Political activity and absenteeism experience in Russia and other CIS countries - abstract. Examples of absenteeism in world history, (if possible) in literature. thanks for the help

Absenteeism - (from the Latin "absens, absentis" - absent) - removal of voters from participating in voting. In modern democratic countries, absenteeism is a fairly common phenomenon: often 50% or even more of eligible voters do not take part in voting.

However, in the context of life’s realities, as well as within the framework of our research, the phenomenon of absenteeism needs to be understood much more broadly. Absenteeism itself is a broadly applicable term. IN general outline absenteeism is defined as the absence of individuals in a certain place at a certain time and the associated failure to comply with the relevant social functions.

At the same time, there are countless shades of this phenomenon.

So, we can talk about political, labor, agricultural absenteeism; Let us define each of these types within the framework of a given problem.

Political absenteeism is the evasion of voters from participating in voting in the election of government representatives, head of state, etc.

Political absenteeism does not mean, however, the complete exclusion of a person from the field of political power relations, since he, as a rule, remains a law-abiding citizen and a conscientious taxpayer.

The position of non-participation taken by a person concerns only those species political activity, where he can somehow express himself as an active person: express his opinion, express his involvement in some group or organization, determine his attitude towards this or that candidate for parliament.

Absenteeism occurs when external compulsion to political activity disappears, when a person has the right and real opportunity refrain from political actions. As a mass phenomenon, absenteeism is absent in totalitarian societies. Therefore, many researchers do not give an unambiguous assessment of this phenomenon. On the one hand, the existence of the problem of absenteeism indicates that the individual has the right to choose the line of behavior that corresponds to his interests, but on the other hand, absenteeism is undoubtedly evidence of people’s indifference to elections and political events.

Absenteeism is dangerous because it leads to a decrease in the number of voters, upon whose turnout the elections are considered valid.

Some authors equate absenteeism with non-participation in voting. I think this is not a completely correct position. Absenteeism really becomes a problem only if non-participation in elections is at least an indicator of the alienation of citizens from the political sphere of human life, and at most a form of passive protest. In other words, absenteeism is associated with non-participation, which is caused by a persistent disbelief that with the help of elections it is possible to solve problems that are significant for society (oneself, the identified group): distrust in the fairness of the vote count, other procedural issues, and the apathy of citizens towards politics.

Labor absenteeism - in a broad sense - the absence of an individual from the workplace caused by various reasons; in the narrow sense - avoidance of work without a good reason. Typically, such absenteeism is expressed in a one-day absence from work due to illness, but without visiting a doctor.

Agricultural absenteeism is a form of land tenure in which the owner of the land, who does not participate in production, receives income in the form of rent. In this case, the land is cultivated by tenant farmers or sharecroppers in the absence of its owner.

Thus, absenteeism affects not only narrow political aspects of life, but is quite broad social phenomenon expressed in failure to perform a wide variety of social functions. The fight against absenteeism existing in our society should be carried out not only within the framework of overcoming it in the electoral consciousness of society, but also affect all other spheres of life, because in in this case everything global starts small.

We can highlight the following provisions that most fully characterize absenteeism:

