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What is a political regime? Regimes of government, main political regimes: features, brief description

Political regime is a term that first appears in the works of Socrates, Plato and other ancient Greek philosophers. Aristotle distinguished between right and wrong modes. He classified the first type as monarchy, aristocracy, and polity. To the second - tyranny, oligarchy, democracy.

What is a political regime?

It is a way of organizing a political system. It reflects the attitude towards government and society, the level of freedom, and the nature of the prevailing political orientation. These characteristics depend on various factors: traditions, culture, conditions, historical component. Therefore, different states cannot have two absolutely similar regimes.

The formation of a political regime occurs due to the interaction of a huge number of institutions and processes:

  • the degree of intensity of various social processes;
  • form of administrative-territorial structure;
  • type of power and management behavior;
  • systemicity and organization of the ruling elite;
  • the presence of correct interaction between the bureaucratic apparatus and society.

Institutional and sociological approaches to defining

The institutional approach brings together and merges the political regime with the concept of a form of government, political system. Because of this, it becomes part of constitutional law. It is more typical for the French state. Previously, within the framework of this approach, three main groups of modes were distinguished:

  • mergers - absolute monarchy;
  • divisions - presidential republic;
  • cooperation - parliamentary republic.

Over time, this classification became additional, since it largely defined only government structures.

The sociological approach is distinguished by its emphasis on social foundations. With it, the concept of regime is considered more comprehensively, suggesting a balance in the relationship between the state and society. The regime is based on a system of social connections. For this reason, modes change and are measured not only on paper. The process requires interaction and movement of social foundations.

Structure and main characteristics of the political regime

The structure consists of the power-political organization and its structural elements, political parties, public organizations. It is formed under the influence of political norms and cultural characteristics in their functional aspect. In relation to the state, one cannot speak of a conventional structure. Primary importance is given to the relationships between its elements, the methods of forming power, the relationship of the ruling elite with ordinary people, creating prerequisites for the realization of the rights and freedoms of every person.

Based on structural elements The main features of the legal regime can be identified:

  • ratio different types authorities, central government and local government;
  • the position and role of various public organizations;
  • political stability of society;
  • operating procedures of law enforcement and punitive agencies.

One of the important characteristics of the regime is its legitimacy. It means that laws, the Constitution, and legal acts are the basis for making any decisions. Any regime, including tyrannical ones, can be based on this characteristic. Therefore, today legitimacy is the recognition of the regime by the masses, based on their beliefs about which political system of society meets their beliefs and interests to a greater extent.

Types of political regimes

Varieties of political regimes huge amount. But in modern research, the emphasis is on three main types:

  • totalitarian;
  • authoritarian;
  • democratic.

Totalitarian

Under it, such a policy is formed so that it is possible to exercise absolute control over all aspects of the life of society and the person as a whole. He, like the authoritarian type, belongs to the non-democratic group. Main task power - to subordinate the way of life of people to one undividedly dominant idea, to organize power so that all the conditions for this are created in the state.

  • The difference between a totalitarian regime is ideology. It always has its own “Bible”. The main features include:
  • Official ideology. She completely denies a different order in the country. It is needed to unite citizens and build a new society.
  • Monopoly on power of a single mass party. The latter practically absorbs any other structures, beginning to perform their functions.
  • Control over the media. This is one of the main disadvantages, since the information provided is censored. Total control is observed in relation to all means of communication.
  • Centralized control of the economy and a system of bureaucratic management.

Totalitarian regimes can change and evolve. If the latter appears, then we are talking about a post-totalitarian regime, when the previously existing structure loses some of its elements and becomes more blurred and weaker. Examples of totalitarianism are Italian fascism, Chinese Maoism, and German National Socialism.

Authoritarian

This type is characterized by a monopoly on power of one party, person, or institution. Unlike the previous type, authoritarianism does not have a common ideology for everyone. Citizens are not subject to repression just because they are opponents of the regime. You don’t have to support the existing system of power; it’s enough to simply tolerate it.

With this type, there is different regulation of different aspects of life. Characteristic is the deliberate depoliticization of the masses. This means that they know little about the political situation in the country and practically do not take part in resolving issues.

If under totalitarianism the center of power is one party, under authoritarianism the state is recognized as the highest value. Class, estate and other differences are preserved and maintained among people.

The main features include:

  • ban on the work of the opposition;
  • centralized monistic power structure;
  • maintaining limited pluralism;
  • lack of possibility of non-violent change of ruling structures;
  • using structures to maintain power.

It is believed in society that an authoritarian regime always implies the use of rigid systems of political government, which uses coercive and forceful methods to regulate any processes. Therefore, important political institutions are the security forces and any means of ensuring political stability.

