Political absenteeism: causes, types, problems, consequences, examples. Absenteeism. Concept and reasons

In a state built on democratic principles, citizens are given the opportunity to participate in the political process. One of the most important types of such participation is the formation of elected government bodies. However, today the trend of citizens refusing to participate in the political life of society is becoming more and more relevant, which negatively affects the formation of civil society structures and the effectiveness of elected authorities, and therefore interest in the problem of absenteeism is growing.

Deliberate evasion of voters from participating in elections is a common phenomenon in global electoral practice; absolute participation in elections is not typical for democratic states. One hundred percent turnout is typical in non-democratic regimes that use various methods of coercion to vote.

The increasing number of people who, for one reason or another, refuse to participate in government elections raises the problem of the legitimacy of the elected government. Therefore, some states use various measures to ensure turnout: from introducing a minimum turnout threshold to fines. The establishment of a legal obligation to take part in voting is used in countries such as Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, etc. However, this can hardly be considered a solution to the problem of absenteeism, since the reasons for refusing to exercise one’s voting rights are different and are often political in nature .

A high level of citizen participation in politics, in particular in elections, is more likely to be possible when collectivist sentiments prevail in society.

As individualistic sentiments grow, priority areas of activity for each person related to his personal goals appear, while politics as a public sphere and the solution of political problems fade into the background.

According to Z. Bauman, the crisis of political participation is associated with a decrease in interest in joint common affairs and the erosion of political convictions. E. Giddens explains the growing number of absenteeists by the withering away of old forms of legitimation of power, which become ineffective as globalization grows. R. Inglehart believes that simple forms of political participation, such as voting, elections, are losing their effectiveness, and they should be replaced by much more a complex system, ensuring political participation.

The level of absenteeism in a state characterizes the state political system, the attitude of citizens towards it. Ignoring voting can be either a form of passive approval of the existing political situation, or vice versa – a form of expression of dissatisfaction with the authorities, mistrust, leading to a person’s alienation from political processes. Thus, among absenteeists two main groups can be distinguished:

1) a group of citizens whose decision not to vote is not an expression of their political position and demonstrates conforming behavior, and

2) a group of citizens expressing their protest in this way.

The level of absenteeism is influenced by many factors, which can be divided into objective and subjective. Objective factors include such factors as the level and type of elections, the level economic development And social status voter, his demographic characteristics. Subjective ones include the individual and psychological qualities of the voter, the specifics of his culture, including political, social — psychological state at the time of the elections.

The number of non-voters is largely determined by the level of elections. At local and regional level elections, there is a significantly lower number of voters than at federal level elections. When predicting voter turnout for elections, one should also take into account the specifics of social — economic situation. As a rule, with an increase in the degree of economic development, the level of political development decreases, which can be seen in the example of developed countries.

The number of absenteeists varies in different age groups. As a person grows older and his level of education increases, political activity increases. According to the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), only 23% of young people (18–35 years old) always go to the polls; among older people (55 and older) this figure is much higher – 60%. Of those who have average — general and average — special education, 32% and 39%, respectively, regularly participate in elections. Among those who have higher education the share of such citizens is 44% (I).

Dynamics of turnout for federal elections (according to the Central Election Commission (II))

Subjective factors not only explain the reasons for refusing to vote, but also link manifestations of absenteeism with alienation from politics. Evasion of voters from voting – special case avoidance of participation in political life in general is an indicator of an indifferent attitude towards it. L.Ya. Gozman and E.B. Shestopal, characterizing the causes of absenteeism, identified factors that have a depressing effect on the intensity of political participation: a feeling of powerlessness and frustrating features of self-awareness. The feeling of powerlessness in most cases suppresses the desire to take part in politics and rarely leads to extra-institutional forms of political activity. Gozman and Shestopal identify four parameters of frustration:

1) deindividuation as a result of socialization,

2) blurring of group affiliation,

3) depersonalization,

4) a feeling of dependence on surrounding circumstances.

The above factors are associated with one of the main reasons for absenteeism - distrust in political institutions and processes. Mistrust gives rise to such a form of political alienation as self-alienation, manifested in absenteeism.

Undoubtedly, absenteeism is a natural historical phenomenon that appeared with the spread of universal suffrage, with the granting of the right to participate in political life to groups that were not interested in this. Today absenteeism is an integral part of political life of a state that has chosen a democratic path of development.

