a political system in which power legally belongs to the people and the freedom and equality of citizens is proclaimed. There was slaveholding, feudal, bourgeois, and socialist democracy. It differs from authoritarian and totalitarian regimes by the formal recognition of the equality of all before the law, the proclamation of political rights and freedoms within the framework of the country's Constitution, the election of representative bodies of power, universal suffrage, and respect for human rights.

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DEMOCRACY

Greek dnmokratia, literally - the power of the demos, i.e. the people, democracy) - one of the forms of the state, in which power is either formally legal (in exploitative states), or legally and actually (in states socialist type) belongs to the people, as well as to society. and state system, characterized by a set of definitions. rights and freedoms of citizens. First encountered in Herodotus, the term "D." established itself (as a designation of one of the forms of the state) and passed into the science of modern times from Aristotle. The first type of D. was the slave owner. D., which existed in a number of the most economically developed ancient Greek. policies (later, already in the 19th century, the term military democracy appeared in science to characterize the social system of the era of the decomposition of primitive communal relations and the emergence of a class society). The most striking example of ancient slave ownership. D. is state. building of Athens 5-4 centuries. BC. (see Athens Ancient). The supreme authority in Athens was the people. assembly (ekklesia), gathered ca. 40 times a year. The council (boule) actually played the role of a commission that prepared draft decisions of the ecclesia. All officials were accountable to the ecclesia and were most often chosen by lot. Important integral part Athens D. there was a jury trial (helium). For the performance of various positions, incl. for participation in helium, and at one time for presence on the people. At the meeting, poor citizens received a small fee. This entire system ensured widespread participation of even the poorest male citizens in the management of the state. However, not only the huge mass of slaves, but also thousands of free Greeks from other Hellenic cities who permanently resided in Attica were deprived of their rank. political right Despite the class. limited slave ownership. D. - D. privileged minority - D.'s victory in Athens played a huge role in the economics. and the cultural flourishing of Athens in the 5th-4th centuries. BC. Democratic the device existed in many Greek policies, especially those that were part of the Athenian sea. union (see Arche of Athens). However, in general, slavery was not a typical form of slave ownership. state For the era of feudalism, D. is even less typical. Only elements of D. existed in some European countries. Middle-century cities, where, as a result of guild uprisings against the patriciate, participation in the mountains. Relatively wide layers of artisans came into administration (but only rich craftsmen penetrated into the city government bodies, and a guild oligarchy was established). Formally democratic. the republic was the Novgorod feudal republic; The highest authority here was the veche, in which all adult husbands could participate. population and even free peasants from surrounding villages. In the department districts and in special conditions (underdevelopment of feudal relations, preservation of the community, etc.) elements of primitive democratic continued to exist. organizations (for example, certain Swiss communities, the social structure of the Cossacks). Anticipation of certain bourgeois principles. D. appears during the Reformation of the 16th century. - in the republic form of organization of Calvinist communities (with the election of pastors by believers). But the broad problem of D. as a form of politics. power arose for the first time in the era immediately preceding the early bourgeoisie. revolutions, and practically - during the revolutions themselves. A reflection of the division within the bourgeoisie and the degree of closeness of its various layers to the people was the different assessment of D. French. political writers of the 18th century: for some (for example, P. Holbach) democracy is an undesirable, “bad” form of government, others (J. J. Rousseau) are supporters of the broadest democracy. Rousseau, as the most brilliant theorist of democracy of that period when the bourgeoisie was a rising class, proclaimed that the entire state belongs to the people. sovereignty - only the general will of the people has the right to create laws and establish government; he is a supporter of the so-called. "immediate D." (i.e., one where the entire people exercises power directly, and not through representative institutions). At the end of 18 - 1st quarter. 19th centuries in conditions of serfdom. autocratic Russia is especially clearly plural. democratic the principles were formulated by Radishchev in Pestel's "Russian Truth". The first revolutionaries bourgeois political manifestos and constitutions - Amer. Declaration of Independence 1776, French. Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (1789), French. The constitutions of 1791 and especially 1793 are imbued with the ideas of the people. sovereignty and contractual origin of state. authorities. In the bourgeoisie state-wah feud. class-represent. institutions gave way to new ones. bodies created to participate in legislation and control over government; the rights of the head of state were precisely defined and limited by the articles of the constitution; were proclaimed and enshrined in political constitutions. rights and freedoms of citizens (personal integrity, religious freedom, freedom of speech, press, etc.). All this was a big step forward in comparison with the feud. state and feud. society We are building. However, D., born a revolutionary. the struggle of the masses turned out to be not “general democracy,” but only a class, a bourgeoisie. D. - form of political domination of the bourgeoisie. In practice, depending on the ratio of class. forces in one country or another in the bourgeoisie. state-wahs established one or another degree of D. (countries of “classical” bourgeois D. of the 19th century - England, as well as the USA, Switzerland), but always bourgeois D. - limited, truncated and formal, with many reservations and exceptions, aimed at preventing active