Democratic political regime

It is associated with freedom, equality, justice. In a democratic regime, all human rights are respected. This is its main advantage. Democracy is democracy. It can be called a political regime only if the legislative power was elected by the people.

The state provides its citizens with broad rights and freedoms. It is not limited only to their proclamation, but also provides the basis for them and establishes constitutional guarantees. Thanks to this, freedoms become not only formal, but also real.

The main features of a democratic political regime:

  1. The presence of a Constitution that would meet the demands of the people.
  2. Sovereignty: the people elect their representatives, can change them, and exercise control over the activities of the state. structures.
  3. The rights of individuals and minorities are protected. The majority opinion is a necessary but not sufficient condition.

In a democratic system there is equality of rights of citizens in government management. systems. Any political parties and associations can be created to express their will. In such a regime, the rule of law is understood as the supreme authority of law. In a democracy, political decisions are always alternative, and the legislative procedure is clear and balanced.

Other types of political regimes

The three types considered are the most popular. Today you can find republics and countries in which other regimes persist and prevail: military dictatorship, democracy, aristocracy, ochlocracy, tyranny.

Some political scientists, characterizing modern undemocratic regimes, focus on hybrid types. Especially those that combine democracy and authoritarianism. In this direction, individual provisions are legitimized using various democratic procedures. The peculiarity is that the latter are under the control of the ruling elites. Subtypes include dictatorship and democracy. The first occurs when liberalization is carried out without democratization; the ruling elite is humbled by some individual and civil rights without accountability to society.

In democracy, democratization occurs without liberalization. This means that elections, multi-party systems and political competition are possible only to the extent that they do not threaten the ruling elite.

Each state consistently and gradually moves from one type of regime to another.

State (political) regimes, depending on the set of methods and means of state power, are divided into democratic and anti-democratic.

Democratic regime - this is the way to implement state power, the characteristic features of which are: the formation of government bodies by election; political pluralism, guaranteed existence of political rights and freedoms of citizens.

The concept of “democracy” means, as is well known, democracy, the power of the people. However, the situation in which all the people would exercise political power, but has not yet been implemented anywhere. It is rather an ideal, something that everyone should strive for.

Signs of a democratic regime:

· recognition of the people as the main source of state power;

· freedom of enterprise and recognition of private property;

· real guarantee of human rights and freedoms;

· exercise of state power based on the principle of separation of powers;

· decentralization of state power;

· a real opportunity for citizens to participate in the formation of state bodies and control over their activities;

· absence of a generally binding official ideology, multi-party system, freedom of opinion and belief;

· presence of legal opposition.

The types of democratic regime are:

1. Liberal democratic regime.

Exists in those countries where there are market relations. Examples include the industrialized countries of Europe and the United States. This regime is now being established in Russia. A liberal state not only proclaims rights and freedoms, but also promotes their enjoyment. In a liberal state there are many parties of various political orientations, including opposition ones. Government bodies are formed on the basis of free elections, when each person is given the right to express his opinion regarding a particular candidate.

State power is exercised on the basis of the principle of separation of powers into legislative, executive and judicial. This is what reduces the possibility of abuse of power.

2. Proper democratic regime.

This is a more developed and freer regime for people. The Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway) have come close to it. The main distinctive features of such a regime are: the solution of many state issues by taking into account the opinions of the people expressed in referendums, during polls, with the help of popular initiatives; high level life, humanism and morality of people.

Anti-democratic regimes.

Among the anti-democratic regimes most often called totalitarian and authoritarian.

1. Totalitarian regime.

The term “totalitarian” translated from Latin means “whole”, “whole”, “complete” was introduced into political circulation by B. Mussolini in 1925 to characterize the fascist movement. Like a political regime totalitarianism represents comprehensive state control over the population, all forms and spheres of social life and is based on the systematic use of violence or the threat of its use.

The totalitarian regime existed in the former USSR, now in Cuba, North Korea, and Iraq. The essence of a totalitarian regime is manifested in the control of power over all aspects of human life. Not only a person’s views on the social order are controlled, but even his personal life. And if a person’s beliefs do not coincide with the guidelines of the authorities, then coercive measures are applied to him. Let us remember that, for example, Alexander Solzhenitsyn served a sentence in Stalin’s camps only because he wrote a letter to a friend from the front, where he doubted the correctness of Stalin’s policies.

The center of a totalitarian system is the leader. His position is akin to divine. He is declared to be the wisest and most infallible, fair, constantly thinking about the good of the people.

IN totalitarian state a person is limited in his rights and freedoms, although formally they can be proclaimed in the constitution.

Fascism is considered a type of totalitarianism. Its characteristic feature is the oppression of people on ethnic grounds.

Signs of a totalitarian regime:

· ideologization of all public life on the basis of the official ideology for the entire country;

· intolerance of dissent;

· monopoly on information;

· suppression of human individuality, mass terror against the population;

· merger of the state and party apparatus;

· centralization of power (often headed by a leader);

· denial of private life and private property, dominant position of state property.