The problem of absenteeism is also relevant for modern Russia. IN Soviet period a high level of participation was ensured by authoritarian methods, and collectivist values ​​played an important role in this. The merging of the party and state apparatuses determined participation in public life as a necessary condition for professional self-realization. The principles of government that were transformed as a result of perestroika changed the situation, and the level of non-participation increased significantly. After the constitutional consolidation of the democratic form of the state, turnout at federal level elections is no more than 2/3 of the number of registered voters (see Table 1).

The presidential elections in the Russian Federation are marked by the highest percentage of voter turnout. This is due not only to the set of his powers, but also to the peculiarities of political culture, which determines the desire for strong personality at the head of state and an authoritarian style of management. The fact that you

In State Duma elections, turnout is always lower compared to presidential elections, which is explained by the low level of trust in political parties and lack of faith in the ability of a representative body of power to decide any important questions on one's own.

Data from FOM surveys are indicative in this regard. To the question “Would you like or would you not like to be a member of any political party or organization?” 9% responded positively in 2005, 9% in 2006 and 5% in 2011 (III).

Thus, the institution of political parties does not inspire confidence in the possibility of changing political situation in the country or influence it. According to the Romir research holding, in 2011, 40% of Russians recognized the low efficiency of the State Duma versus 16% who considered its effectiveness to be high. In 1996, only 11% recognized the high efficiency of the State Duma, moreover, about 30% of respondents believed that the work of the legislative body negatively affects the situation of the country (IV).

Election turnout indicators do not show full picture about the share of actual absentees among the population. It is necessary to take into account the situational situation decision taken participate or not participate in voting. Among absenteeists who decided in advance not to participate in the elections, about 80% actually did not come to the polling station. However, in the total number of non-participants, the share of this group is very small: in parliamentary and presidential elections it amounted to 20–22%, while the rest who did not come to vote did not declare their non-participation. Based on these data, it can be assumed that among absenteeists there are many who decided not to participate in voting at the last moment under the influence of random circumstances and due to a lack of understanding of the significance of the elections, which means that their choice should be interpreted more as inaction than as action.

Nevertheless, the same reasons underlie the decision of both protest and casual absenteeists. In recent years, there has been an increase in the share of citizens who are not interested in politics. According to VTsIOM, in 2013, 36% of citizens avoided various forms of political participation due to low interest, in 2012 there were 30%, in 2007 – 20% (V). The low interest of Russian citizens in politics is often explained by the oligarchization of power, corruption and closedness of political institutions, which underlies the main factor influencing political participation - distrust in the institutions and processes of the political system. To the question “Sometimes you can hear that politics is a “dirty business.” Do you personally agree or disagree with this opinion?” only 22% of respondents said they disagreed. Among those who agreed, 49% are not interested in politics at all (VI).

Mistrust forms negative attitude not only to individual politicians, but also to the political sphere as a whole, which increases the degree of political alienation. Conducted surveys confirm the prevalence of distrust in the institutions of the political system. The number of those who do not trust anyone increased from 23% to 37% from 2004 to 2011. Trust in the President of Russia during the same period of time decreased from 59% to 20%, in the government of the Russian Federation - from 14% to 11%, in the Federation Council - from 4% to 2%, only trust in the State Duma remained unchanged - 6%, which, however, does not change the situation in any way (VII).

It is worth noting that among older citizens there is a higher level of electoral activity compared to young people. The coming generation, if interested in politics, chooses informal types of participation in political life. This is explained different character political socialization in the Soviet and modern periods.

However, the elections remain the only way formation of legitimate power, and the tendency to ignore voting may negatively affect the development of Russia as a democratic state.

An important factor influencing participation in elections is the presence of real competition among political forces. When the choice is predetermined or there is no one to choose from, it is logical that turnout decreases, since the meaning of expression of will is lost. When there is real competition between candidates and parties, attention increases both to the election struggle and to its outcome. In a FOM survey conducted on the eve of the 2004 elections, more than half of the respondents expressed the opinion that they did not expect real competition in the presidential elections (66% versus 18%). However, the situation changes in 2012: respondents’ expectations regarding a serious pre-election fight between candidates in the 2012 elections were divided approximately in half. This is due to increased attention to political events caused by the population's reaction to the results of the 2011 Duma elections (VIII).