participation in politics. life of broad sections of the people. Burzh. political thought created a huge apologetic. literature, not only extolling the bourgeoisie. D., but most importantly - falsifying its true essence (for example, the French "democratic school" of the 19th century - A. Tocqueville "Democracy in America", Lamartine "Parliamentary France"; John Stuart Mill - "On Liberty", " Representative board", etc.). For bourgeois apologists. D. the announcement of the bourgeoisie is especially characteristic. D. by a supra-class state, “pure” D., “D. for all”, recognition as a mandatory attribute of D. protection of the “sacred right of property” (the latter clearly reveals the bourgeois essence of these theories). In the ranks of modern defenders of the bourgeois D. there are also right-wing Social-Democrats. leaders. V. I. Lenin subjected to devastating criticism the bourgeois reformist views on democracy ("State and Revolution", "Proletarian Revolution and the Renegade Kautsky" and other works of Lenin). He showed that in a society divided into classes, one can only talk about class. D., remaining even in the most “democratic.” exploitative state is only D. for the minority, D. for the exploiters, which is bourgeois. Democracy remains “inevitably narrow, secretly repelling the poor, and therefore completely hypocritical and deceitful,” he debunked the bourgeois-liberal opposition between democracy and dictatorship, showing that the bourgeois. D. is only the most thinly veiled form of dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. At the same time, Lenin emphasized that the form of the bourgeoisie is not indifferent to the proletariat. state that he should use burzh. D. to unite and protect their interests. “We are for a democratic republic, as the best form of state for the proletariat under capitalism, but we have no right to forget that wage slavery is the lot of the people even in the most democratic bourgeois republic” (Works, vol. 25, p. 370). The era of imperialism is characterized by the transition of the bourgeoisie to politics. reactions along all lines, incl. curtailment of D. Imperialist. The bourgeoisie is seeking expansion of the executive. power at the expense of parliament, actually. transfer to the government of legislators. powers, is attacking democracy. rights and freedoms, and during the period of the general crisis of capitalism, in some cases, completely eliminates democracy in a number of states, establishing fascism. dictatorship or other forms of authoritarian regime. At the same time, the influence of the world socialist system and the struggle of the working people force monopoly. the bourgeoisie to make certain concessions, to take steps towards a certain expansion of democracy. rights and institutions. At the same time, the bourgeoisie is strengthening. propaganda seeking to disguise the dictatorship of monopoly. bourgeoisie under “general democracy,” under the “welfare state.” Widely advertising supposedly democratic. the character of his elect. systems, monopolistic The bourgeoisie, using such powerful means as capital, the press, radio, cinema, television, imposes its candidates on voters. But in the most dangerous times for politicians. imperialist domination bourgeoisie moments it replaces the bourgeoisie. D. to his open dictatorship. The deepest revelation of the bourgeoisie. D. serves as the establishment of the 1933 fascism. dictatorship in bourgeois-democratic Germany. In historical the period when the bourgeoisie was mainly progressive class, the establishment of democracy was part of the tasks of the bourgeois revolutions. At the end of the 19th century - the beginning. 20th centuries the problem of the struggle for democracy was posed by Lenin in a new way: even in a revolution whose content was bourgeois-democratic. The character and role of the vanguard and hegemon in the struggle for democracy should belong to the working class - only it can bring the bourgeois-democratic to the end. revolution and thereby provide the necessary prerequisites for socialism. revolution. Lenin's ideas about the meaning of democracy. transformations in the struggle for socialism were further developed in modern times. conditions in international documents. communist movement (in the Statement of the Meeting of Representatives of Communist and Workers' Parties in 1960, the CPSU Program of 1961 and other communist parties). In modern conditions where there is a monopoly. capital is more and more clearly revealing its anti-democracy essence, the connection between the struggle for democracy and the struggle for socialism is becoming even closer. Basic content of general democratic the struggle becomes a struggle against capitalism. monopolies, while playing a decisive role in the development of modern. mass antimonopolistic democratic movements plays the creation of a system of class unions, the ability of the proletariat and its party to unite the various social strata suffering from the oppression of monopolies, on the basis of common democratic demands. In modern conditions, the struggle for democracy, led by the working class and its parties, cannot consist only in the defense of existing democracies. freedoms and institutions. Capitalist Communist Party countries put forward the slogan of uniting all democratic, anti-monopoly. forces to fight against the omnipotence of monopolies - for the revival, development and renewal of democracy as a stage for the transition to socialism. revolution and the establishment of a new type of democracy - socialist. D. The struggle for D. is considered as an integral part of the struggle for socialism; their inextricable connection unites both with the struggle against imperialism and with the struggle for peace. The struggle for D. is one of the most current problems development of young national states freed from colonial dependence. The Communist Parties of these countries emphasize that the struggle for national liberation and social progress cannot be completed without the development of democracy, without the democratization of all societies. and state life. They advocate the formation of a state of national democracy, opening up the prospects of non-capitalism. development ways. The highest form of democracy is socialist democracy. Already the Parisian workers, who fought on the barricades during the June uprising of 1848 under the slogan “Long live the democratic and social republic,” essentially expressed the desire to establish a new, not bourgeois, but