Such a regime is considered more “democratic” compared to a totalitarian one. Its main specificity is that the state is led by a narrow circle - ruling elite, which is headed by a leader and enjoys great privileges and benefits. Such a regime existed in the USSR during the reign of L. Brezhnev and M. Gorbachev.

Under an authoritarian regime, the authorities do not so openly trample on human rights and freedoms. For example, the authorities did not dare to imprison academician Andrei Sakharov for his views, in particular for his condemnation of the war in Afghanistan. A. Sakharov was exiled to the city of Gorky, where he lived in an ordinary city apartment, but under the constant control of the KGB, without the right to leave the city.

Under authoritarianism, a parliament may exist, but it does not play any role in the state. In reality, public life is directed by the party (religious) leadership. The decisions of the central government do not take into account the opinion of the people, and therefore coercion must be used to implement them. That is why in such a state the power of punitive agencies (police, security agencies) and the army is strong.

· the power of the elite is not limited by law;

· the people are removed from government and cannot control the activities of the ruling elite;

· V political life the existence of a multi-party system is allowed, but there are really no opposition parties;

· the presence of spheres free from political control - the economy and private life. The political sphere is mainly subject to control;

· priority of state interests over personal interests.

In addition to the above types of anti-democratic regimes, there are other types:

3. Despotic regime.

It existed, for example, in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs, in Babylon, in Assyria, in Russia under Ivan the Terrible.

In despotism, power is exercised exclusively by one person. The despot entrusts some administrative affairs to another person who enjoys special confidence in him (for example, a vizier in the East). The will of the despot is arbitrary, and sometimes autocracy borders on tyranny. The main thing in a despotic state is obedience, fulfillment of the will of the ruler.

Under despotism, any independence, discontent, indignation and disagreement of the ruled are brutally suppressed. The sanctions applied in this case shock the imagination with their severity (hanging in the square, stoning, burning, quartering, wheeling, etc.). The authorities strive for visibility in the application of punishment in order to sow fear and ensure obedience.

A despotic regime is characterized by complete lack of rights for its subjects.

4. Tyrannical regime.

Based on individual rule and characterized by the presence of a governor. Typically, tyranny was established in the process of territorial conquests (Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, etc.), accompanied not only by physical and moral violence against people, but also violence against the religion and customs of the people. Thus, in the Ottoman Empire, a part of the population that opposed the spread of Islam was literally slaughtered.

The power of a tyrant is cruel. In an effort to suppress resistance and sow fear among the population, he executes not only for expressed disobedience, but also for discovered intent in this regard. Tyrannical power is perceived by the people as oppression, and the tyrant is perceived as an oppressor, a tormentor.

5.Military regime.

This is a political regime in which the head of the state is a military group (junta), which gained its power as a result of a coup d'etat.

Political regime is a system of methods, methods and means of implementation political power. Any changes occurring in the essence of the state of this type, first of all, are reflected in his regime, and he influences the form of government and the form of government.

The concept of a political regime is key to the formation of ideas about the main systems of power. Based on it, they judge the true picture of the principles of organization of the political structure of society. The political regime characterizes a certain political climate existing in a particular country during a specific period of its historical development.

Signs of a political regime:

The degree of participation of the people in the mechanisms of formation of political power, as well as the very methods of such formation;

The relationship between the rights and freedoms of man and citizen with the rights of the state;

Guaranteed rights and freedoms of the individual;

Characteristics of real mechanisms for exercising power in society;

The degree to which political power is exercised directly by the people;

The position of the media, the degree of openness in society and transparency of the state apparatus;

The place and role of non-state structures in the political system of society;

The nature of legal regulation (stimulating, restrictive) in relation to citizens and officials;

The nature of political leadership;

Taking into account the interests of the minority when making political decisions;

The dominance of certain methods (persuasion, coercion, etc.) in the exercise of political power;

The degree of rule of law in all spheres of public life;

Political and legal position and role in society of the “power” structures of the state (army, police, state security agencies, etc.);

A measure of political pluralism, including multi-party system;

The existence of real mechanisms for attracting people to political and legal liability officials, including the most senior ones.

The overwhelming number of state scientists do not classify the political regime as a form of state, but consider it a separate institution. A political regime can completely, fundamentally distort the form of government, therefore this is the most important manifestation of the essence of the state. All modes are divided into: democratic And undemocratic.

Concept "democracy" means democracy, the power of the people. However, a situation in which the entire people would exercise political power has not yet been realized anywhere. It is rather an ideal, something to strive for. Meanwhile, there are a number of states that have done more in this direction than others (Germany, France, Sweden, the USA, Switzerland, England) and which other states often focus on.