However, the turnout in the presidential elections was slightly higher than in 2004, and this was possibly due to the attitude of citizens towards the fairness of the elections. According to the Romir holding, only 20% of respondents considered that the elections of 2011–2012. passed without violations, 62% admit the presence of both minor and massive violations (IX). Elections in the minds of citizens do not seem to be an instrument of serious influence on the political life of the country. According to a 2011 survey, 40% of citizens believe that their participation in elections does not influence decision-making in the life of the country at all, 22% believe that their participation has a little influence, 26% - insignificantly (X). Thus, elections in the minds of Russians have acquired a ritualized, formal character: there is an opinion that they are needed primarily by the authorities, and not by the voters. Lost faith in the possibility of this procedure as — then change the life of the country. Permanent dissatisfaction with the quality of the implementation of one’s voting rights, layered with many others current problems, will inevitably give rise to alienation from the sphere of the political, which manifests itself in the increase in the number of absenteeists.

Elections are the most important process in democratic state, through which representative authorities are formed, the vector of political development is predetermined. The spreading phenomenon of absenteeism may ultimately lead to the establishment of an illegitimate government elected by a minority of citizens. The disinterest of citizens in politics and their low activity weakens the position of civil society, which seeks to control the government. The consequence may be the closedness of the political elite, its irresponsible attitude towards political decisions, which creates the danger of replacing democratic political mechanisms with authoritarian ones.

Absenteeists are a part of the population that alienates itself from politics; as a rule, it has little interest in politics and little understanding of it. They are united by a low level of trust in political institutions and processes, and strong doubts about the ability to influence the course of political development of the state. Most absenteeists are socially passive, but there are also those among them who, ignoring legal forms of participation, choose unconventional ones. This part of absenteeism represents a protest force and, in the event of social crises and conflicts, can acquire the features of political extremism.

It is impossible to eradicate the phenomenon of absenteeism using democratic methods, and it is not necessary, since, not having a mass character, it does not pose a threat to the foundations of a democratic and legal state. There will always be a category of people who do not vote for non-political reasons. There will always be a percentage of people who are not interested in politics. Absenteeism can lead to negative consequences for the political system if it is widespread in the state, since it paralyzes the most important democratic processes. At the same time, the meaning of democracy as a form of state in which the people themselves choose and control the government they choose is eroded.

Absenteeism, having spread in all countries of developed democracy, has a slightly different nature in modern Russia, where non-participation is generated in to a greater extent distrust of the political system. During the Soviet period, there was alienation from the people by the authorities themselves, which was transformed into self-alienation of citizens due to the ineffectiveness of democratic mechanisms. It is precisely this self-alienation that gives rise to a constant increase in the number of absenteeists who do not believe in the possibility of changing the political situation with existing by legal means, and the political inaction of precisely such absenteeists can turn into political action of a radical protest nature.

K.I. Arinina

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 be formed 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 political activity in actions (single 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 do not see any differences between political parties or election candidates. These people believe that politics serves only the interests of the elite, and to an ordinary person Participation in the political process will not bring any benefits. 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, and 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 even without their 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 with the legislation by election commissions (2%), unequal position of candidates (1%) and other (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 the significant role of 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 their relatives, 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 the most widespread form of political participation for Russians, as well 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 connected 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.

Social practice convincingly demonstrates that the participation of the population in the political process and, above all, in the formation of elected authorities is a condition for the successful functioning of any society built on democratic principles. None of the scientists and political figures committed to the principles of democracy doubt the fact that the exclusion of representatives of certain social groups from active political life, the increase in the number of those who consciously distance themselves from politics, inevitably impedes the formation of civil society structures and negatively affects the effectiveness of activities of elected authorities.

For almost everyone who deals with political issues in a scientific and practical sense, it is obvious that the increase in the number of absentees is evidence of the imperfection of the existing political system, an indicator of growing distrust in democratic institutions, and an indicator of growing social tension in society. It is with this circumstance, first of all, that the keen interest in the problem of absenteeism, which is demonstrated by many domestic and foreign scientists, is connected.

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 “submissive” type of political culture among the broad masses under the influence of the media.

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

As is known, one of the characteristic features of the political life of post-industrial society is a sharp decline in the political activity of citizens. An increase in the number of absenteeism is recorded in almost all economically highly developed countries, from England to Japan. Thus, we can say that absenteeism has become a kind of " business card"of modern times.