• 1. Absenteeism is a type of electoral behavior that is very diverse. The latter is manifested not only in participation or non-participation in elections, but also in evasion of voting, as well as in “indifferent” (conformal) voting, protest voting, etc. Each of the above forms of voter behavior indicates acceptance or rejection of a whole complex of social and political norms and values. Electoral behavior is realized in political processes that reveal the dynamics of development and changes in the institutions of the political system, the scale of participation of various groups of the population in political activity.
• 2. Absenteeism is, first of all, the deliberate avoidance of voters from voting on political reasons. This concept in its content it differs significantly from the concept of “non-participation in voting”, which is widely used by sociologists and political scientists.
• 3. Absenteeism is an indicator of the alienation of citizens from power and property, a form of political protest against the existing political system, political regime, forms of power, established social order generally.
• 4. Absenteeism in its extreme manifestations acquires the features of political extremism. Fruitful soil for the expansion of extremist sentiments is social crises and conflicts, violations of democratic rights and freedoms, collapse moral guidelines, values ​​and the state of anomie.
• 5. Political extremism and absenteeism manifest themselves among the most active part of the population. Changing the current political situation is the main direction of their activity. When the political aspirations of extremists and absenteeists intersect or coincide, extreme forms of political transformation are possible. It may seem that the “silent” and “passive” constitute a minority in society, but at a certain moment, for example in elections, they can manifest themselves as a “silent majority”.
• 6. The idea of ​​absenteeism as political indifference is misleading. Massive disappointment in the ability to change anything does not equate to depletion of active potential. Most likely, we are dealing with a kind of sublimation of political activity, with its transition into a latent form. Voter absenteeism does not reflect a rejection of politics as such, but a rejection of established modes of political action. Such an assessment allows us to assume that with the next aggravation of the political situation or any serious turn to other ways of implementing politics: the potential energy of the masses can be transformed into political action.
• 7. Absenteeism is a natural historical phenomenon, an integral attribute of a political system built on the principles of democracy and freedom. It is a phenomenon of the political life of any democratic society and rule of law state that has entered a descending branch of its development. The widespread prevalence of absenteeism, both in countries of classical democracy and those that have recently embarked on the path of democratic development, is associated with the growth of dysfunctional processes in their political systems, the exhaustion of the creative potential of historically established democratic institutions, and the emergence of a “subject” type of political culture among the broad masses under the influence of the media.
• 8. The scale of absenteeism and the forms of its manifestation are directly related to the historical conditions for the formation of democratic institutions, to differences in the mentality of peoples, to the existence of different traditions and customs in a given society.
• 9. The interpretation of electoral behavior (one of the types of which is absenteeism), present in the works of Western authors, deserves critical assessment, because it is extremely broad and equates electoral behavior with political behavior. Meanwhile, electoral behavior is only one form of political behavior. Electoral behavior is not “participation in power,” but a value-oriented activity in choosing a certain political force that exists in the form or political institution or personalized appearance. This activity unfolds throughout a person’s conscious life and is not limited to behavior during the election campaign or at the time of voting. The latter is The final stage this value-orientation choice.
• 10. The concept of “limited electoral participation” cannot be accepted to explain the phenomenon of absenteeism, since it clearly contradicts basic principles democracy, based on the active and broadest possible participation of citizens in government through elections (referendums). By defending the point of view about the “undesirability of representatives of certain social groups participating in elections,” we will inevitably end up replacing democracy with oligarchy or “meritocracy,” which are precisely based on the participation in political life of only “worthy representatives of the highest social strata" With this approach, the legitimacy of the idea of ​​universal and equal participation of everyone in the affairs of the state is called into question, i.e. ideas basic to democracy. The function of elections as a mechanism for shaping the will of the majority becomes questionable.
• 11. The main reason for absenteeism is the unacceptability of the social system, the institution of elections for some voters, the lack of interest in politics and the need to engage in political activity, and not the complexity of a technical or organizational order, as a number of Western authors claim.
• 12. Understanding the nature of absenteeism, the conditions of its occurrence and development trends that exist in the domestic scientific literature, must also be subjected to critical analysis. There is a need to rethink the interpretation of absenteeism: a) as a unique political behavior of citizens and politicians, manifested in avoidance of participation in various political actions, especially in elections of government bodies; b) as an indifferent (apathetic) attitude towards politics; c) as a form of political inaction; d) as an indicator of the growth of democratic principles in the life of society.
• 13. Voter turnout is significantly influenced by many factors, including the type of elections, the characteristics of the region, the characteristics of the election campaign, the level of education, the type of settlement, the type of political culture that dominates the society, and the type of electoral system. The level of voter participation in voting is lower in countries that use a majoritarian or majoritarian-proportional system of vote counting methods, and higher in countries with proportional voting. electoral system.

The beginning of understanding the phenomenon of absenteeism was laid in late XIX- early 20th century The first researchers of absenteeism were representatives of the Chicago School of Political Science C.-E. Merriam and G.-F. Gosnell. In 1924, they interviewed American voters to find out their motives for avoiding voting. Subsequently, the problem of absenteeism was considered within the framework of studies of electoral processes. Research in this direction was carried out by G. Lasswell, S. Verba, N. Nye and others.