Signs of a democratic regime:

1. The population participates in the exercise of state power through direct power (when citizens, for example, in a referendum directly make decisions on the most important issues public life) and representative democracy (when the people exercise their power through representative bodies elected by them);

2. Decisions are made by the majority, taking into account the interests of the minority;

3. Election and turnover of central and local government bodies, their accountability to voters, transparency;

4. Methods of persuasion, agreement, and compromise dominate;

5. Law reigns in all spheres of public life;

6. The rights and freedoms of man and citizen are proclaimed and actually ensured;

7. Political pluralism, including multi-party system;

8. Separation of powers.

9. Developed cultural level people, readiness for cooperation, compromise and agreement.

Democratic regimes are divided into: bourgeois-democratic, social-democratic, patriarchal-democratic, liberal-democratic regime.

Signs bourgeois-democratic regimes:

1. The supremacy of the constitution and parliament.

2. Multi-party system (parties must be developed).

3. Diversity of forms of ownership (leading - private).

4. Introduction of a system of separation of powers into the entire state mechanism.

5. The presence in the constitution of an extensive system of democratic rights and freedoms.

6. Pluralism of ideology and pluralism of expression.

Signs social democratic regime the same as that of the bourgeois-democratic one, the difference is one, but significant: in such countries the main emphasis is on social protection individuals, for the implementation of enormous social programs, in pure form this regime exists only in Sweden.

Patriarchal-democratic regime(Kuwait, Brunei, Swaziland, Bhutan) - customs and traditions prevail as sources of law.

Liberal democratic regime - weakly progressive. Liberal values ​​are the protection of human rights, a priority universal human values, integration with the world. The state with such a political regime is headed by the intelligentsia and carries out progressive reforms, but there are no material and financial means to realize national interests. Such a political regime exists in Namibia and India.

Non-democratic political regimes:totalitarian, authoritarian, fascism. The main difference between non-democratic regimes and democratic ones is that there is absolute dominance of the executive branch over the legislative branch.

The concept " totalitarianism"in the literal sense of the word means "whole", "whole", "complete". In each of the countries where a political totalitarian regime arose and developed, it had its own specifics. At the same time there is common features, inherent in all forms of totalitarianism and reflecting its essence. Totalitarian regime characterized by absolute state control over all areas of public life, the complete subordination of a person to political power and the dominant ideology (a state of a purely fascist type).

Signs:

1. In the process of regime formation, the nature of the law changes, which is considered as a form of expression of violence. The expansion of power was facilitated by the creation of a huge state apparatus. Power is usurped either by one person or by a small group of people.

2. Unification and ideologization of public life. There are no independent public organizations - children's, youth, adults.

3. State-bureaucratic monopoly in the economy: the absence of private property leads to the fact that the state is the only employer.

4. Declarative nature and limited rights and freedoms of a citizen. Totalitarianism is based on statism; the source of rights and freedoms is the state, which grants rights and freedoms in accordance with its goals.

5. Violence and terror as a means of control.

6. Isolation from the outside world.

In turn, the totalitarian regime is divided into:

Tyranny- power belongs to one who creates the laws himself, but does not obey them. The army and the punitive apparatus play a big role.

Dictatorship- power in the state belongs to a certain estate or class; all other layers of society are declared hostile, legality is replaced by expediency. Examples are the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, the Jacobin Dictatorship, the Paris Commune.

Military dictatorship- the state is headed by the highest command ranks and the entire economy is subordinated to the development of the military complex. Such regimes existed in Japan and Greece.

Junta(Chile) - the state is headed by the military, but the government is created from the rest of society (liberal government).

Personality cult- extreme degree of totalitarianism, genocide of one’s own people is carried out, a combination of repressive methods, persecution of dissidents. Such regimes existed in the USSR (Stalin), China (Mao Zedong), Yugoslavia (Bros Tito), Turkmenistan (Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov), etc.

Racist political regime- at the head of the state are representatives of one race or nation. According to the ideology of racism, there is a struggle between races until the superior race defeats the inferior. Society is divided into certain racial groups.

Theocratic (religious regime)- such a regime poses a huge threat to its own people and other peoples and countries. The head of state is also the head of the church (the king in Saudi Arabia). In the country state religion only one, the rest are prohibited under threat death penalty(Afghanistan, Iran). The sources of constitutional law are the sacred scriptures and traditions (Koran, Sunna, Vedas, Bible, Torah). Role judicial law(V in a broad sense) fulfills canon law. Special religious courts are being created. Special religious spiritual punitive bodies are being created.

Regime of nomenklatura democracy- this regime has established itself throughout the entire post-Soviet space, with the exception of the Baltic countries and Turkmenistan.