The number of absenteeists is also growing in Russia, where from 40 to 70% of potential voters do not participate in elections at various levels, whereas in the late 80s - early 90s in the elections of deputies of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR, and then deputies of the first and second State Dumas More than 85% of those included in the voter lists of the Russian Federation participated.

Some modern politicians point to simple laziness of voters as the reason for growing absenteeism. Such an argument can hardly be considered convincing. The reasons, of course, are deeper, more serious and require special research. Analysis by political scientists and sociologists allows us to identify the following reasons for growing absenteeism:

• 1. Reasons of a general social and political nature. As an example: long-term economic difficulties, the solution of which is not significantly influenced by the election results, a low level of trust in the current authorities, and the low prestige of the deputy corps in the eyes of the population.
• 2. Reasons related to imperfect legislation and work election commissions. As experts note, after each election held at both the federal and regional levels, shortcomings and imperfections in the legislation are revealed, which leads to the introduction of a number of significant amendments to the basic electoral law, i.e. Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On the Basic Guarantees of the Electoral Rights of Citizens and the Right to Participate in a Referendum of Citizens of the Russian Federation” Federal Law of June 12, 2002 N 67-FZ (as amended on November 2, 2013) “On the Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in a Referendum of Citizens Russian Federation". The very presence of such shortcomings provokes distrust among the population.
• 3. Causes related to the peculiarities of a particular election campaign. In particular, an unattractive candidate, uninteresting campaigning.
• 4. Random reasons. For example, weather conditions, the state of health of the voter Mikova E. Causes of absenteeism among youth and possible ways its elimination [Electronic resource] / E. Mikova. - Access mode: http://do.gendoss.ru/doсs/index-38515.html (November 27, 2013).

It is worth noting that these reasons affect all categories of citizens. But youth is recognized as the most active social group, but it is they who, as a rule, form the basis of modern absenteeists. A young man 18-25 years old does not visit the polling station for a number of reasons: looking at his parents, individual interests, lack of faith in the power of his own vote. As research by political scientists shows, socially mature and adapted to modern conditions life of society, a person becomes 21 years old, i.e. this is the middle of youth age, after this milestone change preferences, including Political Views hard enough. If we imagine that even now a modern young man, a worthy part of society and the state, ignores participation in the life of his country through the choice of a government representative, then the future situation in this country does not seem so cloudless.

Today, among the problems of public consciousness associated with absenteeism, the most pressing is youth absenteeism. It should be noted that the low level of political participation of young people, or political absenteeism, is not an exclusively Russian problem. “Absenteeism is more common among young people,” regardless of their citizenship. Even in the developed democratic countries of Europe, attracting young people to participate in elections - the most widespread, publicly accessible, simplest and least time- and resource-intensive form of political participation - is by no means a trivial task. Measures aimed at increasing the level of political participation of young people are being taken high level, programs are created, funds are allocated, but young people still refuse to come to the polling stations.

In Russia the situation is more complicated. If we talk about the reasons for the political absenteeism of young people in Russia, then experts identify a whole range of them, among which I think the most important are the following.

“Firstly, the low level of political culture and political and legal literacy of young people, which determines the fact that young people, especially those who live in the regions, do not have a clear understanding of the mechanisms for transmitting their interests to power, as well as methods of influence on the political process and state power, mechanisms for monitoring the fulfillment of public requests, etc. In conditions of democratization and reform, it is especially important that the population, in particular the young, adequately perceive the ideological and other foundations of the political course, decisions made and political actions of the authorities. This provides legitimacy, that is, support for the ongoing reforms. That is why a low level of political literacy causes either apoliticality or protest moods.

Secondly, the loss of trust in government bodies and procedures, for example, in the electoral process. This happens either when the public demand at the “input” does not correspond with the political decision at the “output”, or when a situation has already arisen according to which the results of the political participation of young people do not find a response in government agencies, due to which she loses faith that she is able to destroy this barrier and change anything in the political system or political course. In addition, the corruption of the political system, both at the regional and national levels, contributes to the assertion among young people that any important reforms can be “slowed down” or rejected, and instead changes will be implemented that benefit the political or economic elite.