Significant contributions to the development of the problem of absenteeism were made by P. Lazarsfeld, B. Berelson, V. McFaul, R. Rossi6, as well as sociologists of the Michigan school: V. McFaul, V. Glaser, V. Miller, R. Cooper, P. Converse, A. . Wolfe, A. Campbell. The latter, in his work “The Voter Makes a Decision” (1954), showed that participation or non-participation in elections is associated with a whole set of factors that form the system. As part of the study of the influence of socio-economic conditions on electoral behavior, the problem of absenteeism was developed by such authors as E. Downe, D. Easton, X. Brady, D. Behri, J. Ferejohn, M. Fiorina and others.

Analysis of several works allows us to identify a hypothesis explaining the occurrence of absenteeism:

Main hypothesis. The emergence of absenteeism as a phenomenon of political practice is associated with a number of objective and subjective factors, among which the main ones are deformations in the political system of society, a decline in trust in the institutions of government, and a decrease in the importance of democracy as a value for representatives of various electoral groups.

Hypotheses-consequences:

• 1. The number of absentees is directly dependent on the type and level of elections.
• 2. The number of people who evaded voting is closely related to the significance of the elections for the individual and the electoral group of which he is a representative.
• 3. Financial situation and social well-being are not the main factors determining an individual’s choice of an absenteeist type of behavior. The choice of the absenteeist type of electoral behavior is determined primarily by political reasons.
• 4. The scale of absenteeism in different age and gender groups is different. A significant proportion of absenteeists are women aged 30-49 years, with a high level of education and high social status.
• 5. Among absenteeists, two main groups can be distinguished, demonstrating Various types electoral behavior: a) a group of radicals and b) a group of conformists.
• 6. As the role of democratic institutions declines and a rigid vertical of power is built, the number of absenteeists will increase.

The term political absenteeism appeared in the first half of the 20th century. American scientists began to use it, describing the reluctance of citizens to participate in the political life of the country, and primarily in elections. Research into the phenomenon of political absenteeism has given rise to many theories and hypotheses explaining its causes and consequences.

Concept

According to political science, political absenteeism is the self-removal of voters from participating in any voting. Modern ones are a clear demonstration of this phenomenon. According to statistics, in many states where elections are held, more than half of the citizens eligible to vote do not participate.

Political absenteeism comes in many forms and shades. A person who does not attend elections is not completely isolated from relations with the authorities. Regardless of your political position, he remains a citizen and taxpayer. Non-participation in such cases applies only to those activities in which a person can prove himself as an active person, for example, determine his own attitude towards the party or candidates for the position of deputy.

Features of political absenteeism

Electoral passivity can only exist in states where there is no external compulsion to political activity. It is excluded in totalitarian societies, where, as a rule, participation in sham elections is mandatory. In such countries, the leading position is occupied by a single party, changing it to suit itself. Political absenteeism in a democratic system occurs when a person is deprived of responsibilities and given rights. By disposing of them, he may not participate in the elections.

Political absenteeism distorts voting results, since in the end elections demonstrate the point of view only of voters who came to the polls. For many, passivity is a form of protest. For the most part, citizens who ignore elections demonstrate distrust of the system through their behavior. In all democracies, the common view is that elections are a tool of manipulation. People do not go to them because they are convinced that in any case their votes will be counted by bypassing the legal procedure or the result will be distorted in some other less obvious way. And vice versa, in totalitarian states, where there is a semblance of elections, almost all voters attend polling stations. This pattern is a paradox only at first glance.

Absenteeism and extremism

In some cases, the consequences of political absenteeism can turn into political extremism. Although voters with this behavior do not go to vote, this does not mean that they are indifferent to what is happening in their country. Since absenteeism is a mild form of protest, it means that this protest can develop into something more. The alienation of voters from the system is fertile ground for further growth of discontent.

Due to the silence of “passive” citizens, there may be a feeling that there are not so many of them. However, when these dissatisfied people reach extreme point their rejection of the authorities, they take active steps to change the situation in the state. It is at this moment that one can clearly see how many such citizens there are in the country. Types of political absenteeism that differ from each other are completely united different people. Many of them do not deny politics as a phenomenon at all, but only oppose the existing system.

