What is the most important thing in political activity. Social and political activity

Content

1. Introduction
Each state conducts its own domestic and foreign policy. Politics is a field of activity associated with relations between social groups, the core of which is the problem of gaining, retaining and using state power. Any problem acquires a political character if its solution is connected with class interests, the problem of power. Politics has a large degree of autonomy and has a strong influence on the economy and other areas of society. Society is an integral system consisting of interconnected, interdependent subsystems. These are the material production systems of the spiritual, ideological, legal political system. They are characterized by their own structure. Production subsystems provide the basis for the life of society. Social and spiritual ensures the production and reproduction of man as a full member of society.
The political system is designed to create favorable conditions for the functioning of all parts of the social system.
The sphere of politics is a particularly prominent side of public life, but this appearance is deceptive, because many factors influence politics:

socio-economic;
socio-cultural;
scientific;
national-religious, spiritual.

3. Policy actors
Political activities differ in the scale of their subjects:

Large social communities, which include social groups and strata, classes, nations, etc.
Various political organizations and associations (states, parties, mass movements).

political elites. When the word "elite" is spoken, in everyday speech they mean the best representatives of society or some part of it. However, the concept of "political elite" has a different meaning.

Personalities. Every person is directly or indirectly connected with politics, even those who consider themselves "out of politics". After all, even such a person is forced to comply with the political decisions of the authorities, and if he ignores them, then he comes into conflict with the authorities, again - into certain political relations.

Politicians "on occasion" are all of us when we cast our ballot or make a similar declaration of will (for example: we applaud or protest at a "political" meeting, give a "political" speech, etc.);
Politicians "part-time" in our days are all those trustees and boards of party-political unions who, as a general rule, are engaged in this activity only when necessary, and it does not become for them the primary business of life, either in material or in ideal attitude. This also includes some members of parliament who "work for politics" only during parliamentary sessions.
Professional politicians are those who live "for politics" or "at the expense" of politics and "politics". In other words, these are professional politicians for whom politics is the main occupation of their lives and the main condition for their material well-being.

Depend on objective conditions. First of all, from the political and legal systems existing in society, which determine the permissible norms of political activity; from the presence or absence of social barriers and restrictions on the activity of the individual. The social position of the individual and the chances of success in politics associated with this. The activity of a person can increase in conflict political situations that affect his interests.
Personal qualities. These include the level of mastery of those duties that are dictated by the personality of its social position; and own efforts and skills to conduct political activities; and political culture of the individual, its political orientations, system of values; and motivation activities, abilities and ambitions of the individual.

4. Policy objects
There is a difference between domestic and foreign policy.
Domestic policy has as its object society in one's own country, while foreign policy has as its object the world community, international relations, i.e. relations with other countries.
Depending on the objects to which the internal policy is directed, there are economic, social, national, demographic, youth, environmental, cultural, personnel policies.
In turn, in economic policy, scientific and technical, structural, agricultural, investment, financial, foreign economic policy are distinguished.

5. Ends and means
Political activity involves the definition of its goals. They are divided into long-term (strategic) and current goals. Goals can be relevant, priority and irrelevant, real and unrealistic.
Of particular importance is the question of the availability of funds with which to achieve the intended goals. In relation to political activity, this issue was considered by the outstanding Renaissance thinker Piccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527).
A politician, as Machiavelli believed, "for the sake of preserving the state" can break this word and generally not shy away from evil. And in our time there are politicians who, painting a bright image of the proclaimed goals, justify the use of not good means to achieve them. Extremist (i.e. those committed to extreme views and measures) organizations are especially unscrupulous in their means. Fighting for their political goals, they consider it possible to seize a plane with passengers who have nothing to do with their concerns; arrange an explosion somewhere in a crowded place where people who accidentally find themselves there will die; take and kill hostages.
The formula “the end justifies the means” is opposed by another view of the relationship between politics and morality: to subordinate politics to morality. However, many scholars note that a politician often has to choose: either to prevent the danger of taking tough measures that do not quite correspond to “absolute morality”, or by inaction to allow damage to society. The moral limit that cannot be crossed is today reflected in human rights documents, in international humanitarian law.