socialist. D. This desire became scientific. expression in the Manifesto communist party“Marx and Engels, who for the first time connected the concept of democracy with the socialist revolution, the destruction of private property and the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat: “... the first step in the workers’ revolution is the transformation of the proletariat into the ruling class, the conquest of democracy” (Works, 2nd ed., vol. 4, p. 446). Lenin, analyzing after Marx (" Civil War in France"), the lessons of the Paris Commune of 1871, saw in its political institutions the prototype of the new socialist democracy and, more specifically, the prototype of one of its forms - the power of the Soviets (see "State and Revolution"). Socialist democracy, born in the fierce class. struggle, did not hide behind, like the bourgeois D., the hypocritical slogan “D. for everyone," and openly proclaimed that this D. of the transitional period will be at the same time the dictatorship of the proletariat. "Democracy for the gigantic majority of the people and suppression by force, that is, exclusion from democracy of the exploiters, oppressors of the people - this is the modification of democracy during the transition from capitalism to communism" (V.I. Lenin, Soch., vol. 25, p. 434). Lenin showed, therefore, that the fundamental difference between socialist democracy, even at its very origin, lies in the fact that it represents is D. for the overwhelming majority, that it involves the broadest masses of working people in the management of the state. Socialist D. exists in the form of a republic of Soviets and in the form of the current constitutions of socialist states. socialist states) legislate the fundamental principles of democracy: the sovereignty of the people; the rights of citizens: to work, to education, to rest, to material support in old age, in case of illness or loss of ability to work, etc. Thus, socialist. D. includes not only the “old”, traditional political. freedom (receiving a fundamentally new content), but also many others. completely new - social - rights. Socialist D. provides freedom from exploitation for the first time. D. represents the objective demand of the socialist. building, because societies. ownership of the means of production presupposes society. people management economics, the building of socialism is possible only thanks to the involvement of the people. masses to manage the affairs of the society. Socialist D., in contrast to the bourgeoisie, not only proclaims the rights of the people, but also guarantees their actual implementation. Socialist Since its inception, D. has been subjected to fierce attacks from the bourgeoisie. and reformist ideologists. Socialist The state is portrayed by them as anti-democratic, “totalitarian”, “dictatorial” (with these concepts they unite both socialist and fascist regimes that have deeply compromised themselves); as the ideal of “complete” and “unlimited by anything” D. socialist the state is opposed to you by the bourgeoisie. D., "free world" (or "Western world"). The anti-communist right-wing socialist and reformist press contrasts the social and political system of the socialist states with a certain “liberal”, “democratic.” socialism (which in reality turns out to be only a slightly embellished capitalism); "democratic socialism" has become official. modern doctrine right socialists. Socialist D. is a developing phenomenon. Its mechanism takes shape as the new system strengthens; its development does not always occur “in a straight line.” Thus, in the USSR, with the victory of socialism, social prerequisites for the further development of socialism arose. D. This was reflected in the Constitution of 1936 (the abolition of restrictions on voting rights according to the class principle, the introduction of general and equal elections, etc.). However, under the conditions of Stalin’s personality cult, the development of the Soviet Union. D. slowed down. During this period, such a gross violation of D. took place as a violation of socialism. legality. The cult of personality was fundamentally contrary to socialism. D., he caused enormous damage to it (although he could not change the deeply democratic essence of the socialist system). The struggle to overcome the harmful consequences of the cult of personality, which unfolded after the 20th Congress of the CPSU (1956), is at the same time a struggle to restore Leninist party norms. and state life, for the development of socialism. D. With the completion of the state’s development of the dictatorship of the proletariat into a national one. State proletarian D. has turned into a national one. D. The course for further broad development of socialism. D. is associated with the entry of the USSR into the period of extensive construction of communism. This is reflected in the legislation. acts and part. documents from the 50s and 60s. (primarily in the new CPSU Program (1961)) and in state practice. construction (increasing the role and intensifying the activities of Soviets and public organizations, expanding the rights of the union republics, changing the forms and methods of management of industry, construction and agriculture, expanding the circle of elected officials, periodically updating the composition of representative bodies, consistent . exercise of the right to recall deputies, national discussion of the most important state laws and regulations, organization of broad popular control, etc. Comprehensive development of socialism. D. is ch. direction of socialist development. statehood during the construction of communism. In the process of further development, socialist. D. will occur, the CPSU Program indicates, a gradual transformation of state bodies. authorities into the bodies of societies. self-government. D. as a form of state is gradually dying out, giving way to D. as a form of non-political. organization of society. See also State. Lit. (except for the reference in the article): Communists and democracy (exchange of views), "PMiS", 1963, NoNo 4-7; Duclos J., The Future of Democracy, trans. from French, M., 1963; Chernyaev A.S., Causes and character of modern times. democratic movements in countries of developed capitalism, "NNI", 1961, No. 5; Pavlov V.I., Redko I.B., State National. democracy and the transition to non-capitalist. development, "NAiA", 1963, No. 1; Democracy and communism. Questions of the communist theory of democracy. Sat. Art., M., 1962. See also lit. at Art. State. S. F. Kechekyan. Moscow.

