, its functioning.

One of the generally accepted classifications of the functions of the political system was presented by G. Almond and J. Powell. They identified by importance those functions, each of which satisfies a specific need of the system, and together they ensure “preservation of the system through its change.”

Preservation or maintenance of the existing model of the political system is carried out through the function of political socialization. Political socialization is the process of acquiring political knowledge, beliefs, feelings, and values ​​inherent in the society in which a person lives. Introducing the individual to political values, following the standards of political behavior accepted in society. A loyal attitude to government institutions ensures the maintenance of the existing model of the political system. The stability of a political system is achieved if its functioning is based on principles that correspond to the political culture of society. Thus, American political culture is based on a number of myths, ideals and ideas that are recognized by the majority of the country's population despite religious and racial differences. Among them is an attitude towards one’s country as God’s chosen one, which provides a person with a unique opportunity for self-realization or an orientation towards personal success, giving the confidence that one can escape from poverty and achieve wealth only by relying on one’s abilities, etc.

The viability of the system is ensured by its ability to adapt to environment, its capabilities. The adaptation function can be carried out through political recruitment - the preparation and selection of government officials (leaders, elites) who are able to find the most effective ways to solve current problems and offer them to society.

The response function is no less important. Thanks to this function, the political system responds to impulses and signals coming from outside or from within it. Highly developed responsiveness allows the system to quickly adapt to changing operating conditions. This is especially important when new demands of groups and parties appear, ignoring which can lead to disintegration and collapse of society.

The political system is able to effectively respond to emerging demands if it has the resources. It draws these resources from internal or external economic, natural, etc. environment. This function is called extraction. The resulting resources must be distributed in such a way as to ensure integration and harmony of interests of various groups within society. Consequently, the distribution of goods, services and statuses by a political system constitutes the content of its distributive (distributive) function.

Finally, the political system influences society through management and coordination of the behavior of individuals and groups. The managerial actions of the political system express the essence of the regulatory function. It is implemented by introducing norms and rules on the basis of which individuals and groups interact, as well as through the application of administrative and other measures against violators of the rules.

Literature

Krasnov B.I. Political system // Social and political journal. – 1995. - No. 5. – P. 67 – 80

Chirkin V.E. Global models of political systems of modern society: indicators of effectiveness // State and Law. 1992. No. 5. P. 83.

Jean-Marie Denquin “Political Science” Publishing House MN EPU Moscow 1993

Fundamentals of the theory of the political system. – M., 1985. – 248 S.

Soloviev A.I. Political Science: Political Theory, Political Technologies: Textbook for Universities. – M.: Aspect Press, 2001.–559 pp.

G.A. Belov "Political Science". Textbook Benefit. – M.: CheRo, 1996

Mukhaev R.T. Political science: a textbook for universities. Second edition. – M.: PRIOR Publishing House, 2001. – 432 p.

Melnik V.A. Political Science: Textbook. – Minsk, 1996. – 479 p.

K.S. Gadzhiev Political Science A manual for teachers, graduate students, and students humanities faculties. Moscow 1994

See: Jean-Marie Denquin “Political Science” Publishing House MN EPU Moscow 1993

See: Krasnov B.I. Political system // Socio-political magazine. – 1995. - No. 5. – P. 67 – 80

See: K.S. Gadzhiev Political Science A manual for teachers, graduate students, and students of humanities faculties. Moscow 1994

See: G.A. Belov "Political Science". Textbook Benefit. – M.: CheRo, 1996

See for example: Melnik V.A. Political Science: Textbook. – Minsk, 1996. – 479 p.

See for example: Chirkin V.E. Global models of political systems of modern society: indicators of effectiveness // State and Law. 1992. No. 5. P. 83.

See: Soloviev A.I. Political science: Political theory, political technologies: Textbook for universities. – M.: Aspect Press, 2001.–559 pp.

See: Melnik V.A. Political Science: Textbook. – Minsk, 1996. – 479 p.

See: Fundamentals of the theory of the political system. – M., 1985. – 248 S.

See: Krasnov B.I. Political system // Socio-political magazine. – 1995. - No. 5. – P. 67 – 80

See: Mukhaev R.T. Political science: a textbook for universities. Second edition. – M.: PRIOR Publishing House, 2001. – 432 p.