6. Political action
Political activities include a wide variety of activities: organizing parties and making government decisions, election campaigns and speeches in parliament, political rallies and diplomatic negotiations, holding party congresses and appeals to the people, developing political programs and referendums, coup d'état and visits by government delegations. These are the actions of an individual or a group that act as subjects of political activity.
Political actions are aimed at "doing something" (for example: getting the adoption of a law, etc.), or "preventing something" or "stopping something" (for example: stopping interethnic conflict). In this regard, it is necessary to consider not only action, but also inaction. Inaction allows other participants in political events to draw their own line.
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In political science, there are different approaches to understanding politics. One of them is to consider politics as one of the four main areas of society. The sphere of politics includes both political consciousness and political organizations (government, parliament, parties, etc.), and the tasks that various social groups seek to solve using power, and the political process that goes through conflicts and cooperation, including measures to maintaining stability in society and reform. The second approach is based on the understanding of politics as a special type of social relations between individuals, small groups and large communities, i.e., relations associated with power, the state, managing the affairs of society. Finally, the third approach is to consider politics as one of the types of activity, that is, the activity of its subjects - participants in political life. All three approaches give a multidimensional view of one object - politics. The historical development and experience of many generations of thinkers involved in the study of politics and political activity is concentrated in modern science of science, in particular, in political science, sociology, political psychology and other branches of social science.

Politics is the activity of state bodies, political parties, social movements in the sphere of relations between large social groups, primarily classes, nations and states, aimed at integrating their efforts in order to strengthen political power or win it by specific methods.

Politics is a special kind of activity associated with the participation of social groups, parties, movements, individuals in the affairs of society and the state, their leadership or influence on this leadership. When considering politics as an activity, there is every reason to recognize it as both a science and the art of managing (the state, people), building relationships and realizing interests, as well as gaining, retaining, and using political power.

It follows that political activity is the main content of the political sphere of life. To define the content of the concept of political activity is to give an essential definition of politics.

Political activity is a kind of activity, directions for changing or maintaining existing political relations. Basically, political activity is the management and management of social relations with the help of institutions of power. Its essence is the management of people, human communities.

The specific content of political activity is: participation in the affairs of the state, determining the forms, tasks and directions of the state, the distribution of power, control over its activities, as well as other impact on political institutions. Each of the moments noted generalizes diverse types of activity: for example, the direct performance of political functions by people within the framework of government institutions and political parties and indirect participation associated with the delegation of powers to certain institutions; professional and non-professional activities; leading and executive activities aimed at strengthening a given political system or, on the contrary, at its destruction; institutionalized or non-institutionalized activities (for example, extremism), etc.

Political activity is also manifested in various forms of participation of the broad masses of the people in the political life of society. In the course of political activity, its participants enter into specific relationships with each other. It can be cooperation, union, mutual support, and confrontation, conflict, struggle. The essence of political activity is revealed in the specifics of its object and structural elements: the subject, goals, means, conditions, knowledge, motivation and norms, and finally, the activity process itself.

The subjects of politics are, firstly, large social communities, which include social groups and strata, classes, nations, estates, etc.; secondly, political organizations and associations (states, parties, mass movements); thirdly, political elites are relatively small groups concentrating power in their hands; fourth, personalities, and above all political leaders.

In modern Russia, the most influential subjects of political activity are political parties and movements (especially in the person of their leaders), all kinds of power structures and bodies, public associations, the population (at the time of referendums and election campaigns).

The object of policy is the subject to which the activity of the acting subject is directed and in which the change results. Most often, both the object and the subject of political activity are people, that is, participants in political activity. In political activity, the object-subject relationship is an organic unity: after all, a person is the main subject and object of politics; social groups, organizations, movements also act both as objects of political activity and as its subjects. In addition, the objects of political activity can be social phenomena, processes, situations, facts. From the consideration of the objects of political activity, we can conclude that politics affects the whole society, on all aspects of its life. From this follows the conclusion about the great importance of political activity in the development of society.