Instructions

Democracy can be direct or indirect. In the first case, the government of the state is carried out directly by its citizens. In the second, the country is governed by deputies to whom the population delegates these powers. In this case, management occurs on behalf of the people.

Democracy has its defining characteristics. The main characteristic feature of a democratic system is human freedom, which has been elevated to the rank of law. That is, the effect of any normative act and document adopted by public authorities should not limit this freedom or infringe upon it.

Democracy implies that power should not be concentrated in one hand. Therefore, power has different levels - regional and local. They are the ones who directly interact with the population and are called upon to take into account their wishes and aspirations in their activities and be guided by them. Any citizen living in this territory has the right to directly interact with government officials.

The fullness of interaction between citizens and authorities is not limited by religious or ideological views, or nationality. A democratic society and state assumes that all its members and citizens have equal rights. In such a country and society, everyone is given freedom of speech and the opportunity to create and participate in any religious, social or political organizations.

The people have the right to express their opinions through referendums and freely choose government bodies and the head of state. This is not only a right, but also a civic duty. The participation of the population, which is a conglomeration of people with different religious views and different mentalities, in elections allows all groups of the population to realize their opportunity to govern the country. This allows the views and needs of all citizens to be taken into account.

Democracy is that version of the government system in which it is possible to achieve consensus between all layers and public associations representing the state.