Abuse of citizen passivity

The scale and danger of political absenteeism depend on many factors: maturity state system, national mentality, customs and traditions of a particular society. Some theorists explain this phenomenon as limited electoral participation. However, this idea contradicts basic democratic principles. Any government in such a system it is legitimized through referendums and elections. These tools allow citizens to run their own state.

Limited electoral participation is the exclusion of certain segments of the population from political life. This principle can lead to meritocracy or oligarchy, when only the “best” and “elect” have access to government. Such consequences of political absenteeism completely eliminate democracy. Elections as a way of shaping the will of the statistical majority are no longer working.

Absenteeism in Russia

In the 90s, political absenteeism in Russia manifested itself in all its glory. Many residents of the country refused to participate in public life. They were disappointed by loud political slogans and empty shelves in stores across the street from their home.

Several points of view about absenteeism have been formed in domestic science. In Russia, this phenomenon is a peculiar behavior manifested in avoidance of participation in elections and other political events. It is also an apathetic and uncaring attitude. Absenteeism can also be called inaction, but it is not always dictated by indifferent views. If we consider such behavior as a manifestation of the will of citizens, then it can even be called one of the signs of the development of democracy. This judgment will be correct if we exclude cases when similar attitude citizens benefit from the state changing political system without regard to “passive” voters.

Legitimacy of power

The most important problem of political absenteeism is the fact that if a small part of society votes, it is impossible to talk about a truly popular vote. However, in all democracies, from a social point of view, the structure of visitors to polling stations is very different from the structure of society as a whole. This leads to discrimination against entire groups of the population and infringement of their interests.

An increase in the number of voters participating in elections gives the government greater legitimacy. Often candidates for deputies, presidents, etc. try to find additional support precisely among the passive population, which has not yet decided on its choice. Politicians who manage to make such citizens their supporters, as a rule, win elections.

Factors influencing absenteeism

The activity of citizens in elections may fluctuate depending on regional features, level of education, type of settlement. Each country has its own political culture - a set of social norms relating to the electoral process.

In addition, each campaign has its own individual characteristics. Statistics show that in states with a proportional electoral system, voter activity is higher than in those where a majoritarian-proportional or simply majoritarian system is established.

Electoral behavior

Exclusion from political life often stems from disappointment with the authorities. This pattern is especially pronounced at the regional level. The number of passive voters increases when municipal authorities continue to ignore the interests of citizens every political cycle.

Rejection from politics occurs after officials do not resolve problems that concern residents of their city in everyday life. everyday life. Comparing the market economy, some scientists have identified the following pattern. Electoral behavior becomes active when a person understands that he himself will receive some kind of income from his actions. If in economics we're talking about about money, voters want to see tangible changes for the better in their lives. If they do not occur, then apathy and reluctance to get involved with politics appear.

History of the study of the phenomenon

Understanding the phenomenon of absenteeism began at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. The first studies were conducted at the Chicago School of Political Science by scholars Charles Edward Merriam and Gosnell. In 1924, they conducted a sociological survey of ordinary Americans. The experiment was conducted to determine the motives of voters who avoided elections.

Subsequently, the study of the topic was continued by Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson and other sociologists. In 1954, Angus Campbell, in his book The Voter Decides, analyzed the work of his predecessors and built own theory. The researcher realized that participation or non-participation in elections is determined by a number of factors, which together form a system. By the end of the 20th century, several hypotheses appeared to explain the problems of political absenteeism and the reasons for its occurrence.

Theory about social capital

This theory appeared thanks to the book “Fundamentals social theory", written by James Coleman. In it, the author introduced the concept of “social capital” into widespread use. The term describes the totality of collective relations in society, which works according to the market economic principle. That’s why the author called it “capital”.

Initially, Coleman's theory had nothing to do with what had already become known as "political absenteeism." Examples of the use of the scientist’s ideas appeared in working together Neil Carlson, John Bram and Wendy Rahn. Using this term, they explained the pattern of citizen participation in elections.

Scientists compared the election campaigns of politicians with the fulfillment of obligations to ordinary residents of the country. Citizens have their own answer to this in the form of attending elections. Only in the interaction of these two groups is democracy born. Elections are a “ritual of solidarity” for the values ​​of free societies with open political systems. The greater the trust between voters and candidates, the more ballots will be cast in the ballot box. By coming to the site, an individual not only becomes involved in the political and social process, but also expands his own sphere of interests. At the same time, each citizen has an increasing circle of acquaintances with whom he has to argue or seek a compromise. All this develops the skills necessary to participate in elections.