Political activity, like any other, involves the definition of its goals. They are divided into long-term (they are called strategic) and current goals. Goals can be relevant, priority and irrelevant, real and unrealistic. How relevant, on the one hand, and how realistic, on the other hand, this or that goal can be answered only through a complete and accurate analysis of the main trends in social development, urgent social needs, the alignment of political forces, and the interests of various social groups.

Of particular importance is the question of the availability of funds with which to achieve the intended goals. The attitude: the end justifies the means is characteristic of dictatorial regimes and their political carriers. Demanding that the means correspond to the democratic, humane goals of politics is the norm of truly popular forces and political structures expressing their interests. However, many scholars note that a politician often has to choose: either to prevent the danger of taking tough measures that do not quite correspond to “absolute morality”, or by inaction to allow damage to society. The moral limit that cannot be crossed is today reflected in human rights documents, in international humanitarian law.

An essential feature of political activity is its rationality. Rational actions are conscious, planned, with a clear understanding of the goals and necessary means. Rationality in politics is specific: it includes ideology. The ideological component permeates every political action, as long as it is oriented towards certain values ​​and interests. Moreover, it is a criterion sign of its orientation.

The rational moment, of course, is decisive in the subjective semantic content of political action, expressing the attitude of the subject to the institutions of power. However, political action is not limited to rationality. It leaves room for the irrational as a deviation from purposefulness. Irrational - these are actions motivated mainly by the emotional states of people, for example, their irritation, hatred, fear, impressions of ongoing events. In real political life, rational and irrational principles combine and interact. Political actions are spontaneous and organized. A spontaneous rally and a carefully prepared party conference are examples of such actions.

Recently, the importance of such methods of political activity as persuasion, the study of public opinion, a constructive dialogue between various political forces, control over compliance with legal norms, and forecasting the consequences of certain political actions has increased. All this requires a high political culture, moral self-control, and political will from the subjects of politics.

Political activity is differentiated into theoretical and practical. Being relatively independent, they are interdependent. Political theory acquires effectiveness and efficiency when it is based on practical experience and coincides with the needs and interests of those groups that the subject of politics represents.

Political activity is heterogeneous; several distinct states can be distinguished in its structure. It is advisable to begin their analysis with a type of activity whose political significance is undoubtedly very great, but the meaning of which lies precisely in the rejection and denial of politics. They are political alienation.

Political alienation is a state of relations between a person and political power, which is characterized by a concentration of human efforts on solving the problems of personal life when they are separated and opposed to political life. Politics is considered in the sphere of alienation as a kind of activity that does not concern real problems, human interests, and contact with political power is considered extremely undesirable. Here a purely forced contact is established with the authorities, the state through a system of duties, taxes, taxes, etc. For the ruling groups, political alienation is expressed in the transformation of the public service into a sphere of service only for private, narrow group interests, power is usurped by individuals, replaced by the struggle of cliques representing corporate interests. Serving the interests of social integrity turns into a means of maintaining only individual life. A striking manifestation of political alienation is the phenomenon of bureaucracy.

The next type of political activity is political passivity.

Political passivity is a type of political activity in which the subject, and it can be either an individual or a social group, does not realize its own interests, but is under the political influence of another social group. Passivity in politics is not inactive; it is a specific form of activity and a form of politics when a social group realizes not its own, but political interests alien to it. A type of political passivity is conformism, which is expressed in the acceptance by a social group of the values ​​of the political system as its own, although they do not correspond to its vital interests. The means of forming conformist political attitudes is a specific technique of influencing the consciousness and behavior of people - manipulation, which involves "the transformation of people into controlled objects, the deformation of their inner world, thoughts, feelings and actions, and thereby the destruction of their personalities through influences that distort ideas about real interests and needs, and imperceptibly, with the seeming preservation of free will, they subordinate people to a will that is alien to them. The manipulation system focuses primarily on the subconscious sphere of the human psyche, and its methods and means in modern societies are becoming more sophisticated, actively using the achievements of psychology and sociology.

The criterion for the political activity of an individual or a social group is the desire and ability, influencing political power or directly using it, to realize their interests.

The nature of political activity varies significantly depending on the specifics of the problems that cause it, the time of occurrence of the tasks it is aimed at, and the composition of participants.

