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

However, in the context of life realities, as well as within the framework of our study, the phenomenon of absenteeism must be understood much broader. Absenteeism itself is a term of broad application. IN in general terms Absenteeism is defined as the absence of individuals in a certain place at a certain time and the associated failure to fulfill the corresponding social functions.

At the same time, an innumerable number of shades of this phenomenon are distinguished.

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

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

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

The position of non-participation taken by a person concerns only those types of political activity where he can somehow show himself as active personality: to express one's opinion, to express one's belonging to some group or organization, to determine one's attitude towards one or another candidate for parliament.

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

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

Some authors equate absenteeism and non-participation in voting. It seems that this is not a completely correct position. Absenteeism really turns into a problem only if non-participation in elections is at least an indicator of citizens' alienation from the political sphere of a person's life, and at most - a form of passive protest. In other words, absenteeism is associated with non-participation, which is caused by persistent disbelief that with the help of elections one can solve problems that are significant for society (themselves, an identifiable group) problems: distrust in the fairness of the vote count, other procedural issues, citizens' apathy towards politics.

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

Agricultural absenteeism is a form of land ownership in which the owner of the land, who is not involved in the production of products, receives income in the form of rent. At the same time, the land is cultivated by tenant farmers or sharecroppers in the absence of its owner.

Thus, absenteeism affects not only the narrow political aspects of life, but is a fairly broad social phenomenon, expressed in the non-fulfillment of a wide variety of social functions. The fight against absenteeism that exists in our society should be carried out not only within the framework of overcoming it in the electoral consciousness of society, but also affect all other areas of life, because in this case everything big starts small.

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

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

The beginning of understanding the phenomenon of absenteeism was laid back in the late XIX - early XX centuries. The first researchers of absenteeism were representatives of the Chicago School of Political Science Ch.-E. Merriam and G.-F. Gossnel. In 1924, they interviewed American voters in order to find out the motives for avoiding participation in the elections. In the future, the problem of absenteeism was considered in the framework of studies of electoral processes. Research in this direction was carried out by G. Lasswell, S. Verba, N. Nye and others.

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

An analysis of several works allows us to single out a hypothesis explaining the emergence of absenteeism:

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

Hypotheses-consequences:

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

The term political absenteeism appeared in the first half of the 20th century. American scientists began to use it, describing the reluctance of citizens to participate in the political life of the country, and especially in elections. Studies of the phenomenon of political absenteeism have generated many theories and hypotheses explaining its causes and consequences.

concept

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

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

Features of political absenteeism

Electoral passivity can exist only in states where there is no external coercion to political activity. It is excluded in totalitarian societies, where, as a rule, participation in fake elections is mandatory. In such countries, the leading position is occupied by a single party that alters for itself. Political absenteeism in a democratic system occurs when a person is deprived of duties and receives rights. Disposing of them, he may not participate in the elections.

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

Absenteeism and extremism

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

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

Abuse of passivity of citizens

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

Limited electoral participation is the exclusion of certain segments of the population from political life. Such a principle can lead to meritocracy or oligarchy, when only the “best” and “the elite” get access to government. Such consequences of political absenteeism completely obliterate democracy. Elections as a way of forming the will of a statistical majority stop working.

Absenteeism in Russia

In the 1990s, political absenteeism in Russia showed itself in all its glory. Many residents of the country refused to participate in public life. They were frustrated by the loud political slogans and the empty shelves in the shops across the street from their house.

In domestic science, several points of view about absenteeism have been formed. In Russia, this phenomenon is a peculiar behavior that manifests itself in evading participation in elections and other political actions. In addition, it is an apathetic and indifferent attitude. Inaction can also be called absenteeism, but it is not always dictated by indifferent views. If we consider such behavior as a manifestation of the will of citizens, then it can even be called one of the signs of the development of democracy. This judgment will be correct, if we discard the cases when such an attitude of citizens is used by the state, which changes the political system without regard to "passive" voters.

Legitimacy of power

The most important problem of political absenteeism is the fact that in the case of voting by a small part of society, it is impossible to speak of a truly popular vote. At the same time, in all democracies, from a social point of view, the structure of visitors to polling stations is very different from the structure of society as a whole. This leads to discrimination of entire population groups and infringement of their interests.

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

Factors affecting absenteeism

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

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

Electoral behavior

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

Rejection from politics comes after the officials do not resolve the problems that concern the inhabitants of their city in everyday life. Comparing the market economy and some scientists have identified the following pattern. Electoral behavior becomes active when a person realizes that he himself will receive some income from his actions. If the economy is about money, then voters want to see tangible changes for the better in their lives. If they do not come, then there is apathy and unwillingness to get involved in politics.