Thirdly, the still persisting idea that between civil society and the authorities there is no dialogue, but there are almost confrontational relations. This is caused by the formation throughout history Russian state tradition that the strong government in the country is the main subject of the political process, which regulates the life of the population using both legal and violent methods, chooses and implements a political course and carries out reforms. And the people, in turn, are a kind of opposition to state power, which is always “on the periphery” of the political process and is mobilized only during a crisis of the political system ( transition periods). This is exactly how apoliticality and passivity of the population in relation to politics in the country was formed. That is, we can conclude that this reason closely interacts with the type of political culture. Until recently, in Russia it was designated as subject, that is, there was weak participation of the population in politics, their mass resignation to the fact that the political course will be carried out state power almost without taking into account public opinion, along with the expectation that a strong government will satisfy all needs and provide a decent standard of living. However, now, in my opinion, there is a smooth transformation of a subservient political culture into a culture of participation (activist political culture). To verify this statement, it must be said that everything more people strives to accept Active participation in the formation and implementation of policies, regardless of what methods they choose - legal or illegal, positive or protest.

Fourthly, the already mentioned standard of living of young people also plays a significant role, since, having a low level of income, a young person is more likely to strive to overcome his financial problems than political ones. The latter, logically, are relegated to the background. Fifthly, the lack of constantly and effectively functioning socio-political “elevators” - that is, those factors and mechanisms, perhaps even qualifications, that have a decisive influence on the vertical social mobility of the population, in in this case, in the political sphere. This is directly related to the recruitment of new competent members from society into the ranks of the country’s political elite, which in practice is replaced by the selection of new “political personnel” through personal connections or corrupt machinations. Another problem within this reason is the resistance of older generations, who firmly occupy for a long time a place in politics aimed at preventing the younger generation from governing. Most often this is explained by the lack of qualifications of new personnel or their radical desire to change the political course, but the main reason is the fear of the older generation of losing their posts.

Summarizing all of the above, the problem of absenteeism as one of the basic variations of the political participation of youth in Russia is now quite acute, because all of the above reasons persist to this day."Katusheva K. Trends in the political participation of youth in Russia: political absenteeism, autonomous and mobilized participation [Electronic resource] / K. Katusheva. - Access mode: http://rud.exdat.com/doсs/index-727397.html (November 30, 2013). I would like to note one more important fact. Since the institution of elections was brought to Russia from Western democratic regimes, which in the first decades of democratization and modernization in the world (50s of the XX century) were considered a universal blueprint for building democracy, it has not yet fully taken root in our country due to national specifics And historical development. Instead of receiving support from the population, it is rather losing its value in the eyes of citizens, which is caused by both corruption and political traditions, and many other factors. All this leads to political absenteeism or the growth of protest sentiments.

Among the reasons listed above, the most serious for young people is the low political and legal culture, indifference and alienation from electoral process. To eliminate it, it is necessary to increase the activity of young voters, not only to familiarize them with the constitutional right to vote and be elected, but also to show the mechanism for realizing this right. Legal activity should be understood, first of all, as free, lawful behavior in terms of exercising one’s subjective suffrage. For the purpose of the most comprehensive analysis of the causes of youth absenteeism and the possibilities of eliminating it, we can note the elements that make up the legal activity of citizens - these are legal education, legal culture and legal consciousness.

As a result of legal education, a citizen develops legal needs, interests, attitudes, and value orientations, which are largely important components socio-psychological regulation of lawful behavior. The main thing here is that people’s mere knowledge of laws, the structure of the state, and legal proceedings does not yet guarantee the citizenship of the actions of these people in the political and legal sphere. Legal culture also acts as an element of the legal activity of citizens, being its foundation. It is expressed in the unity of lawful and socially active behavior of the individual, his active life position in the field of law, legality and the pursuit of law and order.

As for legal consciousness as one of the elements of the legal activity of citizens, the main thing here is the citizen’s readiness for the process of implementing legal norms in his behavior.

Legal awareness also takes into account the moral and spiritual potential of the population, historical characteristics and character traits Russian society. It is recognized that citizens themselves, based on their universal, natural essence, must find the most correct real way of applying legal activity, in particular in electoral law, where the need for choice is already dictated in the definition.

So, there are quite a lot of reasons for avoiding elections, but among the reasons listed above, the most serious for young people is the low political and legal culture, indifference and alienation from the electoral process, which obviously does not lead us to a better future. It is necessary to change the existing stereotype in society, because free elections are not the freedom to go or not go to the polls, but the freedom to choose among the candidates presented.

In modern Russia, the proportion of politically apathetic people in the population is quite large. This is due to a crisis of mass consciousness, a conflict of values, the alienation of the majority of the population from power and distrust of it, and political and legal nihilism. Many have lost faith in their own capabilities, do not believe that they can influence political processes, and believe that political decisions are made regardless of their participation in voting and other political actions. People do not feel any personal benefit from participating in politics, believing that it serves the interests of the elite.