In modern conditions, political activity has the following characteristic features:

• - the growing desire of citizens to act outside the traditional forms of political activity and participation, instead of rigidly formalized political parties, preference is given to political movements without a clearly defined organized structure;
• - association is increasingly being made not around any party, but around a problem, about its solution;
• - the number of citizens interested in politics is growing, but at the same time the number of parties is falling;
• - More and more people are inclined towards independent politicization, they do not associate their participation in politics with belonging to one or another active political force, structure, but strive to act independently.

The initial stage of pronounced vigorous activity, when the political subject makes a clear choice of the trend of action, is a political position.

A mature form of political activity is a political movement, that is, such a purposeful and long-term social action of a certain social group, which has as its goal the transformation of the political system or its conscious protection.

Thus, the concept of "political activity" reflects the whole variety of people's actions in the field of politics, and the concept of "political activity" - the leading creative, transformative form of political activity, expresses the essence of politics - the realization by a social group of its own interests. Political participation is a characteristic of the degree of involvement of the subject in politically active action, and the concept of "political behavior" allows you to reveal the mechanism, the structure of political activity.

Political activity is sometimes referred to as acting "on the political stage". What "actors" act on it? Or, to put it scientifically, who can be the subject of politics?

Obviously, these subjects are people. The German scientist M. Weber considered three degrees of involvement of individuals in political activity. All of us are politicians "on occasion" when, for example, once every four years we participate in the elections of deputies of parliament.

A “part-time” politician is a member of a socio-political organization who, without stopping his main professional activity (for example, a doctor, a businessman, etc.), is simultaneously engaged in politics, which does not become a priority for him in life, either in material or material terms. not in an ideal way. Professional politicians are those who live "for politics" or "at the expense" of politics. For these figures, politics is the main occupation of life and the main condition for their material well-being.

The participation of people in political life is manifested not only in the activities of individuals, but also in the impact on politics of large social groups (classes, social strata, ethnic communities, estates, etc.). You can yourself recall historical events in which masses of people, united by a common interest, played an active and often decisive role.

In order to more successfully influence politics, people create political organizations and associations. Political parties are the most adapted to political activity. From the history course, you know about Labor and Conservatives in Great Britain, Democrats and Republicans in the USA, about parties that arose in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, and others. The state is the most active subject of politics. It is no coincidence that history textbooks often provide information about the domestic and foreign policy of a particular state, government, or statesman.

Relatively small groups of people who have the greatest influence on political decision-making are called the political elite. These are groups of persons concentrating power in their hands, exercising political leadership of society, determining the paths and goals of political development. The political elite includes top government officials, leaders of political parties, heads of parliament, persons holding key positions in the power structures of the state, the media, etc.

So, the subjects of politics are individuals, social groups, political organizations, political elites.

The activities of the subjects of politics are aimed at society, at maintaining its integrity, as well as at implementing changes in it that meet the interests of a particular subject of politics or the whole society. The fact that political activity is directed to society as a whole, to all aspects of its life, distinguishes it from other types of activity. At the same time, it is customary in politics to single out various directions, which are usually called by the name of the object of political influence. The object of economic policy is the economy, social - the social sphere, youth policy - youth, etc. The object of domestic policy is society within the country, external - the world community, international relations. (Think about what are the objects of environmental, demographic, scientific and technical, agricultural and other policies that you know about.)

Political activity is motivated by the interests of political subjects, primarily by the interests of certain social groups. The position of a social group in society gives rise to its attitude to the existing situation, to power structures. Hence its interest in maintaining or changing the established social order. It strives to provide such social conditions (institutions, procedures, legal norms, etc.) that make material and spiritual benefits more accessible to it, more complete satisfaction of the needs of people in this group. For example, the common interest of a certain ethnic group is the creation of favorable conditions for the development of national culture, language, and the preservation of the natural environment in their places of residence.