The history of the study of the phenomenon

The comprehension of the phenomenon, which is absenteeism, began in the late XIX - early XX century. The first studies were carried out at the Chicago School of Political Science by scholars Charles Edward Merriam and Gossnell. In 1924, they conducted a sociological survey of ordinary Americans. The experiment was conducted in order to determine the motives of voters who evaded elections.

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

Theory about social capital

This theory appeared thanks to the book "Fundamentals social theory by James Coleman. In it, the author introduced the concept of "social capital" into wide use. The term describes the totality of collective relations in society, which operates according to the market economic principle. Therefore, the author called it "capital".

Initially, Coleman's theory had nothing to do with what had already become known as "political absenteeism". Examples of using the scientist's ideas appeared in joint work Neil Carlson, John Bram and Wendy Rahn. Using this term, they explained the regularity of citizens' participation in elections.

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

Influence of society

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

The situation is different in southern Italy, where there are many rich landowners and poor citizens. There is a whole chasm between them. Such a vertical social connection does not contribute to the cooperation of residents among themselves. People who find themselves in the lowest social strata lose faith in politics and have little interest in election campaigns. Political absenteeism is much more common in this region. The reasons for the difference between the north and south of Italy lie in the heterogeneous social structure society.

Absenteeism as a type of political behavior

test

1.1 The concept and types of political absenteeism

Absenteeism - (lat. absentis - absent) - one of the forms of conscious boycott of elections by voters, refusal to participate in them; passive protest of the population against existing form government, political regime, manifestation of indifference to the exercise by a person of his rights and obligations. In a broad sense, absenteeism can be understood as the fact of the indifferent attitude of the population to political life, the philistine idea of ​​individuals that nothing depends on them in politics, politics is “not my business”, etc. Such a view is contrary to the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation. If “a person, his rights and freedoms are the highest value”, then their manifestation in political life presupposes the rejection of absenteeism, apoliticality. Article 32 of the Constitution states: "Citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to participate in the management of state affairs, both directly and through their representatives." But this right, in unity with the freedom of a person, gives him the opportunity not to participate in political life, in the election campaign. Thus, absenteeism acts as a sign of human freedom in society. But freedom from non-participation in political life turns into the formation of an absent consciousness, indifference to the socio-political affairs of society and the state. Therefore, we especially emphasize that, having a general and political culture, a person is obliged to freely exercise his rights in political life. Mass absenteeism can blow up the democratic mechanisms of social control, make the population an object of manipulation, absolutely subject to the "tops", form a passive personality. Absenteeism is present in any society: developed and undeveloped, democratic and totalitarian, etc. .

Political absenteeism does not mean, however, the complete exclusion of a person from the field of political power relations, since, as a rule, he remains a law-abiding citizen, a conscientious taxpayer. The position of non-participation taken by a person concerns only those types of political activity where he can somehow prove himself as an active person: express his opinion, express his involvement in some group or organization, determine his attitude towards this or that candidate for deputy parliament.

Two main types of absenteeism can be distinguished: passive absenteeism is a low political and legal culture of certain segments of the population, which gives rise to indifference to the political process and alienation from it, and active absenteeism is the result of refusal to participate in elections due to political motives, for example, disagreement with the submission of the issue to a referendum, a negative attitude towards all candidates in the presidential election, etc.

Absenteeism is, first of all, the deliberate avoidance of voters from voting for political reasons.

All over the world, there is a detrimental trend towards a decrease in voter turnout, and this cannot but disturb specialists. The growing passivity of voters, unwillingness to go to the polls, complete indifference is one of the most difficult problems facing the world community and the Russian Federation in particular. According to VTsIOM in the 1979 elections. 63% of voters took part, in 1984. - 61%, 1989 - 58.5%, 1994 - 56.8%, a significant decrease in the number of voters was noted in 1999. - 49.85%, in 2004 their number was 45.7%. Thus, at the moment, according to official data, there are approximately 52 million citizens in the Russian Federation who are absentees.

Modern research allows us to identify the categories of absenteeists:

And so absenteeism is a voluntary, deliberate evasion of elections. In this regard, before talking about ways to eliminate this state of affairs, let's look at the reasons for the unwillingness of voters to go to the polling stations on election day.

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And the political participation of citizens: concept, forms, types.