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Totalitarian democracy is also called imitative democracy, since in this political regime the power of the people is only declared, but in reality ordinary citizens do not take part in governing the state or participate minimally.

Totalitarianism and its signs

Totalitarian democracy is one of the forms of totalitarianism, but at the same time, outwardly it retains the signs of a democratic system: the rotation of the head of state, the election of government bodies, universal suffrage, etc.

Totalitarianism is a system of government that presupposes the establishment of total control over all aspects of the life of society in general and each person in particular. At the same time, the state forcibly regulates the lives of all members of society, completely depriving them of the right to independence not only in actions, but also in thoughts.

The main signs of totalitarianism: the existence of a single state ideology, which must be supported by all residents of the country; strict censorship; state control over funds mass media; relations in the country are based on the following position: “only what is recognized by the authorities is allowed, everything else is prohibited”; police control is carried out over the entire society in order to identify dissidents; bureaucracy in all spheres of life.

Under totalitarianism, the border between state and society is actually erased, since everything is controlled and strictly regulated. Region personal life person is very limited.

Totalitarian democracy in history

The reasons for the formation of totalitarian democracy are still debatable. Such systems are formed, as a rule, after the abrupt establishment of democracy in countries with an authoritarian or totalitarian regime: a political coup, revolution, etc. Usually in these cases the population is not yet sufficiently politically literate, which is often abused by people who come to power. Despite the fact that government bodies are elected by popular vote, the results of these elections are always predictable in advance. Moreover, such stability is largely ensured not through direct manipulation. Administrative resources, control of the media, public organizations, the economy and investments - these are the tools used by the ruling elite in a system such as a totalitarian democracy.

A striking example of such a political system in history is the state structure of the USSR. Despite the proclamation of the constitution and the declaration of universal equality, in fact the country was led by the highest ranks of the Communist Party. The political system in the Soviet Union is examined in detail in the book of the famous French humanist philosopher Raymond Aron, “Democracy and Totalitarianism.”

• Democracy (ancient Greek δημοκρατία - “power of the people”, from δῆμος - “people” and κράτος - “power”) - political regime, which is based on the method of collective decision-making with equal influence of participants on the outcome of the process or on its significant stages. Although this method is applicable to any social structure, today its most important application is the state, since it has great power. In this case, the definition of democracy is usually narrowed to one of the following:

  Leaders are appointed by the people they lead through fair and competitive elections.

  The people are the only legitimate source of power

  Society exercises self-government for the common good and satisfaction of common interests

  Popular government requires ensuring a number of rights for every member of society. A number of values ​​are associated with democracy: legality, political and social equality, freedom, the right to self-determination, human rights, etc.

  Since the ideal of democracy is difficult to achieve and is subject to different interpretations, many practical models were offered. Until the 18th century, the most well-known model was direct democracy, where citizens exercise their right to make political decisions directly, through consensus, or through procedures for the subordination of the minority to the majority. In a representative democracy, citizens exercise the same right through their elected deputies and other officials by delegating to them some of their own rights, while the elected leaders make decisions taking into account the preferences of those led and are responsible to them for their actions.

  One of the main goals of democracy is to limit arbitrariness and abuse of power. This goal often failed to be achieved where human rights and other democratic values ​​were not generally accepted or were not effectively protected by the legal system. Today in many countries democracy is identified with liberal democracy which, along with fair, periodic and general elections of the highest officials in which candidates freely compete for the votes of the electorate, includes the rule of law, the separation of powers, and constitutional limits on the power of the majority by guaranteeing certain individual or group liberties. On the other hand, leftist movements, prominent economists, as well as such representatives of the Western political elite as former US President Barack Obama and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde argue that the exercise of the right to make political decisions and the influence of ordinary citizens on the country's policy is impossible without ensuring social rights, equality of opportunity and low level socio-economic inequality.

  Row authoritarian regimes had external signs democratic rule, but in them only one party had power, and the policies pursued did not depend on the preferences of voters. Over the past quarter of a century, the world has been characterized by a trend towards the spread of democracy. The relatively new problems facing it include separatism, terrorism, population migration, and growing social inequality. International organizations such as the UN, OSCE and EU believe that control over internal affairs state, including issues of democracy and human rights, should be partly within the sphere of influence of the international community.