Fascism- a regime in which the state ideology is extreme nationalism, manifested in the fact that the state has decided to take care of the prosperity of its nation at the expense of the destruction and enslavement of other states. The consequence is genocide against Gypsies, Jews, Slavs, who were subject to physical destruction. Repressions are not directed within the country, as with the cult of personality, but against other countries and peoples.

The state is headed by a leader (the Fuhrer, Duce, etc.), and there is a party system (with the exception of Japan during the Second World War). In fascist states, the party and state apparatus completely merge. The role of representative government bodies is reduced to nothing. All power is exercised by the leader and his apparatus. A simplified legal procedure is being introduced, i.e. coercion is carried out not by a permanent court, but by emergency bodies.

Authoritarian regime- a state-political structure of society in which political power is exercised by a specific person (class, party, elite group, etc.) with minimal participation of the people.

Main characteristics this mode constitutes authoritarianism as a method of power and control, as a variety public relations(for example, Spain during the reign of Franco, Chile during the reign of Pinochet), Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Cameroon, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, etc. - today. An authoritarian regime can be seen as a kind of “compromise” between totalitarian and democratic political regimes

Signs:

1. In the center and locally, there is a concentration of power in the hands of one or several closely interconnected bodies, while simultaneously alienating the people from the real levers of state power;

2. The principle of separation of powers into legislative, executive and judicial is ignored (often the president and executive and administrative bodies subordinate all other bodies to themselves and are endowed with legislative and judicial powers);

3. The court acts as an auxiliary body, along with which extra-judicial authorities can be used;

4. The scope of the principles of election has been narrowed or eliminated government agencies and officials;

5. Command and administrative methods dominate as methods of public administration, while at the same time there is no terror, mass repressions, harsh violent methods of exercising political power are practically not used;

6. Partial censorship remains, there is no complete total control over all spheres of public life, as under a totalitarian political regime;

7. There is no single ideology.

8. There is partial pluralism, opposition is not allowed, only an imitation of a multi-party system can exist;

9. The rights and freedoms of man and citizen are mainly proclaimed, but are not actually ensured in their entirety (primarily in the political sphere);

10. The individual is deprived of security guarantees in relations with the authorities;

11. Security forces are practically uncontrollable by society and are sometimes used for purely political purposes;

12. The role of the leader is high, but unlike totalitarianism, he is not charismatic.

Questions about forms also worried the ancient Greeks. History during this time has accumulated enormous material for highlighting different forms and types of political regimes. Their features, classification criteria and options will be discussed in the article.

Form of government

State power is necessary for society to function successfully. Society is not capable of self-organization, therefore it always delegates power and management functions to someone. Even ancient philosophers discovered that forms of government can be: the power of one, the power of a few, or the power of many or the majority. Each form has various options. The form of government, the form of regime are links in one chain. The form of government determines the characteristics of political and administrative management in the country, which, in turn, can be implemented in different political regimes. A form of government is a way of organizing a system of government. It determines the nature and characteristics of the political process in the country. The first traditional forms of government are monarchy and republic. Moreover, each of them allows you to set different modes of government. These are despotic, aristocratic, absolutist, authoritarian, military-bureaucratic, totalitarian, fascist and many others. The state regime depends on the influence of many factors, primarily on who holds power. The role of the individual in government is extremely high.

The concept of a political regime

Plato was the first to think about the existence of a political regime. In accordance with his idealistic ideas, he assumed that there is an ideal state structure where governance is carried out by philosopher-sages. All other modes differ in the degree of proximity and distance from this model. In the broadest sense, a political or state regime is the distribution of real power and influence in society. It is the way a political system exists and functions that makes a country unique and different from other states. The formation of a political regime is influenced by numerous elements of the political system: norms, relationships, culture, institutions. A narrower understanding implies that a regime of government is a specific way of exercising state power.

Forms of government and political regimes are determined by the culture and traditions of the country, historical conditions existence of the state. It is generally accepted that each country has its own form of government, but they have common, universal features that make it possible to create their classification.

Principles of classification of political regimes

It is customary to classify political regimes taking into account the following criteria:

  • the degree and forms of participation of the people in the administration of the country and in the formation of political power;
  • the place of non-state structures in the governance of the country;
  • the degree of guarantee of individual rights and freedoms;
  • the presence of opposition in the country and the attitude of the authorities towards it;
  • the situation with freedom of speech in the country, the position of the media, the degree of transparency of the actions of political structures;
  • methods of power;
  • situation in the country security forces, their rights and restrictions;
  • degree political activity population of the country.

Types of modes

History has accumulated a great deal of experience in governing countries; today we can count at least 150 types of political regimes. Aristotle's ancient classification proposes to distinguish types of regimes according to two criteria: on the basis of ownership of power and on the basis of ways of using power. These signs allowed him to talk about such types of political regimes as monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, tyranny.