Political consciousness (psychology and ideology) is an important integral part political culture. However, it would be wrong to be limited only to this component. Just as the criterion of 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 has positioned himself as a patriot turns out to be a deserter or a deviationist during the war. And, on the contrary, a person who has not publicly declared his love for the Fatherland will consciously defend it with weapons in his hands. This example shows quite clearly that a complete picture of political culture will develop only when both political consciousness and political behavior are analyzed in a complex. As noted earlier, political behavior can be defined as externally observable and subjectively motivated manifestation of political activity in actions (single acts of behavior). A characteristic of political activity and, accordingly, political behavior is "political activity" showing the measure of manifestation and the degree of intensity of activity. Political activity can be compared to a scale measuring instrument, which shows the minimum and maximum values. The maximum value was discussed above, now you should pay attention to the minimum and the average. The zero indicator of a person's political activity is political absenteeism(from lat. absens, absentis - absent) - manifestation of an indifferent attitude to political life, avoidance of participation in it, political inactivity.

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

1) apathetic people, i.e. not interested in politics due to involvement in their own problems, the demands of a professional career, fascination with bohemian life or subculture (youth, racial, religious, etc.). They do not connect the events of their own lives with events taking place "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 difference between political parties or electoral candidates. These people believe that politics serves only the interests of the elite, and participation in the political process will not bring any benefits to the ordinary person. The alienated, unlike the apathetic ones, are not just passive, but deny the political system as such and can be mobilized by various extremist movements, especially during periods of significant social upheaval.

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

4) Trusting politicians a group of people who refuse to participate in politics because of their trust in justice, legality, stability, and the fairness of political decisions. Such people believe that the prospects for political life will be favorable without their active participation. However, they can vigorously engage 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 in 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?

This question can be answered by level data.

Absenteeism in Liberal Democracies The presented data shows that the level of non-participation of Russians in parliamentary elections is quite high. We are second only to the Americans and the Swiss, but the high absenteeism in the United States is due to other reasons:

the complexity of registration (this occurs weeks before an election and usually in district court), the inability of American parties to mobilize voters, and

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

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

non-observance of legislation by election commissions (2%), unequal position of candidates (1%) and other (4.5%). If we exclude from the answer options references to coincidence and lack of involvement in the elections, which represent obvious excuses,

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

1999 -38.2%, in 2004 -44.3% political participation(political participation). The pioneers in the study of political participation were the American scholars Sydney Werba, Norman Nye, and Jeon Kim, authors of Participation and Political Equality: A Comparison of Seven Countries (1978). They defined political participation as follows: Legal actions private citizens more or less directly aimed at influencing the selection of government personnel and/or influencing their actions.

In fact, American scholars have defined participation as a legitimate opportunity for citizens to influence the formation and exercise of power, but this interpretation seems to be inaccurate, since its supporters do not consider participation of citizens in prohibited actions or coup d'état. 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 precise definition would be: Political participation – it is the activity of individuals or groups seeking to influence the process of political governance and the formation of political leadership in various ways. Modern researchers distinguish various forms of political participation, such as

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

2. signing petitions to the authorities;

4. contacting authorities, communication with government officials and

political leaders;

5. participation in rallies and meetings;

6. assistance to a party or candidate in an election;

7. participation in strikes, rallies, boycotts, pickets of state bodies;

8. participation in the seizure of buildings and clashes;

9. membership in parties and legal organizations;

10. playing 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 among non-electoral participation are meetings, rallies and signing of petitions, while aggressive forms of political participation are relatively uncommon (Czechoslovakia is an exception).

However, it should be noted that 1991, when the study was conducted, was the time of the "velvet revolutions" - the period of the overthrow of the socialist governments. This explains the high rates of such forms of participation as meetings, rallies and aggressive forms. Multiple manifestations of political participation made researchers think about their typology. The most common among the typologies of forms of political participation is the dichotomy: conventional(traditional, routine) - unconventional(non-traditional, protest) participation. At the same time, 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 a distortion of one's own preferences) participation.

The typology developed by Western researchers M. Kaaze and A. Marsh was recognized as 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 (accommodative) – episodic conventional participation;

 reformist - more active than under conformism, conventional participation;

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

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

Conducted in the late 1980s. a comparative study of political activity in Europe and the United States, revealed the following correlation of types of political participation identified by M. Kaase and A. Marsh Analyzing political participation in Western countries, it should be noted that reformism plays a significant role. At the same time, in a number of countries (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. Describing 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 relatives, friends and colleagues; another 16% contribute to the conduct of 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 massive form of political participation for Russians, as well as for citizens of other countries, is voting in elections. The majority of Russians polled stated that they took part in the past elections and are going to participate in future ones. At the same time, Russian citizens consider federal elections (of the President and the State Duma) to be more important than regional and local ones. If 95 and 84% of respondents declared their participation in the former, then 76, 81, 67 and 72%, respectively, admitted to voting for the governor, mayor and legislative assemblies of the region and city. Citizens of Russia view elections mainly as a means of expressing their attitude towards the authorities (31%) or politicians (25%). Other motives are much less common. 18% of respondents are convinced of the possibility of defending their own interests by voting, 11% consider elections to be participation in the formation of government bodies, and 10% consider them a way to solve social problems. Thus, the Russians treat the elections as a kind of channel for reporting 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 an insignificant 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.