People driven by their own interests set themselves appropriate political goals, which are most clearly formulated by the political leaders, parties, and elites supported by them. These goals, as a rule, involve participation in power or influence on power. This is another important sign of political activity. This is how M. Weber defined the concept of “politics”: “... Politics, apparently, means the desire to participate in power or to influence the distribution of power, whether it be between states, whether it be within a state between groups of people that it contains within itself."

To achieve the set goals, various political actions are carried out: the organization of parties, the adoption of government decisions, election campaigns, speeches in parliament, political rallies, holding party congresses, appeals to the people, the development of political programs, referendums, coups d'état, visits by government delegations, etc. In the course of these actions, various means of political activity are used: peaceful and violent, organizational and propaganda, theoretical and diplomatic.

Some politicians follow the principle "the end justifies the means". Thus, extremist organizations, declaring the struggle for national interests, consider it possible to hijack an airplane with passengers who are not related to their concerns; blow up a house where innocent people live; take and kill hostages. Political terrorism poses a great danger to society.

To the question "Are any means acceptable to achieve good ends?" statesmen and political thinkers have given different answers at different times. Thus, the outstanding thinker of the Renaissance, Nicolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), recognized such qualities of the sovereign (head of state) as fidelity to the given word, straightforwardness and unswerving honesty as worthy of praise. “For the sake of preserving the state,” N. Machiavelli wrote, “he is often forced to go against his word, against mercy, kindness and piety.” The sovereign should “if possible, not move away from good, but if necessary, not shy away from evil.”

There is another point of view: the means to achieve a good goal must be good, otherwise the goal itself will be deformed and the result of the activity will not be as “bright” as it was originally proclaimed. (Think of the activities of the revolutionary organization Narodnaya Volya in Russia.)

In fact, politics sometimes has to be chosen: either to take harsh measures to avert the danger, or to cause damage to society by inaction. What do you think?

Political activity - it is the interaction of individuals and groups organized and exercising power functions.

When referring to the study of political activity, attention is focused on the dynamic aspect of politics - a variety of actions aimed at realizing political goals.

Characteristic features of political activity:

- concentration of efforts on common problems, the needs of the existence of social integrity;

Consideration of the state, its institutions as the main means of solving these problems;

The use of political power as the main means of achieving goals.

The main states of political activity:

- political alienation - the state of relations between a person and political power, which is characterized by the concentration of human efforts on solving the problems of personal life when they are separated and opposed to political life. Politics is considered in the sphere of alienation as a kind of activity that does not concern real problems, human interests, and contact with political power is extremely undesirable. Here a purely forced contact is established with the authorities, the state through a system of duties, taxes, taxes, etc.;

- political passivity - a type of political activity in which the subject, and it can be both an individual and a social group, does not realize its own interests, but is under the political influence of another social group. Passivity in politics is not inactive; it is a specific form of activity and a form of politics when a social group realizes not its own, but political interests alien to it. A type of political passivity is conformism, which is expressed in the acceptance by a social group of the values ​​of the political system as its own, although they do not correspond to its vital interests.

The criterion for the political activity of an individual or a social group is the desire and ability, influencing political power or directly using it, to realize their interests. The nature of political activity varies significantly depending on the specifics of the problems that cause it, the time of occurrence of the tasks it is aimed at, and the composition of participants.

In modern conditions, political activity has the following characteristic features:

- the growing desire of citizens to act outside the traditional forms of political activity and participation, instead of rigidly formalized political parties, preference is given to political movements without a clearly defined organized structure;

More and more often, unification takes place not around any party, but around a problem, about its solution;

The number of citizens interested in politics is growing, but at the same time the number of parties is falling;

More and more people are inclined towards independent politicization, they do not associate their participation in politics with belonging to one or another active political force, structure, but strive to act independently.

Political activity is realized in practical actions aimed at the implementation of political goals, the implementation of political programs. These actions are carried out in certain forms.

Usually there are two forms of political action - peaceful (non-violent) and violent. To implement them in the practice of political life, a whole set of various methods and means are used.

The most important peaceful political action is reform, which refers to the change, transformation, reorganization of aspects of public life while maintaining the foundations of the existing system.