For absenteeism of a certain part Russian population The collapse of the myth about rapid entry into the circle of highly developed countries had a significant impact.

The assessment of the role of absenteeism in political science is ambiguous. Some researchers insist on the need to involve as many people as possible in various forms of political participation. Others believe that limited participation and non-participation can be seen as a stabilizing factor, since the activation of apolitical sections of the population and their inclusion in the political process can lead to destabilization of the political system.

The Russian practice of the development of the political process testifies to the unpredictable, and sometimes contrary to expectations, nature of the behavior of the Russian voter. Manifested in last decades XX century, the tendency towards weakening the dependence between social status, belonging to a certain group and electoral choice suggests that there is no correlation between the political choice, socio-professional affiliation and social status of the individual who makes this choice. In that distinctive feature development of the political process in Russia. The problem of absenteeism is one of the key problems of Russian democracy.

The rapid expansion of absenteeism in recent years indicates the instability of the current political system in Russia. The decline in electoral activity is, first of all, an expression of the population’s disappointment in the Russian electoral system, a loss of trust in the authorities, and evidence of an increase in protest potential in various social groups, nihilistic attitude towards democratic institutions, political parties and their leaders Political Science: Textbook / Ed. M.A. Vasilika. - M.: Gardariki, 2005.

Absenteeism is evasion from participation in political life, inaction of the people, evasion of their electoral functions.

Symptoms of this situation in society are low turnout in elections and low party activity.

I think this is very typical for modern Russia. I constantly hear from people the following opinions about politics: “I’m not interested in this,” “politics is a dirty business,” “you can’t change anything anyway,” “everyone there is a thieve, who cares who’s in power, everyone’s good.”

This, together with the low turnout in elections, together with the low level of participation of our society in political parties and political actions, suggests that our country is experiencing a classic case of absenteeism.

The reason for absenteeism in our country can be considered: disappointment of the people in power and politics, constant propaganda in various media and restrictions on freedom of speech, a general decline in the level of culture and education of society, conformism of people, a small number of independent media, outflow (emigration) of the politically active population abroad.

All this leads to the fact that the government takes advantage of the passivity of society and governs the country without taking into account the opinion of the people, often rigging various elections or manipulating consciousness through controlled media.

A similar situation is observed in some former republics Soviet Union. First of all, these are: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turmenistan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Belarus.

The history of mankind shows that the government has always sought to reduce and limit the rights of society to participate in political life. It seems to me that based on the very definition of absenteeism as a voluntary avoidance of participation in political life, we can only speak about it in the last 100 years of world history. Before this, totalitarian, absolutist, authoritarian regimes in every possible way limited the ability of society, for example, to participate in government elections. And society has been fighting for such rights all these centuries. And only in recent years have people had the opportunity to elect power (when democracies appeared) and, accordingly, avoid at will from this right.

Historians say that in Ancient Rome Absenteeism was observed in the 3rd century. But it can hardly be said that all Romans had the right to participate in elections and vote. But many even democratic countries had a property qualification. Not every citizen can participate in elections or vote.

Therefore, if we talk about examples of absenteeism in world literature, we should first of all consider modern literature.
From modern writers Zakhar Prilepin writes a lot on the topic of politics in modern Russia. For example, his book “Sankya” can partly serve as such an example. Of course there main character takes a very active part in politics, but at the same time, the society is shown to be quite apolitical, indifferent to elections and the political life of the country.
Example from classical literature- this is the work of Saltykov-Shchedrin “The History of a City”. It not only shows an absolutely pliable, passive and easily controlled society without any political ambitions, but also shows the origins of this society. The work is very interesting for any person who would like to understand the origins of modern Russian absenteeism.
Example from foreign literature- Orwell's "Animal Farm". After a revolution occurs on the farm, power is seized by the pigs, who gradually convince the rest of the farm animals to give up their political rights. The Animal Farm society is completely passive when it comes to politics. The same behavior is demonstrated by the inhabitants of the country of Oceania in another of Orwell's books, 1984.

Absenteeism is an extremely dangerous situation for any society. A passive, indifferent society that avoids participation in the political life of the country is a direct road to totalitarianism and autocracy.