"Bad governments are elected by good citizens who don't vote"

George Jean Nathan.

As the Constitution states, the Russian Federation is a democratic state. The only source of power is the people, who exercise it directly (referendum, free elections) and through state authorities and bodies local government.

Elections are a form of direct expression of the will of citizens, carried out in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws, constitutions (charters), laws of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, charters municipalities for the purpose of forming a public authority, a local self-government body or empowering an official.

The right to vote is the highest value of a democratic state. Citizens have active (can vote) and passive (can be elected) suffrage. Realizing their right, the people choose their ruler, their own path for the further development of the state and society. However, one of actual problems modernity has become a categorical unwillingness of the population to participate in political life. Assuming that by abstaining from voting, nothing will change, people are deeply mistaken. They unconsciously create an advantage in favor of opponents. In addition, they give a chance to cheat when calculating the results. As a result, people come to power who are not interested in carrying out progressive reforms. In this situation, it is appropriate to say O. Bismarck "non-participation in politics does not exempt from its results." Despite all that has been said, questions arise: perhaps the family and school lack the education of the political culture of the population? Or perhaps the passive attitude to the political life of society is the result of a totalitarian regime that once existed? It seems that there is an answer for everyone.

So, low attendance at elections or its absence at all, as well as laziness and simple unwillingness to participate in the political life of society in the scientific community is called absenteeism. However, before considering the problem of absenteeism, it is necessary to understand the concept of the phenomenon of "absenteeism".

In political systems around the world, absenteeism is a fairly common phenomenon: often 50% or even more voters who have the right to vote do not take part in the voting, or when at least three voters vote, the elections are considered valid. In Russia, this phenomenon is also common.

Absenteeism (from Latin absens, absentis - absent, English absenteeism) - the absence of individuals in a certain place at a certain time and the associated failure to perform the corresponding social functions. This interpretation of the definition is more general in relation to its various manifestations in other areas of life. For example, one can single out labor, agricultural, political absenteeism. This article deals with political absenteeism as one of the forms of deliberate boycott of elections by voters, refusal to participate in them; passive protest of the population against the existing form of government, political regime, manifestation of indifference to the exercise by a person of his rights and duties. In other words, the phenomenon under study is understood as an indifferent attitude of the population to political life, an apolitical idea of ​​groups of people that “one vote will not change anything”, politics is “not my business”.

Freedom, which is expressed in the fact that the population does not participate in elections, reincarnates in an absent consciousness, indifference to various areas society and the state. That is why, as mentioned earlier, it is necessary to cultivate a political culture in every person so that he can further realize his voting rights. The fact that the electorate actively ignores its right can lead to the fact that the democratic foundations of the country will be undermined. As a result, deformation occurs: a person is passive, the population becomes an object of manipulation.

As in foreign countries, in the Russian Federation the greatest activity of voters is manifested in national elections, it is much lower in regional elections and elections of local governments. The existing difference is explained by a number of factors.

National elections appear to be more organized, there are more organized work election commissions. The election campaign is on highest level. Shortly before the start of the elections, a series of television programs dedicated to the candidates and their parties are carried out in order to convey the political program to the population. Also, banners with photos, names of candidates and screaming slogans are placed on the streets of the country, encouraging the population to vote. Undoubtedly, the best specialists in their field are provided to carry out the control function of the elections, to prevent falsification, fraud and other crimes and offenses. Summarizing all that has been said, the author comes to the conclusion that the population on the eve of voting is sufficiently informed that even a child can name candidates. Failure to appear to vote under these circumstances can only be explained by the unwillingness of the population to participate in the elections, the lack of interest in the further political development of the country.

The downside is participation in regional elections and elections to local governments. Does the population always know the list of all candidates? Or is the political program always conveyed to the voters? From personal experience the author, it can be concluded that the population is extremely poorly informed. In addition to everything, there is a poor organization of the work of election commissions. Ballots are delivered late when voting has already begun. Technical errors on ballots can make it difficult to vote. For example, there was a case when two surnames could be indicated in the candidate's surname column, and, as you know, you can only vote for one. Or, for example, the law allows voting at home for voters who are unable to good reasons(for health reasons, disability) to arrive at the polling station. At this case there were situations when a member of the election commission could advise a candidate or a mobile team with an urn took with them a large number of ballots, as well as members of the commission allowed relatives with several passports to vote for absent citizens and the like.