Democracy is generally impossible to define - everything is so confusing here. The very belief in the good of a democratic system cannot be considered a delusion. The last is blind faith in democracy as the only possible form of social order; are not taken into account different meanings this word, and there are at least six of them: democracy as a social structure, a certain type of this structure, a free structure, a legal system, social democracy and, finally, the dictatorship of a party.

1. So, democracy, first and foremost, is a social system in which the people rule, choosing their own rulers, or power. If so, the expression “people's democracy” sounds very strange, because it is the same as “people's democracy”, i.e. “butter butter”. "Democracy" comes from the Greek demos - people and kratein - to rule.

2. Democracy often means not democracy in general, but a certain type, form of democratic structure. There are many forms of democracy. One of them is direct democracy, which previously existed in some Swiss cantons, when the whole people gathered at the so-called Landesgemeinde (general land meetings) and decided on the most important state problems; To some extent, direct democracy also exists in the Swiss confederation. Another form of democracy is parliamentary democracy, where the people elect their representatives (parliamentarians). It can also take different forms: for example, there is presidential democracy (the people elect a president to whom ministers are accountable) and party democracy (ministers are accountable to the Diet). Sometimes it is argued that one form of democracy is the only “true” one. This is obvious superstition.

3. A free social system should be distinguished from democracy as a system, i.e. one in which, for example, freedom of the press, assembly, etc. flourishes. Under a democratic system, such freedoms are limited (for example, during times of war), and on the contrary, in a non-democratic system people sometimes enjoy many freedoms.

4. Sometimes by democracy they mean legality, although legality is something else. Legal is the social order in which the law is respected. In many states with a democratic system, the law is not respected, and vice versa, there are states that are not democratic, but legal. The picture of the latter type of state is drawn by a well-known anecdote from the time of Frederick the Great, in whose state there was no trace of democracy. Royal officials took away his mill from the miller. Melnik said that he would go to Berlin, because, he said, “there are still judges in Berlin.” This means that this miller believed in the legal character of his undemocratic state.

5. One should also not confuse a democratic system, which is relatively free and legal, with the so-called “social democracy”. The latter is a society in which there are no psychological barriers between different social strata. The fact that social democracy and a democratic system are different things is evidenced by the existence of countries with a democratic system, in which, however, such barriers are too large, and, conversely, there are countries with a non-democratic system, in which people belonging to different social strata cannot are not separated from each other. Such social democracy often exists even in countries ruled by a tyrant who seeks to turn all his citizens into slaves.

6. Finally, democracy is the name given to the dictatorship of a party; for example, Marxists-Leninists are accustomed to this; Tyrants in backward countries, where there is often only one party, also use similar terminology. To call such a system democracy is a gross misconception, because there is no democracy here in any of the above meanings: both in the sense of a democratic system, and freedom, etc.

Along with the confusion about democracy and claims about the existence of a single “true” democracy, there is another very common misconception. Some people are convinced that democracy, or one of the forms of democratic order, which has proven itself in a given country or in a given region, should be introduced throughout the world - in China, and in Ethiopia, and in Brazil. However, out of 160 states that exist in the world, only 21 states have a democratic structure. This superstition is one of the worst and most shameful signs of inertia.

D. as a form of state-political. device arose along with the emergence of the state, which replaced the primitive communal clan and tribal self-government. Unlike other forms of state device, under D. the power of the majority, the equality of citizens, the rule of law are officially recognized, and elections are carried out. state bodies, etc. They distinguish directly. and will introduce. D. In the first case, basic. decisions are made directly by voters (for example, at public meetings, through referendums), in the second

elected institutions (eg parliaments). But in the conditions of an exploitative society, democratic.

forms and institutions inevitably remain limited and formal, and through democracy, as a form of state, the dominance of the class is exercised, in whose hands are the means of production and politics. power. The most developed historical type of D. in an exploitative society is the bourgeois. D. is a form of dictatorship of the bourgeoisie.