Absenteeism is an indifferent attitude of people towards their socio-political rights; a characteristic manifestation of absenteeism is the deliberate avoidance of voters (electorate) from participating in voting

The first information about absenteeism appears in the 3rd century BC. Currently, a significant part of Roman citizens, who, unlike the Athenians, did not receive any remuneration for participating in the political process, and could not afford frequent and private participation in meetings.

Today, in many countries of the world, it is considered normal when from a third to half of voters go to the polling stations, and in some places just 1/10 of the electorate votes. In most liberal states, it is considered that not going to the polls is the same right of a free person as the rest, which a civilized society guarantees to a person. In Ukraine, participation in voting is voluntary, and in the world there are examples when the law is established as mandatory. Thus, non-participation in elections in Italy leads to moral sanctions, in Mexico - up to a fine or imprisonment, in Greece and Austria - to imprisonment for a period of one month to one rokoku.

There are two main types of causes of absenteeism:

1) related to the characteristics of a specific election campaign, when, for certain reasons, the elections are not interesting: the nominated candidates are not bright, there is no genuine competition in the elections, etc.;

2) related to the general political, social and economic situation in the country

OVLazarenko and OO Lazorenko believe that absenteeism as a type of political behavior of an individual is:

1) a trait of her character, a life position, manifested in the absence of a need, habit, desire for political action;

2) a worldview focused, for example, on internal improvement

Among the reasons for absenteeism, we note a low level of political culture, infantilism or awareness of one’s own political powerlessness, inability to influence political decision-making, alienation of one’s own political values ​​and needs from the possibilities of satisfying them, a high level of voters’ distrust of political institutions, etc.

Absenteeism is a reflection of people’s desire to distance themselves from politics, in which some of them see a vain and ambitious competition of group and selfish interests. According to MRocard, in modern suspense, in which the influence of religion has weakened greatly, everything tragic and sacred is associated with politics. When is it not meets their expectations, they are disappointed in it, and as one of the consequences - absenteeism.

41. Electoral system of the Republic of Belarus

Belarus, Belarus, Republic of Belarus (Belarus. Republic of Belarus) - presidential republic, unitary state.

The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus was adopted by parliament on March 15, 1994. In November 1996, 70.5 percent of voters supported the presidential version of the new Constitution, which provided for a significant expansion of the powers of the head of state. In 2004, amendments and additions were also made to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus.

The President of the Republic of Belarus is the head of state and is elected through direct elections for a period of 5 years. The same person may hold the position of President of the Republic of Belarus for more than two consecutive terms.

In accordance with the Constitution, the parliament - the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus - is the highest legislative body of Belarus. It consists of two chambers - the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic, the term of office of parliament is 4 years.

The House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus (Belarus. Chamber of the Pradstaўnіkoў National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus) is the lower house of the parliament of Belarus. The composition of the House of Representatives is 110 deputies.

The Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus is the upper house of the parliament of the Republic of Belarus. The composition of the Council of the Republic is 64 senators.

Elections for the President of Belarus are held using a majoritarian electoral system of absolute majority - to be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive more than 50 percent of the votes. The elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus are considered valid if more than half of the citizens of the Republic of Belarus included in the voter list took part in the voting. If none of the candidates received the required number of votes in the first round, a second round of voting for two candidates is held no later than within two weeks.

The election of deputies of the House of Representatives is carried out on the basis of universal, free, equal, direct suffrage by secret ballot. Elections take place in single-mandate constituencies.

The Council of the Republic is the chamber of territorial representation. At meetings of deputies of local councils, eight members of the Council of the Republic are elected from each region and the city of Minsk. In addition to them, eight members of the Council of the Republic are appointed by the President of the Republic of Belarus.

The turnout threshold for elections of deputies to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus is more than 50 percent of voters for the first round and more than 25 percent for the second round. If the specified voter turnout thresholds are not reached, repeat elections are held.

In accordance with the law, early termination of the powers of the chambers of parliament is possible. When the powers of one of the chambers are terminated, the powers of the other chamber may be terminated.

The next presidential elections in the Republic of Belarus will be held on December 19, 2010. The resolution on the date of their holding was adopted on September 14, 2010 by the Belarusian parliament. The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus registered 10 candidates, including the current President Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko.

In monitoring the elections of the President of the Republic of Belarus from the Russian side, it is planned that observers will participate in international missions through the CIS and OSCE, as well as on a bilateral basis.