Reforms, unlike revolutions, do not provide for the transfer of power from one class to another and contribute to economic and social progress. It should be noted that in the West, reformist political parties and trade unions closely associated with them have played and are playing a huge role in raising living standards and improving the social situation of workers. , for which they enjoy their mass support.

Conformism (from Latin con formis - similar, similar) adjoins peaceful methods of political action, i.e. adaptation, passive acceptance of the existing order, the prevailing opinion, etc. Conformists have weak or no positions of their own. They dutifully follow any political course, submit to a more powerful political entity or authority. In our society, for many people, a conformist position is manifested in the formulas "I am a small person", "my hut is on the edge", etc.

A peaceful, non-violent form of political action can include parliamentary ways and methods of solving political problems, for example, by amending the constitution, passing laws, concluding agreements, holding elections, as well as inter-party, inter-state and inter-group negotiations.

The most typical acts of violence are war, revolution, counter-revolution, dictatorship, terrorism.

War is an armed struggle between states, classes or ethnic communities. It can be interstate, civil, or international (interethnic). War, as noted by the German military theorist K. von Clausewitz, is the continuation of state policy, political relations by other (violent) means.

Wars are especially dangerous in our time, the time of nuclear and chemical weapons, when any local war can lead to a global military conflagration.

A revolution is a qualitative change in the development of nature, society and knowledge (for example, geological, scientific and technical, cultural, social). A social revolution presupposes a radical change in the socio-economic and political structure of society. The first act that marks the transition from one socio-economic formation to another is a political revolution. , those. the conquest of political power by the revolutionary class. It can be performed in peaceful and non-peaceful forms. The question of the conquest of power is the main question of any revolution.

The counter-revolution is the reaction of the overthrown or overthrown class to the social revolution, the struggle for the suppression of the new government and the restoration of the old order. Since the ruling (or ruling) classes do not voluntarily give up power, counter-revolutionary resistance in one form or another accompanies every revolution. Sometimes the counter-revolution gains the upper hand and the revolution is defeated (revolution of 1848 in Germany, the Paris Commune of 1871, democratic revolution in the 30s rr. in Spain).

American sociologists L. Edwards, D. Pitti, K. Brinton argue that there is a certain "fatal law of Thermidor", according to which every revolution inevitably develops into a counter-revolution and ends with the restoration of the old order. The name of the law they formulated comes from the Thermidorian coup of July 27-28, 1794 (9 Thermidor according to the republican calendar), which overthrew the Jacobin dictatorship and ended the French Revolution. As a result of this coup, revolutionary gains were liquidated and counter-revolutionary terror began.

Dictatorship is a system of political domination, the unlimited power of the group, the individual. Dictatorship is also a special way of exercising power with the use of violent methods, repressions, and armed force. It most often occurs during periods of extreme exacerbation of the class struggle, the narrowing of the social support of the existing power by individual groups or individuals, and also when one political system is replaced by another in the course of a revolution or counter-revolution.

Based on the latter, the dictatorship is divided into revolutionary and authoritarian. Examples of a revolutionary dictatorship would be the Jacobin dictatorship of 1793-1794 rr. in France, the Bolshevik dictatorship after the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia; counter-revolutionary - the dictatorship of Cavaignac in France in 1848, the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile; authoritarian - Stalin's dictatorship in the USSR.

One of the extremist (extreme) methods of political action is terror. Terror (from Latin terror - fear) - reprisal against political opponents by violent means (murder, severe mutilation), the use of various means to cause fear among political opponents, the population to destabilize the situation in the country or in a certain territory. In addition to murders, blackmail, hostage-taking, explosions of vehicles, buildings, etc. are used.

Recently, international terrorism has become widespread, used in interstate relations, as well as between various political forces consolidating on an international scale (various types of leftist organizations, religious, nationalist). In a number of republics of the former USSR, terrorist methods have become quite widely used by extremists of a nationalist persuasion. Especially often they began to manifest themselves in the Transcaucasus.

In the process of democratization of Soviet society in a number of regions, spontaneous forms of mass political action are used. : rallies, marches, strikes. Along with these civilized forms of manifestation of political views and various demands, there are many cases and aggressive actions of the crowd, leading to human casualties.