Truly scientific. D.'s understanding was first developed by the classics of Marxism-Leninism. Analyzing the essence of bourgeois. D., Marxism-Leninism first of all reveals its class content, emphasizing that no matter what development the democratic. institutions and citizens rights, as long as there is private ownership of the means of production and exploitation of labor, as long as political power is in the hands of the bourgeoisie, D. is inevitably limited and hypocritical. It is limited because it does not apply to the most important thing - the conditions of people’s material lives, where blatant inequality and exploitation of some social classes and groups by others continue to exist; hypocritical because it preserves all the contradictions between the proclaimed slogans and reality.

Revealing the essence of the bourgeoisie. D. as a form of class rule of capitalists, Marxism-Leninism highlights ch. a feature that distinguishes it from other forms of exploitative states: in bourgeois-democratic. In a republic, the power of capital is exercised not directly, but indirectly. The presence of universal suffrage. law, parliament and the government responsible to it, the jury, the system of local self-government, the officially proclaimed inviolability of the person and home, freedom of the press and assembly - all this creates the appearance of “autocracy of the people.” In fact, for democracy. the shell hides the power of big capital.

But the limited class character of the bourgeois. D. does not mean that its institutions cannot be used by the working class. Democratic principles, rights, institutions - the result of the people's struggle. wt. No matter how limited and formal they may be under capitalism, the working class uses them to protect their economies. and political interests, for self-organization and education of the working masses. Although under democratic In a republic, the state remains a machine for the oppression of one class by another, an instrument of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, this does not mean. that the form of oppression is indifferent to the working class. The more rights and freedoms the proletariat wins, the more better conditions for his organization into a revolutionary. party, to promote scientific ideas. communism and the inclusion of broad people. of the masses in the struggle against the power of capital, the greater the opportunity to use democracy. capitalist institutions state, have their own press, seek the election of their representatives to local governments, send deputies to parliament. Therefore, the working class is fighting for the preservation and development of democracy. In modern conditions. revolutionary era of the transition from capitalism to socialism, the struggle for democracy becomes an integral part of the struggle for socialism.

Burzh. D. is a huge progress compared to state politics. organization of the Middle Ages. society. But it was and remains a form of class rule of the bourgeoisie, which was not fully understood by K. Kautsky and other leaders of the 2nd International, who defended the idea of ​​the so-called. pure democracy and believed that on the basis of such, regardless of its class content, the proletariat is able to solve the revolutions facing it. tasks. But history has refuted these concepts. If the use by workers is democratic. rights and institutions really threaten to affect the fundamentals. economical interests and politics the power of the bourgeoisie, the last from

It seems that she has created the legality, grossly tramples D. and resorts to direct violence.

With the emergence of the Sov. state a new historical has appeared. type of democracy - socialist democracy. Socialism for the first time returns the concept of democracy to its true meaning, fills democracy and principles with real content. But this is happening but as a result of only one revolution. transfer of power to the working class and its allies. Formation and development of socialism. D. is long enough. process. Basic socialist principles democracy were formulated by K. Marx and F. Engels and included in the theory of science. communism as part of the doctrine of socialism. state-ve. V.I. Lenin not only comprehensively developed this teaching, but also directly supervised the construction of socialism. D. The principles of D. of a new type have become a reality in many. countries. Socialist D. has become an established phenomenon. Socialist development D. found a detailed embodiment in the Constitution of the USSR.

For socialist D. characteristic traces. peculiarities. Being qualitatively new in its class content, political. phenomenon, it inherits all the best from democracies. gains of the working people, adapts them to new conditions, significantly renews and enriches them.

Along with creative Using the heritage of the past, socialism creates completely new, previously unknown principles and forms of democracy. The possibilities for this are inherent in the very nature of socialism. building. Thus, the dominance of societies. ownership of the means of production means that the object is democratic. management and control become economics and culture, which in modern conditions. state-monopoly capitalism is only partially regulated by the bourgeoisie. state

The fundamental feature of socialism. D. also lies in the fact that it is constantly developing and improving. With the construction of a developed socialist society and as we move further towards communism, new means and methods are born for the participation of workers in the affairs of society. Steady growth of societies. wealth expands social rights workers, but the development of culture, ideological and morals. the consciousness of the people creates the preconditions for the increasingly widespread use of political. free

Democracy in politics The system of socialism is ensured by a combination of methods. and directly D. In the USSR the principle of people. representation is embodied in the People's Councils. deputies, who make up from bottom to top unified system authorities, business manager state Direct methods D. are used under socialism on a scale that was unthinkable in the past. This is a national thing. discussion of draft major laws, activities of parties, trade unions, Komsomol and other societies. org-tions, system of people. control, farms. cooperatives, creative unions, various associations (by profession, by interest, by place of residence, by departmental affiliation, etc.), through which citizens widely participate in decisions about politics, production. and everyday issues.