This system of typology of political regimes today has become significantly more complicated and according to the most different criteria different types can be distinguished. The simplest classification is the division of all varieties into democratic and non-democratic, and within them various varieties are identified. An attempt to take into account a larger number of existing modes led to their division into basic and additional. The first include despotic, totalitarian, authoritarian, liberal and democratic. The second category includes tyrannical and fascist. Later typologies also include such intermediate types as military-bureaucratic, sultanistic, anarchic, as well as several types of authoritarianism: corporate, pre-totalitarian, postcolonial.

A more complex classification also suggests adding the following to the already named types: dictatorship, meritocracy, kleptocracy, ochlocracy, plutocracy, feudalism, timocracy, military dictatorship, post-totalitarianism. Surely some other types can be distinguished, since each state adapts existing regime models to its own characteristics and conditions.

Government structure and regime of government

Any regimes of government in specific states cannot exist in their pure form. Traditionally, there are three types of government: federation, unitary state and confederation. Most often, there are unitary states in which the entire territory of the country is subject to a single system of government, one constitution and centralized management of all administrative units. At the same time, unitary states can have a democratic regime of government or an authoritarian one. But it is much easier to establish authoritarian and even totalitarian management models in them. But each time it will be a unique interpretation of the regime.

For example, Japan and Great Britain are examples of a unitary state ruled by the highest representative of a monarchical family. But each state implements forms of representative democracy to varying degrees. Also in unitary states a special regime for managing certain territories can be established. A federation unites several units with relative independence under a single command. The Confederation unites sovereign administrative entities that delegate to authorities general board only part of the functions of government. At the same time, the federation is more predisposed to democratic regimes, since several people should always unite in its rule. There is no such clear pattern in confederations, and internal modes may be different in subjects.

The concept and origins of totalitarianism

Traditionally, researchers identify totalitarian, democratic and as the main types of methods of exercising political power in the state. Totalitarianism is an extreme form. Historians say that totalitarianism as a harsh version of dictatorship arises in the 20th century, although there are points of view that the term was simply invented then, and such political regimes of government existed earlier.

Researchers say that totalitarianism is based on the media, which become the main tool for spreading ideology. Totalitarianism is understood as absolute control and regulation by the state of all aspects of life, of every individual resident of the country through direct armed violence. Historically, the emergence of this regime is associated with the reign in Italy in the 20s of the 20th century, also striking examples the implementation of this form of government is considered to be Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union. A well-known study by Z. Brzezinski is devoted to the study of totalitarianism, who writes that such regimes can be recognized by the following characteristics:

  • dominates the country official ideology, which is shared by the majority of citizens, opponents of the ideology are subjected to severe persecution up to and including physical destruction;
  • the state establishes strict control over the actions and thoughts of citizens, police surveillance is called upon to look for “enemies of the people” for subsequent demonstrative reprisals against them in order to intimidate the population;
  • the main principle in such countries: only what is recognized by the official authorities is allowed, everything else is prohibited;
  • there are restrictions on the freedom to receive information, there is strict control over the dissemination of information, the media are subject to strict censorship, there can be no talk of freedom of speech;
  • bureaucracy in all spheres of managing the life of society;
  • one-party system: in countries with such a regime there can only be a ruling party, all others are persecuted;
  • militarization of the country, its military power is constantly increasing, the image of an external enemy is being formed, from which it is necessary to defend;
  • terror and repression as tools for instilling fear;
  • economics.

Surprisingly, totalitarianism can be built on the basis of democracy or on the basis of authoritarianism. The second case is more frequent; an example of total democracy can be the Soviet Union during late Stalinism, when the system of total surveillance and repression involved large number residents of the country.

Features of an authoritarian regime

When describing the regimes of government, one should dwell on more detailed description their main varieties. Totalitarian, democratic and authoritarian regimes are the three leading options. Authoritarianism occupies an intermediate place between totalitarian and democratic system board. Authoritarianism is a non-democratic regime, which refers to the concentration of unlimited power in the hands of one or a few people. The main difference from totalitarianism is the absence of strong military pressure on the inhabitants of the country.

  • a monopoly on state power is established, which cannot be transferred to other people or groups in any case other than a coup;
  • ban or severe restrictions on the existence of opposition;
  • strict centralization of the vertical of power;
  • delegation of power based on the principles of kinship or co-optation;
  • strengthening security forces to maintain power;
  • isolation of the population from the opportunity to participate in the process of governing the country.

Military bureaucracy

The group of military regimes is a variant of authoritarian and totalitarian models. A military-bureaucratic regime is a one-party regime with a prominent leader whose power is ensured by military forces. Most often it is customary to talk about communist varieties of such regimes. The main features of military bureaucracy are:

  • the dominant role of the military and security forces in ensuring the execution of government decisions;
  • the presence of a special system of control over the life of society;
  • violence and terror as the main instruments of subjugation and motivation of the population;
  • legislative chaos and arbitrariness;
  • officially proclaimed dominant ideology in the complete absence of opposition.