Spontaneous behavior is most often a mass reaction of people to economic and political crises, to a worsening social situation. Often, spontaneous mass actions are irrational (unreasonable) in nature. They are used by forces seeking to divert people's anger from themselves and direct it against the "image of the enemy" they form. They are often used by unscrupulous politicians in order to amass political capital.

Most malleable for mass political action are the so-called marginal layers, or lumpen. In ancient times they were called "ohlos" (black) in contrast to the "demos" (people). Hence the concepts of "ochlocracy" - the power of the crowd and "democracy" - the power of the people. Quite often, the crowd involves people with a higher social status, including representatives of the intelligentsia, in their actions.

Together with the crowd, "leaders" come out who promise an easy way to solve economic and political problems, using racial, national, religious and other prejudices. The "leaders" need power, which they want to get with the help of the crowd in conditions of fear or dissatisfaction of the masses with the existing situation.

The problem of studying the psychology of crowd behavior has attracted the attention of sociologists and political scientists for a long time, while in our country they are just beginning to spread. G. Tarde, G. Lebon, V. Trotter, W. MacDougal tried to figure it out in the middle of the last century. Subsequently, Z. Freud also studied it.

Due to the anonymity of the crowd and its irresponsibility, a person is capable of actions (even murder) that he would never do if he were alone. In a crowd, a person easily sacrifices his personal interests to collectivism. In it, he is easily amenable to suggestion, mass hypnosis (for example, the influence on the crowd of Hitler, Kashpirovsky, musical ensembles, singers, football).

Political activity is a form of social being of politics. Politics in the proper sense of the word is a field of activity associated with the realization of the needs and interests of various groups of people, the core of which is the conquest, retention and use of state power.

Each sphere of society's life: economic, social, spiritual, etc., is characterized by a combination of its inherent forms and types of activities and social relations. A special place is occupied by political activity, which is the main content of politics, political life. To define the content of political activity means to give an essential definition of politics. And, apparently, this should begin with the definition of the concept of "activity". In the scientific literature, activity in the broad sense of the word is understood as a specific form of active attitude to the world around, the content of which is its expedient change and transformation in the interests of people. The activity of a person or a group of people appears as an ordered process consisting of a number of interrelated elements: object and subject, purpose of activity, means of activity, result of activity. The above provisions can be fully attributed to politics, which is one of the most common types of human activity.

Political activity, therefore, can be defined as the systematic conscious intervention of individuals and groups of people in the system of political relations in order to adapt it to their interests. In turn, political activity appears as a continuous series of specific political actions, which can be called certain actions, actions of intention or spontaneously undertaken by an individual or a group of people in order to cause certain political results, consequences.

The essence of political activity is revealed when characterizing its structural elements:

The subjects of political activity are the direct participants in political actions - social groups and their organizations;

The objects of political activity are the existing social and political structure, which the subjects of political activity seek to change and transform. The political structure is the unity of the social class structure of society, the totality of social relations and the constitutional mechanism of politics, that is, the political system;

The goal of political activity in the broad sense of the word is either to strengthen the existing type of political relations, or to partially transform or destroy them and create a different socio-political system. The discrepancy between the goals of various social actors gives rise to the sharpness of their political confrontation. Determining the goals of political activity is a complex scientific task and, at the same time, an art. Absolutely and relatively unrealizable goals are called political utopias. However, in politics, the possible is often achieved only because its participants strived for the impossible behind it. The French poet and publicist Lamartine called utopias "prematurely expressed truths."

The motive of political activity is what encourages people to be active, what they begin to act for (from the French motif - I move). Of paramount importance among the motives belongs to the interests of society as a whole: ensuring security, public order. Then the class interests follow, and those of those social groups close the scale of interests, the interests of small social groups and individual individuals. In order for political action to take place, it is important for the social subject to realize his needs and interests. Theoretically expressed awareness of interests is called ideology.

Means of political action in dictionaries are defined as techniques, methods, objects, devices used to achieve goals. As for the methods, in politics as means (methods) one can consider any actions, actions performed individually or collectively and aimed at maintaining or changing the existing political reality. It is impossible to give a fairly complete list of means in politics, but some of them are: rallies, demonstrations, manifestations, elections, referendums, political speeches, manifestos, meetings, negotiations, consultations, decrees, reforms, uprisings, negotiations, putsches, revolutions, counter-revolutions, terror, war.