Social influence

As the share of citizens interested in the electoral process increases, social capital itself also grows. This theory does not explain what political absenteeism can lead to, but it shows its nature and genesis. An excellent example for this hypothesis is Italy, which can be divided into two regions. In the north of the country, horizontally integrated social ties are developed between people of the same class, income, lifestyle, etc. It is easier for them to interact with each other and find common ground. From this pattern, social capital and solidarity grows. positive attitude for the elections.

The situation is different in the south of Italy, where there are many rich landowners and poor citizens. Between them lies a whole abyss. Such a vertical social connection does not promote cooperation between residents. People who find themselves in the lowest social strata lose faith in politics and have little interest in election campaigns. Political absenteeism is much more common in this region. The reasons for the differences between the north and south of Italy are the heterogeneity social structure society.

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Political absenteeism and political participation of citizens: concept, forms, types.
Political consciousness (psychology and ideology) is important integral part political culture. However, it would be wrong to limit ourselves to only this component. Just as the criterion for the truth of any theory is practice, the best test of a person’s feelings and views is his action or inaction in a certain situation. Of course, it is possible to assume that a person is a patriot after listening only to his statements, but will the prediction made be correct? It may happen that an individual who positioned himself as a patriot turns out to be a deserter or draft dodger during the war. And, conversely, a person who has not publicly declared his love for the Fatherland will consciously defend it with arms in hand. This example shows quite clearly that a complete picture of political culture will develop only when both political consciousness and political behavior are analyzed in complex. As noted earlier, political behavior can be defined as externally observable and subjectively motivated manifestation of political activity in actions (individual acts of behavior). A characteristic of political activity and, accordingly, political behavior is "political activity", demonstrating measure of manifestation and degree of intensity of activity. Political activity can be compared to a scale on a measuring instrument, with minimum and maximum values ​​indicated. The maximum value was discussed above; now we should pay attention to the minimum and average values. A zero indicator of a person’s political activity is political absenteeism(from Latin absens, absentis - absent) - manifestation of indifference to political life, avoidance of participation in it, political inactivity.

Researchers identify several groups of people who voluntarily refused to participate in political life:

1) ^ Apathetic people, those. those who are not interested in politics due to involvement in their own problems, demands of a professional career, interests in bohemian life or subculture (youth, racial, religious, etc.). They don't connect events own life with events occurring “outside” their closed world. Some of them consider politics incomprehensible, boring, meaningless.

2) ^ Alienated from politics – those who believe that politics has abandoned them. They believe that whether they vote or not, political decisions will still be made by a few (the establishment). They don't see any differences between political parties or candidates for elections. These people believe that politics serves only the interests of the elite, and that participation in the political process will not bring any benefits to the ordinary person. The alienated, unlike the apathetic, are not simply passive, but reject the political system as such and can be mobilized by various extremist movements, especially during periods of significant social upheaval.

3) Anomic people - these are those who have lost faith in their own capabilities, goals, social roots, identity with any social group. They feel their own purposelessness and powerlessness because they have lost the meaning of life. These people view social change as unpredictable and uncontrollable, and political leaders as unable to respond to their needs.

4) ^ Those who trust politicians - a group of people who refuse to participate in politics due to trust in justice, legality, stability, and fairness of political decisions. Such people believe that the prospects for political life will be favorable without them. active participation. However, they can become energetically involved in the political process during a period of depression.

Since the most accessible form of political activity is participation in elections, political absenteeism is manifested among citizens, primarily in their non-participation in elections. According to the data presented in Table 47, the average percentage of absenteeism in Russia for the period from 1993 to 2007. is 40.9%. Is it a lot or a little?