Tyranny and despotism

An ancient form of totalitarianism is despotic power. Such a regime existed, for example, in Ancient Egypt. The power in this case belongs to one person who received it by right of inheritance. A despot has exclusive power and may not in any way correlate his actions with the laws and norms of the country. All outbursts of disagreement with his policies are severely punished, including the use of cruel show executions and torture. Tyrannical regimes of government are distinguished by the fact that power comes to one person as a result of a military coup. At the same time, the managerial characteristics of a tyrant are close to the behavior of a despot. The power of tyrants has also been known for a long time; historians describe several such examples back in Ancient Greece.

Features of a democratic regime

The most common political regimes in the world are various variations of democracy. The form of government of a democratic regime is diverse, but in general it is characterized by the following features:

  • the people are the main source of supreme power, they are the main sovereign in the state;
  • the people have the opportunity to demonstrate their will in free elections, the election of power is the most important feature of democracy;
  • citizen's rights are the absolute priority of the authorities, any person or minority is guaranteed to have access to power;
  • equality of citizens before the law and in government;
  • freedom of speech and pluralism of opinions;
  • prohibition of any form of violence against a person;
  • mandatory presence of opposition to the ruling party;
  • separation of powers, each branch has sovereignty and obeys exclusively the people.

Depending on how the people participate in government, there are two forms of democracy: direct and representative. Forms of representative democracy are the most common today. In this case, the people make decisions to their representatives in various government bodies.

Liberalism as a political regime

A special type of democracy is the liberal regime. The ideas of liberalism appear in ancient times, as a political regime it was first proclaimed at the end of the 18th century in the US Constitution and the Declaration of Human Rights in France. The main feature of liberalism is the absolute value of man. Any liberal regime is based on three pillars: individualism, property and freedom. The features of a liberal political regime are:

  • legislative consolidation of human rights to protect his individuality and rights to private property;
  • separation of branches of government;
  • openness and freedom of speech;
  • the existence of opposition parties;
  • instability political sphere countries, participation of the masses in the political life of society;
  • the absence of a monopoly on power, the existence of a legal mechanism for changing power;
  • freedom of the economy from all control and interference by the state.

Now you know basic information about government modes.

The concept of “political regime” appeared in scientific circulation in the second half of the twentieth century. This is a phenomenon of political life and the political system of society as a whole. This concept has a synthesized character. We can say that the characteristics of a political regime most fully show the true capabilities of a person in his relationships with power structures.

    Political regime: concept and characteristics.

Political regime–it is a system of techniques, methods, and ways of exercising political power in society. The concept of a political regime is key to the formation of ideas about the main systems of power. Based on it, they judge the true picture of the principles of organization of the political structure of society. The political regime characterizes a certain political climate existing in a particular country during a specific period of its historical development.

The above definition of a political regime gives the most general idea of ​​this concept. For a broader and more specific understanding of the political regime in a particular country, one should analyze main features of the political regime:

    The degree of participation of the people in the mechanisms of formation of political power, as well as the very methods of such formation;

    The relationship between the rights and freedoms of man and citizen with the rights of the state, the guarantee of individual rights and freedoms;

    The relationship between the legislative and executive branches of government;

    Political and legal position and role in society of the “power” structures of the state (army, police, state security agencies, etc.);

    The nature of the relationship between central and local authorities power and management;

    The place and role of non-state structures in the political system of society;

    The position of the media, the degree of openness in society and transparency of the state apparatus;

    The dominance of certain methods (persuasion, coercion, etc.) in the exercise of state power.

The political regime depends on the balance of political forces in the social body, the personality of the national leader and the characteristics of the ruling elite; historical and sociocultural traditions, political culture of the population. The political regime is formed spontaneously, as a result of the common efforts of many subjects of the political process and cannot be established by constitutions or other laws.

There are many classifications of political regimes. Any of the classifications is conditional, since “pure” political regimes do not exist in political practice. Depending on the characteristics of the set of methods and means of state power, two polar regimes are distinguished - democratic and anti-democratic. It is to the multitude of these varieties that the entire variety of political regimes can be reduced. In addition, anti-democratic regimes are usually divided into totalitarian and authoritarian.

2.Democratic regime

The concept of “democracy” (from the Greek demos - people and kratos - power) means democracy, the power of the people. However, a situation in which the entire people would exercise political power has not yet been realized anywhere. It is rather an ideal, something that everyone should strive for. Meanwhile, there are a number of states that have done more in this direction than others (Germany, France, USA, Switzerland, England) and which other states often focus on.