The results of political action are expressed in those changes in the socio-political structure that were the result of the actions taken, both on a general and local scale. Specifically, they can be expressed depending on the type of existing political actions - revolution, reform or coup - their results can be varying degrees of change in the system of power organization: replacement of the subject of power (revolution); changes in the strength of power (reform); increase in the amount of power, personal changes in power (coup).

Depending on the changes that political actions cause, three main types of actions can be distinguished:

Revolutions, uprisings, counter-revolutions as political actions are distinguished: in the sphere of relations of domination and subordination - by a change in the ruling social class; in the sphere of power - the change of the ruling group by means of violence against the former groups;

Reform and counter-reform as political actions do not lead to the destruction of the foundations of the existing power of the ruling groups, but fix only concessions on their part, they are carried out "from above" using legal means;

Political coups - state or "palace" coup, putsch, conspiracy as political actions lead to change only within the existing government, primarily to personal changes in the center that makes political decisions.

All three named types of political actions are important for the organization of political life, but even more significant are the actions carried out by the ruling elite, the entire system of social institutions controlled by it and, above all, the state, and called domestic and foreign policy.

Another structuring of political activity is also possible, when such main blocks are distinguished in it as:

Professional political activity, which in turn is realized as a political functioning (the activity of the political bureaucracy, officials, apparatuses) and political leadership, is the core of the management of social processes in society. However, it is wrong to identify political leadership with any kind of social management. The main content of political leadership: the development, adoption and implementation of decisions that regulate the activities of political and civil society;

Political participation refers to various types of individual and group non-professional activities related to politics. Forms of political participation can be very diverse in direction, significance, and effectiveness. Distinguish between active, proactive, passive, supportive participation. The most significant types of political participation can be: activities in political organizations, movements, parties; attending political meetings; electoral activity. The literature distinguishes: direct and indirect participation; autonomous and mobilized. The most important function of political participation is the formation of policy and control over its implementation, the formation and establishment of political culture, control over the behavior of political elites.

The political activity of people is inextricably linked with their behavior. There is no unambiguous understanding of the category "political behavior" in the literature; there are three points of view on this issue:

1. Behavior is the outward manifestation of political action;

2. Political behavior and political action are identical concepts;

3. Political behavior is a specific form of political activity.

The specifics of political behavior is as follows:

This is primarily a subject-subject relationship, while political activity is primarily a subject-object relationship;

Political behavior is a type of activity that is directed at the subject himself and expresses his state in the process of action.

G.P. The Eternal considers behavior as a kind of activity aimed at changing the state of the subject, and not at changing what is outside the subject.

The foregoing allows us to note that the concept of "behavior" refers to any political actions that characterize the state of the subject during the activity. This interpretation of this concept corresponds to its definition from a psychological point of view. The specificity of political behavior, in contrast to activity, is manifested in specific varieties of its subjects. These are individuals, groups, masses, crowds. Accordingly, the types of behavior are distinguished: individual, group, mass. In addition, behavior can be classified: based on motives - conscious, unconscious, arbitrary, spontaneous; according to situational features - stable, unstable, crisis, unexpected; by means of manifestation - rebellion, protest, mass discontent; by duration - long-term, short-term; by direction - conscious, controlled, uncontrolled (impulsive, pathological).

Thus, despite the fact that political behavior is inseparable from political activity, its analysis does not duplicate the explanation of political activity, but allows revealing the state of subjects of various levels and modifications in various processes of this activity.

Literature

1. Melnik V.A. Political science: A textbook for universities. - Mn., 1996. - Ch. 9. - § 1.

2. Zerkin D.L. Fundamentals of political science: a course of lectures. - Rostov n / D., 1997. - S. 306-325.

3. Political science: a course of lectures / Ed. M.N. Marchenko. - M., 1999. - S. 301-316.

4. Demidov A.K. Political activity. - Saratov, 1987.