Data on the level of

absenteeism in countries of liberal democracy The data presented indicates that the level of non-participation of Russians in parliamentary elections quite high. We are second only to the Americans and the Swiss, but high absenteeism in the United States is explained by other reasons:

the difficulty of registering (this happens several weeks before the election and, as a rule, in the district court), the inability of American parties to mobilize voters, and

also by the fact that Election Day in the United States is a working day. Thus, absenteeism is a common phenomenon in all democratic countries. As he notes

Russian researcher V.S. Komarovsky, “the widespread prevalence of absenteeism is a disease of democracy, a relapse of oligarchic rule (the power of the few).” How do Russians explain their absence from the elections? According to the data sociological research, the main reasons for not coming to the polling station are cited by citizens as: random coincidence of circumstances (33.3%), disbelief that the vote cast can change anything (27.6%), lack of interest in the elections (20%), complaints that no one attracted them (13.7%),

non-compliance election commissions legislation (2%), unequal position of candidates (1%) and others (4.5%). If we exclude from the answer options references to a combination of circumstances and the lack of involvement in elections, which represent obvious excuses,

The main reasons for political absenteeism should be recognized as a lack of interest in politics and a lack of faith in the opportunity to influence the political course of the country. Thus, apathetic, alienated and anomic types predominate among absentee Russians. It should also be noted that absenteeism in Russia, as well as in other countries, depends on the significance of elections. In Russia, the share of those who did not participate in presidential elections is significantly less than in parliamentary elections: in 1991. 25.3% did not vote for the president, in the first round of elections in 1996 -30.3%, in

1999 –38.2%, in 2004 –44.3% Between the minimum of political activity (absenteeism) and its maximum (government activity) is located political participation(political participation). Pioneers in the field of studying political participation were American scientists Sidney Verba, Norman Nye and Jeon Kim, authors of the book Participation and Political Equality: A Comparison of Seven Countries (1978). They defined political participation as: “Legitimate actions of private citizens more or less directly intended to influence the selection of government personnel and/or influence their actions.”

In essence, American scholars have defined participation as the legitimate opportunity of citizens to influence the formation and exercise of power, but this interpretation appears to be inaccurate, since its supporters do not consider citizen involvement in prohibited actions or coups d'etat to be participation. That is, according to the logic of American political scientists, what is not permitted by law cannot be political participation. This is not true.

A more accurate definition would be: ^ Political participation – This is the activity of individual citizens or groups seeking in different ways to influence the process of political governance and the formation of political leadership. Modern researchers identify variousforms of political participation , such as

1. reading newspapers and discussing political topics with family and friends;

2. signing petitions addressed to the authorities;

4. contacting authorities, communicating with government officials and

political leaders;

5. participation in rallies and meetings;

6. assistance to a party or candidate in elections;

7. participation in strikes, rallies, boycotts, pickets of government agencies;

8. participation in the capture of buildings and clashes;

9. membership in parties and legal organizations;

10. fulfilling the role of a party activist, etc.

It is quite obvious that among the forms of political participation in all countries of the world, the most common is electoral participation (voting). The only exception is the USA. The most popular forms of non-electoral participation are meetings, rallies and petition signing, while aggressive forms of political participation are relatively rare (exception: Czechoslovakia).

However, it should be noted that 1991, when the study was conducted, was the time “ velvet revolutions” – the period of the overthrow of socialist governments. This explains the high rates of such forms of participation as meetings, rallies and aggressive forms. Multiple manifestations of political participation have forced researchers to think about their typology. The most common among typologies of forms of political participation is the dichotomy: conventional(traditional, routine) – unconventional(non-traditional, protest) participation. Moreover, the first type includes 1,3,4,5,6,9,10, and the second - 2,7 and 8 forms of political activity. Depending on the degree of freedom of the participant, researchers distinguish autonomous political participation(conscious and independent) and mobilized(under pressure from other subjects, often leading to distortion of one’s own preferences) participation.

The typology developed by Western researchers M. Kaase and A. Marsh is considered very successful. Political scientists have divided forms of political participation into five types:

 passive – absenteeism, reading newspapers, as well as signing petitions and participating in elections “for the company”;

 conformist (adaptive) – episodic conventional participation;

 reformist – more active conventional participation than with conformism;

 activist – active conventional participation, as well as episodic protest activity;

 protest type of participation – predominance of non-conventional participation.