The versatility of the term “democracy” is due to the development of human society. Democracy was originally seen as direct rule by citizens, as opposed to rule by a monarch or aristocrats. However, already in antiquity, democracy was considered the “worst form” of government. At that time, it was believed that the low level of culture of the citizens of the Greek city-states allowed the rulers to manipulate such “democracy.” That is why democratic regimes did not exist for long and turned into ochlocracy (mob rule), which, in turn, gave rise to tyranny. Based on this, Aristotle did not distinguish between democracy and ochlocracy and had a negative attitude towards democracy. His assessment of democracy, as well as the lack of real conditions for its practical implementation, influenced the further fate of this form of state: democracy was perceived negatively and was forced out of political life.

A new stage in the development of the concept of democracy begins with the Great French Revolution - it was it that gave impetus to the development of democracy as a direction of socio-political thought that formulates the goals of a socio-political movement that rejects monarchy and elitism.

Depending on how the people participate in governance, who directly performs power functions and how, democracy is divided into direct (plebiscitary) and representative (representative).

To forms direct democracy include: holding elections on the basis of universal suffrage, referendums, national discussions of issues of public life. Members of society directly participate in the development of political decisions, adoption of laws, etc. This form of democracy makes it possible to develop the political activity of citizens, ensure the legitimacy of government, and exercise effective control over the activities of state institutions.

Representative democracy- this is when community members remain a source of power and have the right to make decisions, but exercise this right through their elected representatives, who must defend their interests. The bearers of representative democracy are parliaments and other elected authorities, both in the center and locally.

Neither of these forms exists in a “pure form,” but in a democratic regime they both appear.

The main features of a democratic regime:

    Recognition of the people as the source of power, the sovereign in the state. Popular sovereignty is expressed in the fact that it is the people who own the constituent, constitutional power in the state. The people elect their representatives and may periodically replace them. In a number of countries, it also has the right to directly participate in the development and adoption of laws through popular initiatives and referendums.

    Free expression of the will of the people in elections, election of government bodies. This principle is seen as a key condition for a democratic regime. It presupposes the possibility of free and fair elections, excluding any coercion and violence. All persons controlling power structures must be elected on the basis of established by law procedures and be re-elected periodically through strictly established deadlines. Voters must have the right and opportunity to recall their representatives.

    The priority of human and civil rights and freedoms over the rights of the state. State authorities are called upon to protect human rights and freedoms that an individual acquires by virtue of birth. As well as civil rights and political freedoms, including the right to life, liberty and security of the person, to equality before the law, to citizenship and participation in the government of one’s country, to non-interference in personal and family life etc.

    Citizens have a large volume of rights and freedoms that are not only proclaimed, but also legally secured to them. In democratic states the legal principle “everything that is not prohibited is permitted” applies.

    Hclear separation of powers into legislative, executive and judicial. The country's highest legislative body, the parliament, has the exclusive right to make laws. In a certain sense, this authority has a supreme role, and, therefore, there is a potential danger of excessive concentration of political power in it. Therefore, in a democratic political regime, the three branches of political power balance each other. In particular, higher executive branch(president, government) has legislative right, budgetary, personnel initiatives. The President has the right to veto decisions made by the legislature. The judiciary has the power to overrule both the decisions of the legislature and the executive.

    Police, intelligence servicesAndarmy - perform the functions of ensuring internal and external security of the state and society. Their actions are regulated and limited by law. The main functions of maintaining law and order belong not to the army and intelligence services, but to the police and courts.

    Political pluralism, multi-party system. In a democratic regime, there is a multi-party system in which one party can legally replace another in power through elections. All political parties must be placed on equal legal conditions in their struggle for votes and for their representation in government bodies. In accordance with the election results, the political parties that receive the majority of votes receive the right to form government bodies and the status of the ruling party. The losers of the elections receive the status of an opposition party. In carrying out its mission, the opposition criticizes the authorities. She puts forward an alternative program. The opposition controls power through the activities of its factions and blocs in parliaments, in its media and the press.

    Power in the state to a greater extent based on belief than under duress. When making political decisions, procedures for finding compromise and consensus prevail.

The listed principles of a democratic regime can create an idealized image of democracy. Of course, the advantages of democracy, and therefore of a democratic political regime, are obvious and undeniable. However, democracy also has vulnerabilities and shortcomings.

Democracy is sometimes ironically defined as “the domination of the majority of society over the best,” in which political amateurism flourishes and the dominance of mediocrity is established. Democracy does not guarantee against self-interested people with low culture and morality, but a sophisticated mind and populist techniques, from coming to power.

Of course, democracy is not an ideal phenomenon, but, despite all its shortcomings, it is the best and fairest form of government ever known.

The complete opposite of a democratic regime is a totalitarian regime, or totalitarianism.