Political regime is a way of organizing a state system that reflects the attitude of society and government. There are three main groups of the regime: totalitarian, authoritarian, democratic. A combination of two types is often used.
Political regime is a term that first appears in the works of Socrates, Plato, and other ancient Greek philosopher scholars. Aristotle singled out the right and wrong modes. He referred to the first type as monarchy, aristocracy, and politics. To the second - tyranny, oligarchy, democracy.
What is a political regime?
This is a way of organizing a political system. It reflects the attitude to power and society, the level of freedom, the nature of the prevailing political orientation. These characteristics depend on various factors: traditions, culture, conditions, historical component. Therefore, two absolutely similar regimes in different states can not be.
The political regime is being formed due to the interaction of a huge number of institutions and processes:
- the degree of intensity of various social processes;
- form of administrative-territorial structure;
- type of power-management behavior;
- systematic and organized ruling elite;
- the presence of the correct interaction of the apparatus of officials with society.
Institutional and sociological approaches to defining
The institutional approach brings together, merges the political regime with the concept of government, state system. Because of this, it becomes part of constitutional law. It is more characteristic of the French state. Previously, within this approach, three main groups of regimes were distinguished:
- mergers - absolute monarchy;
- divisions - presidential republic;
- cooperation - parliamentary republic.
Over time, this classification became additional, since to a greater extent only government structures were determined.
The sociological approach is different in that it emphasizes social grounds. Under him, the concept of a regime is considered more extensively, suggesting a balance in relations between the state and society. The regime is based on a system of social ties. For this reason, the modes change and are measured not only on paper. The process requires interaction and movement of social foundations.
The structure and main characteristics of the political regime
The structure is composed of a power-political organization and its structural elements, political parties, public organizations. It is formed under the influence of political norms, cultural features in their functional aspect. In relation to the state, one cannot speak of the usual structure. The paramount importance is given to the relations between its elements, the methods of forming power, the relationship of the ruling elite with ordinary people, the creation of prerequisites for the realization of the rights and freedoms of each person.
Based on the structural elements, the main features of the legal regime can be distinguished:
- correlation of different types of power, central government and local government;
- position and role of various public organizations;
- political stability of society;
- order of work of law enforcement and punitive bodies.
One of the important characteristics of the regime is its legitimacy. By it is meant that the laws, the Constitution, and legal acts are the basis for making any decisions. Any regime, including tyrannical ones, can be based on this characteristic. Therefore, today legitimacy is the recognition of the regime by the masses, based on their beliefs about which political system of society meets their beliefs and interests to a greater extent.
Types of Political Regimes
There are a huge number of political regimes. But modern research focuses on three main types:
- totalitarian;
- authoritarian;
- democratic.
Totalitarian
Under him, such a policy is formed that it is possible to exercise absolute control over all aspects of the life of society and the person as a whole. He, like the authoritarian type, belongs to the undemocratic group. The main task of the authorities is to subordinate the way of life of people to one completely dominant idea, to organize power so that all conditions for this are created in the state.
- The difference between the totalitarian regime is ideology. It always has its own “Bible.” The main features include:
- The official ideology. She completely denies a different order in the country. It is needed to unite citizens, build a new society.
- Monopoly on the power of a single mass party. The latter practically absorbs any other structures, starting to perform their functions.
- Control over the media. This is one of the main disadvantages, since there is censorship of the information provided. Total control is observed in relation to all means of communication.
- Centralized control of the economy and bureaucratic management system.
Totalitarian regimes can change, evolve. If the latter appears, then we are talking about a post-totalitarian regime, when a previously existing structure loses part of its elements, becomes more blurred and weak. An example of totalitarianism is Italian fascism, Chinese Maoism, German National Socialism.
Authoritarian
This type is characterized by a monopoly on the power of one party, person, institution. Unlike the previous view, authoritarianism does not have a common ideology. Citizens are not repressed only because they are opponents of the regime. You can not support the existing system of power, it is simply enough to endure.
In this form, different regulation of different aspects of life is noted. The deliberate de-politicization of the masses is characteristic. This means that they know little about the political situation in the country, and practically do not accept participation in resolving issues.
If under totalitarianism the center of power is one party, under authoritarianism the state is recognized as the highest value. Among people, class, class and other differences are preserved and maintained.
The main symptoms include:
- a ban on opposition work;
- centralized monistic power structure;
- maintaining limited pluralism;
- lack of the possibility of non-violent change of ruling structures;
- the use of structures to maintain power.
In society, it is believed that an authoritarian regime always implies the use of rigid systems of political government, which uses coercive and forceful methods of regulation of any processes. Therefore, power agencies and any means of ensuring political stability are important political institutions.
Democratic political regime
It is associated with freedom, equality, justice. Under a democratic regime, all human rights are respected. This is its main plus. Democracy is democracy. It can be called a political regime only if the legislative power was chosen by the people.
The state provides its citizens with wide rights and freedoms. It is not limited only to their proclamation, but also provides the basis for them, establishes constitutional guarantees. Thanks to this, freedoms become not only formal, but also real.
The main signs of a democratic political regime:
- The presence of the Constitution, which would meet the requirements of the people.
- Sovereignty: people choose their representatives, can change them, exercise control over the activities of state. structures.
- The rights of individuals and minorities are being protected. The majority opinion is a necessary but not sufficient condition.
In a democratic system there is equality of citizens' rights in the management of state. systems. Any political parties and associations can be created to express their will. In this regime, the rule of law is understood as the supreme power of law. In a democracy, political decisions are always alternative, and the legislative procedure is clear and balanced.