Conducted in the late 1980s. A comparative study of political activity in Europe and the USA revealed the following relationship between the types of political participation identified by M. Kaase and A. Marsh. Analyzing political participation in Western countries, it should be noted significant role reformism. At the same time, in a number of countries (the Netherlands, Germany, Italy) a significant proportion of the population prefers protests to other forms of participation. In Great Britain, Austria and Finland, on the contrary, passive forms of political participation occupy the leading positions. Despite a significant share of conformism and activism, these types of political activity have not come out on top in any country. Characterizing the forms of political activity in modern Russia, it should be noted that a significant part of Russians (29-33%) regularly discuss political issues with family, friends and colleagues; another 16% assist in holding elections; meetings, meetings and conferences are attended by 12%; take part in signing petitions in the media and authorities - 11%; go to rallies and demonstrations – 7%.

But most mass form Political participation for Russians, as for citizens of other countries, is voting in elections. The majority of Russians surveyed stated that they took part in the past elections and intend to participate in future ones. At the same time, Russian citizens consider federal elections (President and State Duma) to be more important than regional and local ones. If 95 and 84% of respondents declared participation in the former, then 76, 81, 67 and 72%, respectively, admitted voting for the governor, mayor and legislative assemblies of the region and city. Russian citizens view elections mainly as a means of expressing their attitude towards authorities (31%) or politicians (25%). Other motives are much less common. 18% of respondents are convinced of the possibility of defending their own interests through voting, 11% consider elections to be participation in the formation of government bodies, and 10% consider elections a way to solve public problems. Thus, Russians view elections as a kind of channel for communicating to the authorities public opinion. This obviously happens because the majority of citizens (53%) are convinced that the election results are determined by the authorities and only 29-30% of respondents believe that the results correspond to the voting results. Unlike European countries, only 1-2% of Russians participate in protests. Such a small proportion of protesters is obviously associated with the peculiarities of the political consciousness of the citizens of our country, who are ready to endure in the hope that life will improve.

Voter Absenteeism Voter Absenteeism

ABSENTEEISM (from Latin absentia - absence), in constitutional law, non-participation in voting in elections or referendums of citizens who have active voting rights; evasion of voters from voting in elections of representative bodies (cm. PARLIAMENT), head of state. Absenteeism is caused, as a rule, by the apoliticality of citizens, the loss of their trust in government authorities, low level political competence of voters, low significance of election results for citizens. Absenteeism has a negative impact because it reduces the legitimacy of government and indicates alienation (cm. ALIENATION (social process)) citizens from the state; in some countries (Italy, Belgium, Greece, Austria) it is punishable by law.

encyclopedic Dictionary . 2009 .

See what “Voter Absenteeism” is in other dictionaries:

- (from lat. absens absent). Passion for travel or living outside one's own home country. Dictionary foreign words, included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. ABSENTEEISM 1) living of landowners outside their estates; 2)… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

- (lat. absentis absent) one of the forms of conscious boycott of elections by voters, refusal to participate in them; passive protest of the population against the existing form of government, political regime, manifestation of indifference to the implementation ... Political science. Dictionary.

Absenteeism (from the Latin absentia - absence), evasion of voters from voting in the elections of representative bodies or officials. A. is a phenomenon widespread in bourgeois states (for example, in the United States in elections... ... Big Soviet encyclopedia

- [sente], absenteeism, plural. no, husband (from lat. absens absent) (book). Avoidance of visits related to the performance of any public duties. During the last elections, voter absenteeism was not noticed. Show absenteeism... ... Dictionary Ushakova

- (from Latin absens absent) in the science of constitutional law, a term meaning the voluntary non-participation of voters in voting in elections or referendums... Legal dictionary

- (from the Latin absentia), evasion of voters from voting in elections of the President, Parliament, etc. Usually amounts to about 15% of the electoral corps... Modern encyclopedia

- (from Latin absentia absence) evasion of voters from participating in voting in the elections of representative bodies, head of state, etc... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- [sente], ah, husband. (book). Evasion of voters from participating in elections in government bodies. | adj. absenteeist, oh, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

English absenteeism, political; German Absentismus, politischer. Evasion of voters from participating in voting in the election of government officials, head of state, etc. Antinazi. Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2009 ... Encyclopedia of Sociology

Absenteeism- (from Latin absent /absentis/ absent; English absenteeism) 1) evasion of voters from participating in elections to government bodies; 2) A. agricultural form of land ownership, in which the owner of the land, without directly participating in ... Encyclopedia of Law