The guiding force of these organizations is socialist. society is communist. the consignment. Management of society by communists. the party is provided by Ch. condition for true democracy of the state. power - the compliance of its policies with the interests of the entire people. In conditions of developed socialist society in the USSR developed socio-politically. and the ideological unity of the entire people. Identity of fundamental interests of owls. people does not, however, deny specific diversity. interests of various social, national, age, professional. and other groups of the population. Acting as a spokesman for the common interests of the entire Sov. people, the party at the same time takes into account and agrees on specifics. interests various groups population, ensures their satisfaction in line with a unified policy. Leadership from the party guarantees and other fundamentally important conditions for state democracy. power - compliance of its policies with the interests of the progressive development of society. Building its activities on the basis of Marxist-Leninist theory, the CPSU achieves not only max. satisfaction of the material and spiritual needs of workers, but also constant movement towards the goals specified by scientific. communism.

One of the fundamental principles of D. is equality. Under capitalism, the implementation of this principle was limited only to the formal equality of citizens before the law. Transfer of production funds to companies. property caused a radical revolution in the entire system of societies. relationships. The conditions for the exploitation of man by man were eliminated and thereby the only reliable and real foundation for equality was created. Political equality of citizens socialist. society is clearly manifested in the fact that all citizens can participate in the affairs of the state, regardless of race or nationality. belonging, gender, religion, education, residence, social origin, property. position and past activities. Enormous progress has been made in overcoming various types social inequality, affirmation of equality of nations, equality of men and women.

Socialist D. creates conditions for individual freedom. Socialist constitutions. countries, other laws along with broad socio-economic. The rights proclaimed are freedom of speech, press, assembly, freedom of conscience, inviolability of home, privacy of correspondence, etc. of citizens. freedom. Moreover, these integral elements of D. are not simply declared, but actually guaranteed by the transfer into the hands of the people of the means of production, of all societies. wealth, the very way of life under socialism. In socialist countries, the rights and freedoms of citizens are inseparable from their responsibilities.

Socialist Democraticism under communism will develop into a communist system of public self-government, which, however, does not mean the abolition of democracy. principles and institutions. On the contrary, in communist in society they must receive further development, and only the state as a political instrument will wither away. power and that form of D., which is connected with it.

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A political system that gives citizens the right to participate in political decision-making and elect their representatives to government bodies.

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DEMOCRACY

DEMOCRACY) In ancient Greek society, democracy meant government by citizens, as opposed to rule by a tyrant or an aristocracy. In modern democratic systems Citizens do not rule directly; they usually elect their representatives to parliament through a competitive party system. Democracy in this sense is often associated with the protection of individual freedoms from government interference. There are several stages in the history of sociological research on democracy. Many concepts of democracy developed in the 19th century, such as that of A. de Tocqueville, focused on the social consequences of allowing traditionally subordinate groups the opportunity for greater political participation, a theme subsequently developed by theorists of mass society. More recent work has examined the relationship between social development and parliamentary democracy. Researchers have tried to link democracy to the degree of industrialization, the level of educational achievement and the amount of national wealth. It was noted that democracy is naturally supported by more high level industrial development, ensuring wider participation of the population in politics. Other approaches have focused on the question of how trade union democracy can lead to bureaucracy, and on the relationship between democracy and citizenship. There is currently debate about whether modern democracies truly represent the interests of their citizens or protect individual freedoms. Some state theorists argue that Democrats serve only the interests of the elite or capitalist class. See also: Associational Democracy; Vote; Citizenship; Voluntary organizations; Industrial Democracy; Capitalism; Michels; Political parties; Political participation; Elite. Lit.: Dahl (1989); Pierson (1996)

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