From the foregoing, we can conclude that the failure to appear at regional elections or elections to local governments is due to the fact that the population is unsure of their candidate and does not want to give up the decision on the fate of the state, city, village to an unknown person. However, Newton's quote, indicated as an epigraph to the article, does not justify this argument either, determining that in this way the people choose a bad government.

What explains such an attitude towards elections? What is the reason for the avoidance of citizens from participating in elections?

Many citizens, in particular young people or people who do not have sufficient knowledge, do not understand the meaning of elections, do not realize that participation in elections is a right granted to them by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. In their opinion, since this is not an obligation, it is possible to refrain from exercising this right. However, I would like to convey to the reader that although this is a right, and not an obligation, sometimes the outcome of an election can depend on one ballot;

О Many citizens do not believe in the ability to influence the government through elections and believe that the outcome of the elections is predetermined;

О voters may not see among the candidates a person who would impress them, inspire confidence in them, or there may be awareness of the population about the list of candidates;

About the population believes that there is no intrigue and the winner is known in advance;

There is also an opinion among scientists that the reluctance to participate in elections may be caused by fear of taking responsibility for the decision;

State authorities and local self-government bodies must certainly combat this phenomenon, which undermines the foundation of democracy. However, each person must remember that, by ignoring the possibility of exercising his suffrage, he allows an unqualified and corrupt bureaucrat to sit still, paving the way for authoritarianism.

How to force the population to participate in elections? Probably, this issue becomes one of the most relevant after summing up their results. To date, from the funds mass media more and more often you can hear that elections should be given the status of a holiday. Despite the fact that this is a serious day in the life of the country, city, region, it is supposed to be accompanied by entertainment events, parades, concerts. Appearance of the candidates themselves at the polling stations, communication with the population is also considered positive. Rewarding with a gift the person who came to the polling station first remains relevant. For example, “debutant” voters are presented with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, pens, notepads, photo albums, and books. An unusual gift was presented by the commission of the Kaltasinsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan. They presented the first voter with a goose in a basket.

However, the "carrot method" is not always implemented in full, according to a number of scientists, and when absenteeism grows more and more every year, the question arises of adopting radical measures. We are talking about the introduction of certain sanctions for evading participation in elections. Having studied foreign practice, one can cite as an example Italy, Germany, Austria, Cyprus, Luxembourg, where citizens are subject to fines ranging from 25 euros to 70 euros for non-participation in elections. A citizen of Belgium, for a systematic violation of his right, in addition to a fine, may be deprived of the right to vote for 10 years. Examples of an even more radical system are Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, where, along with a fine, hard labor may be imposed, the offender may be prosecuted or even imprisoned. Of course, the percentage of registered voters in these countries is always very high. In addition, among scientists, there is an opinion that it might be worth introducing a property or social qualification for voting. Will it seem cruel and unlawful to the reader? “Honestly and without coercion,” they will answer. However, we must not forget that for them the right to vote is a duty, not a right, as we have in the Russian Federation. Therefore, for our rule of law state, the use of such radical measures is unacceptable in order to avoid undermining the foundations of the institution of democracy.

The right to vote must remain a right, in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation. It is necessary to educate the political culture of the population, political interest, as well as interest in the fate of their state, city, region and the desire to contribute to their development. In addition to all of the above, also teach young people to be able to think freely, to be responsible for their choice. Of course, we should not forget about improving the means of agitation and information.

Thus, effective fight with absenteeism, the improvement of the institution of democracy, the education of the political culture of each, in the end, will lead to the satisfaction of the interests of both state bodies and local governments, and the entire population.

Bibliography

1. Ivanets G.I., Kalinsky I.V., Chervonyuk V.I. Constitutional law Russia: Encyclopedic Dictionary / Ed. IN AND. Chervonyuk. - M.: Yurid. lit., 2002. - 432 p.

2. Martynov S.A. Municipal elections as a factor in the democratization of the political process. Abstract dis ... cond. political Sciences. M., 2000

3. Political Science: Textbook / Ed. M.A. Vasilika. M.: Gardariki, 2005.

4. Sociological Dictionary // [Electronic resource] URL: http://bizdel.ru/dict.html/

5. The federal law No. 67-FZ "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in a Referendum of Citizens of the Russian Federation" dated June 12, 2002.

6. Sholademi S. How to make people go to the polls? For non-attendance - mercilessly fined // [Electronic resource] URL:

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