TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARTY SYSTEM IN MODERN RUSSIA

Abstract

2019 will be significant for the Russian party system. First, near 30 years

ago, Article 6 of the USSR Constitution was abolished, formally creating

the basis for a modern Russian multi-party system. Secondly, next year

ends the 7-year period for new political parties, formed on the basis of

changes in the Law on Political Parties of 2012 to become active political

actors. All parties that do not conduct political activities and have not

even formally participated in the elections will be eliminated. In this

connection, there is a need to evaluate the past period, to answer the

interrelated questions: in what state is the Russian party system? What is

its configuration? Will it affect the elimination of some of the parties?

The answers to them will be part of a broader, more permanent discussion

about the role and place of parties in the Russian political system. The

state of the Russian parties will be analyzed in the context of world trends

of "party change", the transformation of forms, functions and methods of

activity of political parties, their models in the semantic space of Russian

politics, and the arrangement of party political forces. Particular attention

will be paid to the personnel potential and peculiarities of functioning of

the Russian parties at the regional level, because it serves as a criterion

for assessing the activities of parties and the formation of electoral

preferences for the majority of citizens. In addition, internal processes

taking place in Russian parties, especially those formed after 2012 are

most noticeable in the regions. In aggregate, the data presented will make

it possible to identify trends in the development of the party system of

the Russian Federation in the short term.