The political system of a society or the political organization of a society is a set of interactions (relations) of political entities related to the exercise of power (government) and the management of society, organized on a single normative and value-based basis.
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This concept combines the diverse actions and relationships of ruling groups and subordinate, governing and governed, dominant and subordinate, theoretically summarizes the activities and relationships of organized forms of power relations - state and other institutions and institutions, as well as ideological and political values ββand norms that govern the political life of members of this society. The concept of βpolitical systemβ denotes the structures of political activity and relations characteristic of a particular society and the types of political process.
Content
The main forms of political regimes
- Democracy
- Authoritarianism
- Totalitarianism
- Theocracy
Views on the Political System
The concept of a political system is multifaceted . This explains the ambiguity of approaches in his analysis :
- If we consider the system in institutional terms, then it can be reduced to a set of state and non-state institutions and norms within which the political life of this society takes place.
- In another version, the power aspect of the political system is emphasized and its definition is associated mainly with the legitimization of state coercion as a means of regulating relations between people.
- In the third, the political system is considered as a system of authoritarian (with the help of power) distribution of values in society.
Each of these approaches will be correct provided that the definition of the concept is specifically indicated.
D. Easton created a model of the political system, with which you can analyze the process of political decision-making and the mechanism for their implementation. The basis of this process is a combination of various types of activities of political actors , and the goal of the political system is the distribution of values ββthat allow coordinating all types of interaction in the interests of management .
Carl Deutsch has developed an informational-cybernetic model of the political system, which is a combination of communicative communications and information flows formed by political actors in accordance with their roles in politics and aimed at governance. He divided the information and communication process into four stages: obtaining information , evaluating and selecting information, making decisions, and implementing decisions.
The rational framework
It should also be noted that the political system is not only formed, but also acts mainly on a rational basis (on the basis of knowledge). The rationality of politics is embodied in its institutions (according to T. Parsons ), such as leadership , government and regulation . The recognition of the institution of leadership accurately characterizes the specifics of a political system that is purposefully formed and operating. In this context, the concept of β leadership β means a certain normative model of the behavior of an individual or group ( elite , party ), including, by virtue of the position they occupy in a given society, the right and obligation to take the initiative in the name of achieving a common goal and involving the entire community in its implementation.
Consistency
A political system can be considered as a social system for which such an interconnection of its elements is assumed that forms a certain integrity, unity. And this means the unity of the constituent entities (public groups, organizations, individuals) with specific features that characterize the system, rather than individual elements. Moreover, these signs are not reducible to the sum of the properties that make up the system of elements. In turn, the properties of the elements are not inferred from the attributes of the whole.
The political system is characterized by common features of social systems. In addition, it is characterized by specific features stemming from the nature of politics and power. This system, unlike, say, the economic one , is formed mainly purposefully. Its foundation contains a combination of relevant ideas and values ββ- an ideology that reflects the social interests of large social groups and determines the appearance of the system. The institutions that make up the political system, as already mentioned, are objectified political ideas and projects. Hence the need to take into account in the analysis the special role of the spiritual factor in developing the mechanisms of functioning and modernization of the system.
The political system, being determined by socio-economic structures, acts as a whole in relation to them and to the entire social environment , and functions as a relatively independent complex of social institutions and political relations. It has its own life, its own laws, which is determined by the presence of special structural ties, roles, functions, as well as the consolidation and regulation of their special norms - legal and political.
As part of society, functioning in a social environment, the political system is influenced by those influences that come from outside, from society, as well as impulses from within - the interactions of its institutions, values, etc.
Political System Structure
The structure of a political system means what elements it consists of, how they are interconnected. The following components of the political system are distinguished:
- organizational (institutional) component - the political organization of society, which includes the state, political parties and movements, public organizations and associations, labor collectives, pressure groups, trade unions, the church, and the media.
- cultural component - the political consciousness that characterizes the psychological and ideological aspects of political power and the political system ( political culture , political ideas / ideologies).
- normative component - socio-political and legal norms governing the political life of society and the process of exercising political power, traditions and customs, moral standards.
- communicative component - information connections and political relations that develop between the elements of the system regarding political power, as well as between the political system and society.
- functional component - political practice, consisting of forms and directions of political activity; methods of exercising power.
Structure is the most important property of the system, since it indicates the organization method and the ratio of its elements.
Political System Functions
The essence of the political system of society is most clearly manifested in its functions. The following functions of the political system are distinguished:
- Providing political power for a particular social group or for the majority of members of a given society (the political system establishes and implements specific forms and methods of rule - democratic and anti-democratic, violent and non-violent, etc.).
- Management of various spheres of people's life in the interests of individual social groups or the majority of the population (the action of the political system as a manager includes setting goals, objectives, ways of developing society, specific programs in the activities of political institutions).
- Mobilization of the means and resources necessary to achieve these goals and objectives (without huge organizational work, human, material and spiritual resources, many of the goals and tasks set are doomed to deliberate failure to achieve).
- Identification and representation of interests of various subjects of political relations (no policy is possible without selection, clear definition and expression at the political level of these interests).
- Satisfying the interests of various subjects of political relations through the distribution of material and spiritual values ββin accordance with various ideals of a particular society (it is in the distribution sphere that the interests of diverse communities of people clash).
- The integration of society, the creation of the necessary conditions for the interaction of various elements of its structure (by combining different political forces, the political system tries to smooth out, remove contradictions that inevitably arise in society, overcome conflicts, and eliminate conflicts).
- Political socialization (through which the political consciousness of the individual is formed and he is included in the work of specific political mechanisms, due to which the political system is reproduced by educating all new members of society and introducing them to political participation and activities).
- The legitimization of political power (that is, the achievement of a certain degree of conformity of real political life with official political and legal norms).
Gabriel Almond has identified a number of functions to preserve the system:
- Political socialization - the acquisition by a person of political knowledge, values, following the standards of political behavior in society, etc.
- Adaptation to the external and internal environment. It is carried out through the preparation and selection of subjects of power.
- Response to signals coming from outside and inside the system.
- Extraction function - resources are drawn from the internal and external environment.
- The distribution function is the coordination of the interests of various groups within society.
- The regulatory function is management action.
- Electoral system
Literature
- in Russian
- The political organization of society / Tumanov V. A. // Fee - Prob. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1975. - ( Great Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 30 vols.] / Ch. Ed. A. M. Prokhorov ; 1969-1978, vol. 20).
- in other languages
- Easton D. The Political System. An Inquiry into the State of Political Science. New York: Knopf, 1953